2011 was a record year for the world's billionaires

Henry Romero / Reuters
Mexico's Carlos Slim Helu, added $20.5 billion to his fortune, more than any other billionaire.By Luisa Kroll and Kerry A. Dolan

Forbes
updated 1 hour 10 minutes ago 2011-03-09T20:49:22

This 25th year of tracking global wealth was one to remember. The 2011 Billionaires List breaks two records: total number of listees (1,210) and combined wealth ($4.5 trillion). This horde surpasses the gross domestic product of Germany, one of only six nations to have fewer billionaires this year. BRICs led the way: Brazil, Russia, India and China produced 108 of the 214 new names. These four nations are home to one in four members, up from one in ten five years ago. Before this year only the U.S. had ever produced more than 100 billionaires. China now has 115 and Russia 101.

The top 5

1. Carlos Slim Helu, $74 billion
2. Bill Gates, $56 billion
3. Warren Buffett, $50 billion
4. Bernard Arnault, $41 billion
5. Larry Ellison, $39.5 billion
.Atop the heap is Mexico's Carlos Slim Helu, who added $20.5 billion to his fortune, more than any other billionaire. The telecom mogul, who gets 62 percent of his fortune from America Movil, is now worth $74 billion and has pulled far ahead of his two closest rivals.

Getting more astronomical. Unbelievable.

All of those persons are, in at least one way or another, thieves or criminals. Bill Gates, for instance, has been implicated in criminal probes for decades due to collusion and using extortion to make sure computer makers never sell a computer with anything but "Windoze" operating system on it. This is well documented.

All of the rich are thieves but none of them are in jail. Why? When are the bottom 98% of people going to band together and quit fighting over the crumbs these rich crooks drop on the dirt for us.

/edited title to include "lies"