Bill Gates reclaims title as world`s richest person

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has regained world`s richest man title in five years after assuming technology advisor role in Microsoft last month. Chairman Lee Kun-hee of Samsung Electronics remains Korea`s wealthiest man.

According to Forbes` 2014 World`s Billionaires list released Monday, Bill Gates` fortune was valued at 76 U.S. billion dollars. He was back on top after a four-year hiatus, reclaiming the title from Carlos Slim Helu, the Mexican telecommunications mogul, who fell to No. 2 after having ranked No. 1 for the past four years. Gates` fortune has risen by 9 billion dollars as Microsoft stock surged by 35 percent last year. He is still Microsoft`s largest shareholder.

Slim`s fortune fell by 1 billion dollars from last year to 72 billion dollars as mining business revenue declined due to falling gold and copper prices. Amancio Ortega, chairman of Inditex, a Spanish apparel firm best known for fashion brand Zara, ranked third with 64 billion dollars. Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett and Oracle founder Larry Ellison followed with 58.2 billion dollars and 48 billion dollars, respectively.

The year’s biggest gainer was Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, whose fortune jumped by 15.2 billion dollars over the past year to 28.5 billion dollars, as shares of his social network soared after having remained sluggish following IPO in 2012. He ranked 21st.

A total of 27 Korean people were on the list. Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee ranked 102th with 11.1 billion dollars, followed by Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Mong-koo who ranked 202th with 6.8 billion dollars.