NEW YORK (AP)– Thanks to a surge in demand for steel, the Internet and Scandinavian sofas,there are some new names among the very richest of the world’s billionaires.
Indian steelmogul Lakshmi Mittal, Mexican telecom magnate Carlos Slim Helu and Ikea founderIngvar Kamprad of Sweden knocked several Wal-Mart heirs down a few notches onForbes magazine’s 2005 rankings of the world’s billionaires.
Thebillionaires are richer and more numerous for the second straight year, but theNo. 1 spot is unchanged — Microsoft Corp. founder Bill Gates led the list forthe eleventh year in a row with a net worth of $46.5 billion, slightly lessthan his $46.6 billion last year.
