Once again, Bill Gates is the world's richest man

Microsoft founder Bill Gates has regained top spot as the richest man in the US and the world. His net worth is estimated at $76 billion, $4 billion higher than Mexican telecom mogul Carlos Slim, who topped the Forbes rich list for the past 4 years.

There were a record 1,645 billionaires, according to Forbes. 42 new Women are listed in the record. In total, there are 172 women on the list, more than ever before and up from 138 last year. Technology firms featured heavily in the list, with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg becoming the biggest gainer in net worth.

Spanish clothing retailer Amancio Ortega (best known for the Zara fashion chain) retains the No. 3 spot for the second year in a row, extending his lead over Warren Buffett, who is again No. 4. American gambling tycoon Sheldon Adelson, who added $11.5 billion to his pile, makes it back into the top ten for the first time since 2007.

list of top ten billionaires in the world

1. Bill Gates : $76bn (Microsoft, software)
2. Carlos Slim : $72bn (America Movil, telecoms)
3. Amancio Ortega : $64bn (Zara, fashion)
4. Warren Buffet : $58.2bn (Berkshire Hathaway, investment)
5. Larry Ellison : $48bn (Oracle, software)
6. Charles Koch/David Koch : $40bn/$40bn (Koch Industries, various)
7. Sheldon Adelson : $38bn (Las Vegas Sands, casinos)
8. Christy Walton : $36.7bn (Wal-Mart, retail)
9. Jim Walton : $34.7bn (Wal-Mart, retail)
10. Liliane Bettencourt : $34.5bn (L'Oreal, retail)

View the original list published by Forbes : The Richest People On The Planet