Factbox: Forbes top 20 richest people in the world

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim is the new richest person in the world, knocking Microsoft founder Bill Gates into second spot, Forbes said on Wednesday

It is only the second time since 1995 that Gates has lost the crown, said the magazine.

Here is Forbes ranking of the 20 richest people in the world:

* Carlos Slim (Mexico) - $53.5 billion, telecommunications

* Bill Gates (USA) - $53 billion, Microsoft

* Warren Buffett (USA) - $47 billion, Berkshire Hathaway

* Mukesh Ambani (India) - $29 billion, petrochemicals, oil and gas

* Lakshmi Mittal (India) - $28.7 billion, steel

* Larry Ellison (USA) - $28 billion, Oracle

* Bernard Arnault (France) - $27.5 billion, LVMH

* Eike Batista (Brazil) - $27 billion, mining, oil

* Amancio Ortega (Spain) - $25 billion, retail

* Karl Albrecht (Germany) - $23.5 billion, supermarkets

* Ingvar Kamprad & family (Sweden) - $23 billion, Ikea

* Christy Walton & family (USA) - $22.5 billion, Walmart

* Stefan Persson (Sweden) - $22.4 billion, Hennes & Mauritz

* Li Ka-shing (Hong Kong) - $21 billion, diversified

* Jim Walton (USA) - $20.7 billion, Walmart

* Alice Walton (USA) - $20.6 billion, Walmart

* Liliane Bettencourt (France) - $20 billion, L'Oreal

* S. Robson Walton (USA) - $19.8 billion, Walmart

* Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud (Saudi Arabia) - $19.4 billion, investments

* David Thomson & family (Canada) - $19 billion, news and information company Thomson Reuters

The full Forbes ranking of the world's billionaires can be seen at www.forbes.com/billionaires.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Eric Walsh)