Bill Gates' fortune has been cut by a massive £12.2bn,
but he has regained the position of being the world's richest
person with £28.8bn, according to Forbes Rich List
2009.
The world's billionaires have been hit hard by the global
downturn, but two software entrepreneurs still feature in the top
five.
The co-founder of Microsoft was third last year with a massive
£41bn, according to the
rich list
produced by business magazine Forbes.
This year, Oracle chief
Larry
Ellison is the forth richest person with £16.2bn, compared to
£18bn a year ago.
Warren Buffet, who heads investment conglomerate Berkshire
Hathaway, has been demoted to second with £26.7bn compared to £44bn
the previous year.
Among those experiencing significant falls in their net
worth was Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who lost his
billionaire status.
