Bill Gates is Still the Richest Man in America with $66 Billion
Forbes' rich list is out and the top three hasn't changed.
Just in case you were worried that all of Bill Gates philanthropic efforts were endangering his spot on top of America's rich list, we can assure you that they're not. While Gates may not be the richest man in the world, he is most definitely still the richest man in the United States of America. In fact, the top three on the list remained in the same spots they had last year, or, in Gates' case, the same spot he's had for the last 19 years running. Funnily enough, Bill Gates, aged 56, is also the youngest person in the top 10. He's outgunned, however, by 47-year-old Jeff Bezos, who placed number 11.
Forbes reports that Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Larry Ellison were up $7 billion, $7 billion and $8 billion, respectively. Bill Gates now has a net work of $66 billion, while the jump to second place is a $20 billion difference. Larry Eillison comes in just behind Warren Buffet's $46 billion net worth with a net worth of $41 billion. Rounding out the top five are the Koch brothers, Charles and David Koch, who are each worth $31 billion. Spots six, seven, eight, and nine are all occupied by members of the Walton family (Wal-Mart), while number ten on the list is Michael Bloomberg with his net worth of $25 billion.
The tech industry is very well represented on this year's list. Aside from Gates, Ellison, and Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Google's Larry Page and Sergey Brin also appear in the top 20, along with Steve Ballmer and Paul Allen. The top 50 includes Michael Dell, Steve Jobs' wife Laurene and her family, Mark Zuckerberg, Pierre Omidyar (eBay), and Eric Schmidt.
Interestingly, Gates and Buffett have managed to retain their titles as the first and second wealthiest people in America while also earning themselves the title of the most generous guys in the world. According to Forbes, the two have given away a combined $45 billion.
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Jane McEntegart is a writer, editor, and marketing communications professional with 17 years of experience in the technology industry. She has written about a wide range of technology topics, including smartphones, tablets, and game consoles. Her articles have been published in Tom's Guide, Tom's Hardware, MobileSyrup, and Edge Up.
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jason_1975 On the one hand, congratulations to them. On the other hand, there's something wrong when so much wealth is controlled by so few individuals, especially while the median income of ordinary Americans has continued to decline in real terms over the last 20 years.Reply
To me, these lists always pose the question, how much is enough? At what point do people say, "hey, monetary systems were a great way to get us away from bartering, but it shouldn't be a system that segregates wealth from the majority of the human beings on the planet" . . . -
inerax Replythe two have given away a combined $45 billion.
Hats off to them both. Everyone with a boat of money should act like that.
Thank you to everyone who has donated. -
iinlane So Mexico is not in America any more? Carlos Slim Helu is the richest man in the world.Reply -
blazorthon drwho1With all that money and he couldn't afford a START button on Windows 8.Reply
If you hate not having it so much, then either don't upgrade or do upgrade and put one in yourself with Classic Shell, ViStart, Start8, or any other such program. It's free. -
de5_Roy how much was amd worth again....Reply
Interestingly, Gates and Buffett have managed to retain their titles as the first and second wealthiest people in America while also earning themselves the title of the most generous guys in the world. According to Forbes, the two have given away a combined $45 billion.
amd should ask these guys for a bailout. -
kawininjazx jason_1975On the one hand, congratulations to them. On the other hand, there's something wrong when so much wealth is controlled by so few individuals, especially while the median income of ordinary Americans has continued to decline in real terms over the last 20 years.To me, these lists always pose the question, how much is enough? At what point do people say, "hey, monetary systems were a great way to get us away from bartering, but it shouldn't be a system that segregates wealth from the majority of the human beings on the planet" . . .Reply
I'm sure you can find a plane ticket to head to over to socialist Europe or the People's Republic of China and meet plenty of people who agree with you.