NEW YORK — One made the list on the strength of girdle sales, another powered by electric sports cars. Still others lost billions or fell off the list altogether thanks to the weak global economy and the gyrations of financial markets.

Forbes magazine released its annual tally of billionaires on Wednesday, reporting a record 1,226 people around the globe have a net worth in the ten digits. That’s up 1 percent from last year’s total.

But it wasn’t an easy year for the superrich — about 441 list members lost wealth during the year, nearly equal to the 461 who expanded their fortunes. And only a fraction, 180, held steady.

The group’s total combined net worth is up 2 percent at $4.6 trillion. The average worth of a member is $3.7 billion.

Carlos Slim of Mexico remained the world’s richest man for the third year in a row with a $69 billion fortune, down $5 billion.

Elon Musk, co-founder of PayPal and founder of Tesla Motors, joined the list as the world’s 634th richest person as the value of stock in his electric car company rose.

Sara Blakely, founder of women’s slimming undergarments company Spanx, joined the list this year. At age 41, Blakely is the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire.