Investopedia 1/29/2015 Dan Moskowitz

AP Photo/Ben Margot, File Who are the five richest people in the world and how did they manage that feat?

Who do you think sits at the top of this list as of 2015? Warren Buffett? Carlos Slim? Bill Gates? One of those names is correct, but which one? And while all three make the top five, who are the other two billionaires rounding out this prestigious list?

Net Worth: $80.8 billion

Co-Founder: Microsoft Corp. (MSFT )

You probably heard and read a lot about Bill Gates through the years. For instance, you likely already know that he’s not a people person, that he would often embarrass his employees in front of large groups, and that he’s the biggest philanthropist in the world. Yes, he’s somewhat of an enigma, but most brilliant minds fall into that category.

What you might not know about Bill Gates is that his net worth has doubled since 2009. Through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. he has also spent $30 billion over the past 14 years to fight polio and malaria. Additionally, he spent $50 million last year to help fight Ebola. Another interesting and little-known fact is that Microsoft was originally called Micro-Soft. The hyphen was dropped after the first year. (For related reading, see: Where Does Bill Gates Keep His Money? )

Bill Gates is currently a board member for Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.A ).

2. Warren Buffett

Net Worth: $73.3 billion

Best Investor of 20 th Century

Warren Buffet turned Berkshire Hathaway into a money-making machine. The stock is currently trading at $225,061 per share. If you want in, it’s going to cost you. Or is it? The stock has appreciated 124% over the past five years. Not bad.

Warren Buffett is widely known as “The Oracle of Omaha ” because of his knack for value investing. While most investors have been piling into social media companies, Buffett has repeatedly stated that it’s too difficult to determine their value and has instead stuck with investments that he thinks will pay off 10 years down the road.

Buffet is also known for his frugality. He doesn’t spend money on fancy cars or large yachts, instead giving much of his wealth to charity. Over his lifetime, he has given back more than $20 billion. His ability to afford such generosity shouldn’t come as a surprise given the fact that this is the same man, that as a high schooler, used his bicycle as a $35 deduction on his first income tax return because of a paper route. (For related reading, see: Warren Buffett’s Frugal, So Why Aren’t You? )

Net Worth: $72.9 billion

Telecom Mogul

Carlos Slim is often referred to as “The Warren Buffett of Mexico.” The majority of his wealth has been made via the telephone market (landline and mobile). Through America Movil (AMX ), he has exposure to 18 countries. This also includes TracFone in the United States. (For related reading, see: How Carlos Slim Built His Fortune .)

Slim is still highly diversified, with exposure to communications, real estate, airlines, media, technology, retail, and finance. He primarily focused on construction, real estate, and mining early in his investing career, but when economic contraction hit Mexico in 1982 due to sliding oil prices and rising interest rates, Slim got aggressive, investing in numerous sectors and businesses. Following Buffett’s motto, he bought when there was blood in the streets. It has paid off immensely. (For related reading, see: Where Does Carlos Slim Keep His Money? )

4. Amancio Ortega

Net Worth: $58.5 billion

The Retail King

Amancio Ortega is the wealthiest retailer in the world, having been the founder of Inditex, best known for its Zara retail shops (will open more than a dozen shops in U.S. this year, including a flagship store in New York City). Ortega stepped down as chairman at Inditex, but he still owns 59.29% of the company.

Like Slim, Ortega struck when prices were low. He spent $5 billion on real estate during The Great Recession. He now owns 26 buildings, including the Torre Picasso in Madrid.

What you might not know about Ortega is that he never wears a tie, and that he almost always eats with his employees in the cafeteria.

5. Larry Ellison

Net Worth: $54.2 billion

Co-Founder: Oracle Corp. (ORCL )

Larry Ellison might finish last on this short list, but he’s still the most interesting character. This is a man obsessed with living life to the fullest. He is widely known as an adrenaline junkie, and he has participated in mountain biking (injured), body-surfing (injured), sailing, and flying his own planes. He also owns two military jets. Oh … and he’s the backer of Oracle Team USA — winner of the America’s Cup. (For related reading, see: 6 Wealthy People Who Owned Private Islands .)

In regards to business, Ellison started out by building databases for the CIA, which he called Oracle. He later built Oracle (the company) into a multinational computer technology corporation. He has since stepped down as Oracle CEO, but he still owns 25% of the company. He also has stakes in Salesforce.com Inc. (CRM ) and NetSuite Inc. (N ). Additionally, in 2012, he spent $300 million on real estate on the Hawaiian island of Lanai. (For related reading, see: How Oracle Remains a Relatively Unknown Software Giant .)

The Bottom Line

If you want to get a little closer to making this list, then you might need to become a technological innovator, a telecom mogul, or a retail king. Or you can keep it simple and focus on value investing. It also wouldn’t hurt to inherit a large sum. (For related reading, see: Which Billionaire Could Be Your New Neighbor? )

Dan Moskowitz does not own any shares in MSFT, BRK.A, ORCL, CRM, or N.

SEE SLIDESHOW (below): World’s top 50 billionaires