MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“Cheers” with Havana Club rum

Fidel Castro from Cuba figures among the list of ten richest world leaders according to the US business magazine Forbes.

Forbes estimates Mr. Castro's personal fortune in 150 million US dollars which ranks him tenth among heads of state and government.

However Bill Gates continues to figure as the richest man on earth with 47 billion US dollars, while Italian Prime Minister is the richest ruler of the Group of Seven Most Industrialized Countries with 10 billion US dollars.

Mr. Castro's fortune is made up of properties, luxury vehicles and earnings estimated in 20 million US dollars annually from contracts with European companies such as Pernod Ricard for the sale of Havana Club rum.

The Queen of England figures seventh among world leaders with a fortune estimated in 660 million US dollars and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat ninth with 200 million US dollars.

Mr. Berlusconi is also the richest man in Italy and 45th in the world ranking.

US president George Bush has a personal fortune estimated in 15 million US dollars and French president Jacques Chirac 9 million US dollars. British Prime Minister figures with 3 million US dollars.

Carlos Slim the Mexican tycoon with investments in banking and telecommunications figures as the richest man of Latinamerica.