Wednesday 21 September 2011

Bill Gates Keeps No. 1 Spot On 30th Annual Forbes 400 List of Richest Americans

Bill Gates once again tops the list, with a net worth of $59 billion, up $5 billion from last year, followed by America’s favorite investor, Warren E. Buffett, the man who just might have a millionaire’s tax named in his honor. Then there’s the Walton family, heirs to the Walmart fortune, who account for three of the top ten spots.


The Forbes 400 welcomed 18 new members in 2011 ("Fresh Faces," p. 52), including Sean Parker (No. 200) who rocked the music industry with Napster and helped build Facebook ("Agent Of Disruption," p. 58); John Henry (No. 375), majority owner of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool FC; Jeffrey Skoll (No. 139) whose Participant Media's most recent release, "The Help," has grossed nearly $143 million to date; and Forever 21's Jin Sook & Do Won Chang (No. 88).


Every member of the Top 20 gained wealth this year, with the exception of Buffett, down $6 billion from 2010, the largest dollar amount loss of any 400 member. The year's biggest dollar gainer is Mark Zuckerberg (No. 14), who cracked the Top 20 with a gain of $10.6 billion. Other gainers include Michael Bloomberg (No. 12); Jeff Bezos (No. 13); and Donald Trump (No. 128). Charles Schwab (No. 91) is among the 72 members who lost wealth, along with Mark Cuban (No. 171); Yahoo cofounder David Filo (No. 375); and seven Cargill family members ("The Cargill Family Tree," p. 127).


In the second annual "Forbes 400 Summit," world-famous Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates talks with Facebook cofounder Dustin Moskovitz (No. 91), the world's youngest billionaire, about the importance of legacy ("A Course In Giving," p. 110). George Kaiser (No. 31) is one of many members of the Forbes 400 who are extending their legacy through their philanthropy ("George Kaiser's $10 Billion Bet," p. 182). His $96.5 million donation to the George Kaiser Family Foundation is among several of the largest reported charitable gifts made by 400 members in 2010 and 2011 ("Biggest Gifts," p. 187).


Among the 42 women on the list are media mogul Oprah Winfrey (No. 139) who is fighting to revive her floundering cable network ("Oprah Winfrey's OWN Battle," p. 162); newcomer Gayle Cook (No. 96); and Meg Whitman (No. 331). There were 24 dropouts this year, including Edgar Bronfman, Sr. (Seagram's) and Richard Hayne (Urban Outfitters). Other notable 400 members include Ronald Perelman (No. 26) -- he and his dad, Raymond, have an intimate talk in "Funny Business" (p. 90); Steve Jobs (No. 39) the subject of Forbes' upcoming graphic novel, The Zen of Steve Jobs (p. 152); and Ted Turner (No. 212), who has mellowed -- somewhat ("The Last Roundup," p. 128). The Top 10:








RANK NAME WEALTH SOURCE $ CHANGE FROM 2010


1 Bill Gates $59 billion Microsoft + $5 billion


2 Warren Buffett $39 billion Berkshire Hathaway - $6 billion


3 Larry Ellison $33 billion Oracle + $6 billion


4 Charles Koch $25 billion Diversified + $3.5 billion


4 David Koch $25 billion Diversified + $3.5 billion


6 Christy Walton & family $24.5 billion Wal-Mart + $500 million


7 George Soros $22 billion Hedge Funds + $7.8 billion


8 Sheldon Adelson $21.5 billion Casinos + $6.8 billion


9 Jim Walton $21.1 billion Wal-Mart + $1 billion


10 Alice Walton $20.9 billion Wal-Mart + $900 million



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