by Todd Pheifer

Created on: March 12, 2010

Even in a world economy that has had some struggles, there are still billionaires that are maintaining some of their wealth.  Their portfolios may have taken a hit in recent years, but they aren't exactly going broke.  When people look at billionaires, there is a mix of awe, intrigue, and disdain.  Much of the public's reaction to billiionaires is driven by what that person does with their money.  Specifically, people look to see if billionaires are generous with their funds and if they give the general appearance of wanting to make the world a "better" place.  With that in mind, here are a few of the top billionaires of 2010.

Carlos Slim Helu

Carlos Slim is currently listed as the world's richest person, with an estimated fortune of $53.5 billion.  His wealth stems from large telecommunications holdings in Mexico and large parts of Latin America.  He also has a stake in the New York Times Company.  As of 2010, Slim was first Mexican to top the Forbes list of wealthiest people.  In addition, he became the first person in over a decade and a half to top the list without being from the United States. 

Bill Gates

The former head of Microsoft is still cruising along with a net worth of approximately $53 billion.  Some may have questioned the tactics of Gates and Microsoft during his tenure, but less are critiquing the generosity of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  The foundation gave away a reported $3.8 billion in 2009 as it sought to combat world hunger, domestic education, and various diseases.  Gates has spent his life accumulating great wealth and it will be interesting to see what kind of impact his foundation has in the next few decades. 

Warren Buffett

By investing standards, Buffett had a bad year in 2008 when he lost money along with everyone else.  These losses were due to a variety of investments that did not go in the right direction.  Stilll, Buffett is generally considered one of the world's brightest investors and his investments were back up over the last year, due to some savvy transactions.  It seems unlikely that his portfolio will crumble, even in a struggling economy.  Warren has also distinguished himself for his philanthropic activities and he has pledged to give a large portion of his wealth to the Gates Foundation.

Mukesh Ambani

Ambani is currently the richest person in Asia, as his oil and gas empire is worth an estimated $29 billion.  Mukesh's father originally founded his company Reliance Industries, but after his death Mukesh and his brother have feuded over the company to the point where the assets had to be split.  Ironically, it was Mukesh's mother that brokered the division but the two brothers are still fighting and some of their issues have ended up in court.  In addition to running his conglomerate, Ambani also owned a cricket team called the Mumbai Indians. 

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