Gates is richest man in the world ... again

Seattle PI | at | by Mike

Thanks to a surge in demand for steel, the Internet and Scandinavian sofas, there are some new names among the very richest of the world's billionaires.

Indian steel mogul Lakshmi Mittal, Mexican telecom magnate Carlos Slim Helu and Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad of Sweden knocked several Wal-Mart heirs down a few notches on Forbes magazine's 2005 rankings of the world's billionaires.

The billionaires are richer and more numerous for the second straight year, but the No. 1 spot is unchanged -- Microsoft founder Bill Gates led the list for the 11th year in a row with a net worth of $46.5 billion, slightly less than his $46.6 billion last year.