RJ and Makay

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World Bank president Robert Zoellick announced today that he plans to step down on June 30th after serving five years guiding the bank through a period of volatile global economics.  His departure starts in motion a process to find a replacement, which traditionally goes to a Washington appointee since the U.S. helped found the bank after World War 2.

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Investors around the world have begun 2012 with a renewed sense of optimism and increased tolerance for investment risk, despite continued geopolitical concerns, according to a January BofA Merrill Lynch Survey of Fund Managers.  The survey polled 214 institutional investors and found that only 3% believe the world’s economy will slow down in 2012, down from 27% in December.

You'd never expect it because of the economy, but there are actually more billionaires — 199 more, to be exact — than last year.

According to Forbes magazine's annual billionaire headcount, there are now 1,210 billionaires worldwide. The top three on the list are the same as last year: Mexican media mogul Carlos Slim ($74 billion), Microsoft founder Bill Gates ($53 billion), and Investor Warren Buffet ($50 billion). However, all of the list's newcomers are from outside the U.S. and reside mainly in BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China), reflecting dramatic change in the global economy.