Mark Zuckerberg set to pass Warren Buffett to become world's third richest person

Image-Mark Zuckerberg/AP (File Photo)

NEW DELHI: Facebook Inc. co-founder Mark Zuckerberg is poised to surpass Warren Buffett to become the world’s third-richest person, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. According to the report, Zuckerberg, 34, gained $8.8 billion in 2018, boosting his personal net worth to $81.6 billion, even when his Facebook Inc. saw its stock tumbling by 18 per cent following issues relating to data-sharing privacy. Its rebound from a low of $152.22 on March 27 to close at a record $202 narrowed the gap with Buffett to $29 million, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. With this, Zuckerberg, who is more than 50 years younger to Warren Buffett, is just whiskers behind the Berkshire Hathaway Inc. chairman. The Bloomberg index ranks the 500 richest people in the world and is revised every day after the close of each trading day in New York. Amazon.com Inc. founder Jeff Bezos is currently ranked as the world’s richest person and has the net worth of $144.8 billion while the Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates, who is the world's second richest, has the worth of $92.8 billion. Warren Buffett, who was once ranked as the wealthiest person, now stands at number three in the list of world's richest people. The 87-year-old Berkshire Hathaway Inc. chairman slid to the third spot because of his massive charities since 2006. Mark Zuckerberg has also pledged to give 99% of his Facebook shares to charity during his lifetime.