THE WORLD’S RICHEST man from 2010 to 2013 temporarily reclaimed the title last year, according to Forbes, only to fall down to third place, with his net worth plunging from a $86.2 billion peak in September to $71.4 billion by mid December. This drop in Slim’s fortunes was linked to the weak performance of his telecom business America Movil, which is set to lose its monopoly status in Mexico following a regulatory decision on interconnection rates. That said, the tycoon, born to Mexican-Lebanese immigrant parents in 1940, still has plenty going for him including a telecom empire stretching across most of Latin America and into Europe, and controlling interests in industrial conglomerate Grupo Carso and financial firm Grupo Financiero Imbursa.