Carlos Slim tops Forbes billionaires list at $69 billion

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim retained his position atop Forbes magazine's annual list of the world's billionaires on Wednesday with an estimated worth of $69 billion, placing him ahead of Bill Gates at $61 billion and Warren Buffett at $44 billion.

Slim, 72, has taken the top spot three years in a row largely based on assets from his telecommunications empire.

(Reporting By Daniel Trotta; Editing by Paul Thomasch and Maureen Bavdek)