Christy Walton, whose father-in-law Sam Walton and his brother founded Wal-Mart Stores Inc., is one of 102 women on the list this year. She saw her net worth climb to $26 billion. (Photo/Flickr/Xu Mungsong)
9. Mukesh Ambani
Mukesh Ambani, an Indian business magnate and the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, saw his net worth climb to $27 billion. (Photo/Flickr/World Economic Forum)
8. Eike Batista
The Brazilian billionaire, Eike Batista, who founded many companies, mostly in mining, saw his net worth climb $30 billion. (Photo/Agência Brasil)
7. Amancio Ortega
Amancio Ortega, general manager of Spanish textil company Zara, saw his net worth climb to $31 billion. (Photo/ Miguel Riopa/AFP/Getty Images)
6. Lakshmi Mittal
The CEO of ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steelmaker, Lakshmi Mittal saw his net worth climb to $31.1 billion. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
5. Larry Ellison
Oracle CEO Larry Ellison saw his net worth climb to $39.5 billion. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
4. Bernard Arnault
The return of people's appetite for luxury goods pushed LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault up to No. 4 on the list from No. 7, with a net worth of $41 billion. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for FENDI)
3. Warren Buffett
The rebound in the stock market helped investor Warren Buffett's wealth increase to $50 billion. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
2. Bill Gates
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, 55, saw his net worth climb to $56 billion. Forbes noted that Gates, once the world's wealthiest man, has given $30 billion to The Gates Foundation. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
1. Carlos Slim
Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim is the world's richest person for the second year in a row. His fortune soared to $74 billion on strength in the Mexican stock market, a stronger peso and successful business spinoffs. (Photo/Omar Torres /AFP/Getty Images)