Forbes has just released their world’s richest billionaires list, with Bill Gates reclaiming the number one spot over Warren Buffett despite loosing $18 billion over last year. Aggregately, Forbes estimates there are now 793 billionaires worth collectively $2.4 trillion, down from 1,125 people collectively worth $4.4 trillion only a year earlier. The biggest decline in personal net worth was $31.9 billion by Anil Ambani, chairman of India’s Reliance Communications, who now has an estimated net worth of $10.1 billion.

Interestingly, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has been entirely knocked off the billionaires list as his companies estimated valuation declined because of the poor current economic climate. Forbes did not provide an estimate of his personal net worth. Forbes has now named German Prince Albert von Thurn as the youngest billionaire at 25 with an estimated net worth of $2.1 billion.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has announced support for a new program partnered with the GSM Association that aims to bring affordable and reliable mobile banking to less developed nations. The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation has announced $12.5 million to kick-start the Mobile Money for the Unbanked (MMU) Program.

There are over 1 billion people in emerging markets today who don’t have a bank account but do have a mobile phone,” said Rob Conway, CEO and Member of the Board of the GSMA.

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Bill Gates today told the BBC that he sees the world economies emerging from recession in about 4 years citing innovations in technology and science. Bill Gates also urged fellow philanthropists to encourage governments to help the poor, especially in countries with famine, as those people cannot wait for countries to come out of recession.