Forbes magazine published its 25th annual ranking of richest people on the planet, with the number of billionaires rising to 1,226 from 140 on the inaugural list. Warren Buffett, the Sage of Omaha, retained his third place and was the highest placed from the world of finance.

The billionaires on the list this year were worth a record $4.6 trillion with Mexican telecommunications tycoon Carlos Slim topping the rankings at $69bn, according to Forbes. The full list can be seen at [ www.forbes.com/billionaires/ ].