Warren Buffett tells CNBC's Becky Quick, with his familiar laugh, that he was able to replace Microsoft's Bill Gates as the world's richest person because he "spends less."  In a brief off-camera telephone chat about Forbes' new list of global billionaires, with Buffett and his estimated $62 billion in the top position, the Berkshire Hathaway chairman joked that "it's a tribute to thriftiness."    Read More

Warren Buffett is now the world's richest person, topping the just-released Forbes 2008 ranking of global billionaires, with an estimated wealth of $62 billion.  He bumps Microsoft's Bill Gates from the number one spot, a position Gates held for 13 consecutive years.  Mexico's Carlos Slim is number two.   Read More