The world’s new richest man, Mexican Carlos Slim, and a fresh crop of billionaires in Asia helped lead a comeback for the wealthiest few on the planet in 2010, Forbes magazine said Wednesday.

The publication’s annual rich list reflected a resurgence of wealth after the financial turmoil of 2009, with the top 10 wealthiest worth a combined 342 billion dollars, compared to 254 billion dollars in the previous year.

“The global economy is recovering. The financial markets came back, especially emerging markets,” said magazine editor-in-chief Steve Forbes.

“There’s a 50 percent increase in general global wealth compared to last year,” Forbes said.

Certainly the economy recovered for the super rich, who took a beating during last year’s stock and commodity market collapses, but saw across-the-board gains this year.

Forbes counted 1,011 billionaires from 55 countries, up from 793 last year, though still shy of the pre-crisis 1,125 listed in 2008.

The top 10 richest people in the world have a combined worth of 342 billion dollars in 2010, up from 254 billion a year ago.

Here are the 20 wealthiest, as announced Wednesday by Forbes magazine in its annual list of the world’s billionaires:

1. Carlos Slim Helu and family. Mexico. Telecoms. 53.5 billion dollars.

2. Bill Gates. US. Microsoft. 53 billion dollars.

3. Warren Buffett. US. Berkshire Hathaway. 47 billion dollars.

The Hurun “Best of the Best” 2010 Awards for preferred brands of China’s richest consumers were announced yesterday by Hurun Report.

The luxury business magazine is renowned for its annual “China Rich List”.

In its sixth edition Hurun surveyed 383 mainland millionaires, each with assets of at least RMB 10 million ($1.5 million).

Among them 66 people have assets of at least RMB 100 million (USD 15 million).

Italian millionaire Flavio Briatore is on holiday with his pregnant wife, model Elisabetta Gregoraci in Malindi, Kenya.

Even heavily pregnant, Elisabetta Gregoraci, Italian model and showgirl, looks sexy and shows her beautiful big belly (as Flavio does, too).

The ex former Formula One manager and chairman of Queen’s Park Rangers F.C. needs relax after the stressful year he’s suffered.

The world’s wealthy are getting poorer and poorer at an alarming rate.

The number of millionaire households in the world dropped from 11 million in 2007 to 9 million last year, a fall of almost 18%, according to The Boston Consulting Group.

In North America the number was even higher, a 22 percent drop. Global wealth overall has also declined dramatically.

Prince Harry has inherited an estimated £9m from his mother’s estate after he turned 25 years old today.

Although he will not get access to the full amount, he will be able to receive £300,000 worth of interest each year from the money left by Princess Diana.

But despite becoming a multi-millionaire, Harry will not be celebrating his birthday in the usual style.