Gates lost to Slim

[Demon Cleaner]

According to the Forbes magazine, Carlos Slim has passed Bill Gates on the list called "The World’s Billionaires". He's now the richest man on earth.

[Harrison]

Interesting. I wonder if the same would be true had Gates not given away so much of his fortune to charity in recent years?

Still, it is very impressive considering where Carlos Slim's father originated and where he himself started from in Mexico.

[AlexJ]

Interesting. I wonder if the same would be true had Gates not given away so much of his fortune to charity in recent years?

Yep, Gates would still be the richest if he hadn't given it away. Gates is worth $58billion currently, Carlos $59billion. At one point, Bill Gates gave $2billion away in one year and I think currently gives away about $1.5billion each year whereas Carlos Slim's attitude to charity is "Poverty isn't solved with donations."

[Harrison]

Even being worth 1 billion would be quite an inconceivable amount of money. Although the US Billion isn't the same as a UK billion.

US Billion = 1,000 Million
UK Billion = 1,000,000 Million. (or a million million).

Therefore as per usual the Americans make out they have more than in reality by moving the boundaries.

[AlexJ]

Having said that, officially Britain now uses the 'US billion' (short-scale numbering system), or at least the government do. Most newspapers and TV reports use the US billion as well. The US billion is also common in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa which makes up most of the English-speaking countries.

[Sharingan]

Whatever it's called, it's a huge amount of moolah to me. If these guys would be so kind as to donate 1% of their wealth to me, I would be a happy camper.

Can you imagine what you could do with a billion bucks? Or even ten million?

[Teho]

Even being worth 1 billion would be quite an inconceivable amount of money. Although the US Billion isn't the same as a UK billion.

US Billion = 1,000 Million
UK Billion = 1,000,000 Million. (or a million million).

Didn't know this. I thought english in general used 'billion' for 1,000 million, ie the US billion. So what would you call 1,000 million in the UK then, asssuming you haven't adopted the US style?

[AlexJ]

You'd say "a thousand million". The correct term is "a milliard" but you will never hear that being used in the UK.

[Teho]

I see. Should've guessed, 'milliard' is the term in norwegian as well. And here it is in common use.

Learn something new every day.

[Harrison]

You must have more Milliard's in Norway than we have here. ;)

[TiredOfLife]

I thought that's where they through away the spoiled grain.

[Demon Cleaner]

We also say milliard here, but I thought that was everywhere in Europe.

[Stephen Coates]

Even being worth 1 billion would be quite an inconceivable amount of money. Although the US Billion isn't the same as a UK billion.

US Billion = 1,000 Million
UK Billion = 1,000,000 Million. (or a million million).

Therefore as per usual the Americans make out they have more than in reality by moving the boundaries.

Ah. So that would explein why in geography and maths lessons, we were told that a billion is 1 000 000 000 000 and why other people have told me that it is just a thousand million.

Confusing.