"AS THE RICH GET RICHER..."

Mexico's Carlos Slim, named the world's richest man on Wednesday, first showed a talent for business as a 10-year-old kid when he filled his pockets with pesos selling drinks and snacks to his family. As a youngster he also kept accounting ledgers of what he earned and spent and bought a government savings bond from which he learned valuable lessons about compound interest. More than half a century later Slim, 70, has amassed a fortune of $53.5 billion, beating Microsoft founder Bill Gates to top the list of the world's richest people, according to a new ranking published by Forbes magazine.

The combined net worth of the worlds top three wealthiest men total $153.5B dollars. You tell us people...ARE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY FINANCIALLY BETTER OFF TODAY THAN YOU WERE 10, 5 OR ONE YEAR AGO? http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100311/lf_nm_life/us_slim_newsmaker_1