Business news service Bloomberg has begun its ranking of the world's wealthiest and will offer superlative chart junkies a daily fix of 20 tycoons, moguls, magnates and business barons and their vast fortunes. Top spot is currently held by Carlos Slim, a Mexican communications mogul, worth an estimated USD 68.5 billion, while Microsoft founder Bill Gates follows with USD 62.4 billion.  And the combined ( monetary ) value of the world's 20 richest individuals? USD 676.8 billion, more than four times Romania's GDP and roughly equal to the combined GDP of the entire Balkan region.

Europe's highest placed billionaire is Ikea's Ingvar Kamprad in fourth place with USD 41.5 billion. The next two places are also filled by Europeans, in fifth place Bernard Arnault, Chairman of luxury goods group LVMH, which includes brands such as Louis Vutton and Champagne house Moet et Chandon. Arnault is worth an estimated USD 41.3 billion. Next up is Spanish fashion brand Zara's Amancio Ortega, whose fortune is valued at USD 38 billion.

The results differ from the Forbes rich list, which puts, for example, Bernard Arnault, two places lower. Visitors to Bloomberg's rich list can also track daily changes in the wealth of the world's top 20 tycoons. These changes can be vast, running into hundreds of millions of dollars. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg didn't make the cut. When the social network is floated on the stock market, his shares, according to Bloomberg, “may be worth less USD 21 billion.” Poor Mark. The last two places are occupied by Liliane Bettencourt from France with a measly USD 22.8 billion, while Canadian David K.R. Thomson and his paltry USD 22.6 billion came last.

See Bloomberg's top 20 tycoons here.

Liam Lever, liam@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Carlos Slim)