Bill Gates won't top "World's Richest" list

Bill Gates won't occupy the top spot on the world's rich list when Forbes magazine releases its annual ranking Wednesday, according to multiple reports.

The Microsoft founder is expected to finish second place, but not because of any faulty financial planning - Gates has donated $28 billion - nearly a third of his wealth - to charities through the foundation he runs with his wife, Melinda.

Mexico billionaire Carlos Slim is expected to lead the way, with Gates following him. Investor Warren Buffett rounds out the top three, according to reports.

Watch 60 Minutes' report on Bill Gates giving away a fortune above.

[atomant59]

Great job Mr. Gates, I commend you and your wife!!!

[tsigili]

Too bad he didn't use the money in America, that he donated to charity. Makes him much less of an American, now doesn't it?

[jackobyte]

Yeah he felt so guilty about how he made his fortune that to curry favor with God and the plebs he gives a large chunk of it away...

I don't admire him, rather he should have priced his products less and not screwed over so many people...

Still I guess he isn't a complete bounder (unlike many others) and I suppose its better than a kick in the teeth.

[jackobyte]

Hey mangler I'm not an Apple nut, never was, probably never will be but I was an Atari 800/400 nut.

What I'm mainly complaining about was the $2500 SDK he was flogging when he was in "partnership" with IBM with OS2. Which after years of "development" that resulted in an SDK that you could buy for $120 anyway. Now of course the SDK's are free, yeah my 2.5k would be a million now if invested in apple stock.

Also I have bought about 20 PC/laptops but always have to get new software from him, most times there's no option ...

You think Gates made PC's cheap? that's weird I thought it was all those stout orientals.

[jackobyte]

I'm sorry but I don't see how Bill Gates becoming the richest man on the planet made computers cheaper.

This implies that if he had less money computers would be more expensive??!!

Open sourced windows!? so it appears its personal.

I guess this just goes to show that everyone's "truth" is always dictated by their experience, in other words subjective entirely.

This thinking also seems to imply that if Microsoft didn't exist there would be a vacuum and Apple would dominate. I don't think that would have resulted. There were many players in the field someone else would have arisen and I doubt they would have been worse.

Their is absolutely no connection between cheap hardware and microsoft. It was IBM that allowed the copying of the PC architecture. In fact where microsoft does produce any hardware its prices are comparable to Apples for that same type of hardware.

Perhaps in some parallel universe Linux is king even on the desktop!

[myopinionpal]

I would not care if I were at the top of the list bottom or in the middle just as long as I'm on it.

[1notrub11]

Does anyone actually think he cares whether he is arbitrarily labeled World's Richest Person? I say arbitrarily because even he must recognize the "subjectivity" of the definition.

I am guessing he does not lie awake at night worrying about it.

[Unsilent_Majority]

What the heck is wrong with CBS? Bill Gates wasn't on top of the list in 2010 either. Come on CBS...how can you lose a title that wasn't yours in the 1st place?

Here's the 2010 list:
http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/10/worlds-richest-people-slim-gates-buffett-billionaires-2010_land.html

[Molly-Pchr]

Got your health? You're rich. Can't get any richer than that.

[daffy64]

God bless Mr. Gates for giving so much to charity.

[skeezix06]

I'm putting this in File 13. I mean, really. Who cares about Gates? He certainly doesn't care about us.

[Unsilent_Majority]

"Who cares about Gates?"...said the person who clicked on the story to read about Gates.