Moguls in ICT-related industries make up 20% of the top 60 money-earners named in the latest Forbes magazine rich list.
The Forbes list of the world`s richest business people is released annually. This year, the billionaires` club resulted in a collective net worth of $2.2 trillion.
Topping the list for the 11th consecutive year is Microsoft`s Bill Gates, who is worth around $46.5 billion. However, his lead this year has been cut by $1.2 billion, to $2.5 billion ahead of the second name on the list (investor Warren Buffett).
Two other top Microsoft executives are also in the top half of the list. Paul Allen, Microsoft`s co-founder and senior strategist, is at number seven with a worth of $21 billion. Microsoft CEO Steven Ballmer is listed as 24th richest, and is worth $12.1 billion.
ICT industry mogul Carlos Slim Helu, who runs Mexican telecoms fixed-line, mobile and Internet service provider businesses, is listed fourth and is worth $23.8 billion.
Other ICT leaders making it onto the list are Larry Ellison, founder and CEO of Oracle, who is worth $18.4 billion and listed in ninth spot, while Dell Computer founder Michael Dell is listed at number 18 and is worth $15.6 billion.
eBay founder Pierre Omidya is at number 35, worth $9.9 billion, and Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin share 55th spot, with $7.2 billion each.
John Kludge, the oldest man on the list at age 90, is the creator of Metromedia, which has shares in telephony businesses in Russia and the Republic of Georgia. Kludge is at number 30 and is worth $11 billion.
Azim Premji, founder of IT services outsourcing company Wipro, is listed at number 38 and is worth $9.9 billion, while Charles Ergen, CEO of satellite company EchoStar Communications, shares 55th spot with the Google founders and is worth $7.2 billion.
Collectively the ICT professionals on the list are worth $189.6 billion. Most of them were founders of their respective companies.
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