Forbes list of billionaires grows to 1,226

Forbes magazine released its annual tally of billionaires yesterday, reporting that a record 1,226 people around the globe have a net worth in the 10 digits. That's up 1 percent from last year's total.

But it wasn't an easy year for the superrich: About 441 list members lost wealth during the year, nearly equal to the 461 who expanded their fortunes.

And only a fraction, 180, held steady, according to the magazine.

The group's total combined net worth is up 2 percent at $4.6 trillion. The average worth of a list member is $3.7 billion.

The top of the list contains many of the same names from recent years.

Carlos Slim of Mexico remained the world's richest man for the third year in a row with a $69-billion fortune, down $5 billion from last year. Forbes attributed the drop in Slim's fortune to the decline in share prices for regional cellphone carrier America Movil, his largest holding.

Bill Gates of Microsoft Corp. came in second at $61 billion. And Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway came in at third place with a $44-billion fortune.

Among the 66 New York State residents on the list are four Long Islanders: James Simons, 73, of East Setauket, a former Stony Brook University math professor who made his fortune in hedge funds, is worth $10.7 billion; Charles Dolan, 85, of Oyster Bay, founder and chairman of Newsday's parent Cablevision Systems Corp., and his family are worth $2.6 billion; Kenneth Langone, 76, of Sands Point, a co-founder of The Home Depot, is worth $1.5 billion; and Louis Bacon, 53, who made his money in hedge funds and owns property in Oyster Bay and in Southold Town, is worth $1.4 billion.

Elon Musk, co-founder of PayPal and founder of Tesla Motors, joined the list as the world's 634th richest person as the value of stock in his electric car company rose.

The widow of Apple's Steve Jobs, Laurene Powell Jobs, took his spot on the list.

One of the most interesting additions was Sara Blakely, the founder of women's slimming undergarments company Spanx Inc., who joined the list this year.

At age 41, Blakely is the world's youngest self-made female billionaire.

The United States is still home to the most billionaires in the world with 425.

-- AP, with James T. Madore