09/27 18:45 Bill Gates tops Forbes billionaires
for fifth year
NEW YORK, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Bill Gates, chief of software giant Microsoft
Corp. <MSFT.O>, topped the list of the richest Americans for the fifth year in
a row, Forbes magazine said in its annual listing of the Forbes 400.
However, the recent stock market decline, including the 500 point drop on
Aug. 31, shaved $9 billion from Gates' net worth, putting him at $58.4 billion.
Yet, he is still worth $18 billion more than last year, the magazine said in its
Oct. 12 issue.
Investor Warren Buffet, whose net worth fell about $7 billion due to the stock
drop, was No. 2 at $29.4 billion.
Forbes said that despite the stock market drop that pushed many potential
billionaires off the list of the country's 400 richest individuals, there are 189
billionaires in the United States this year, up from 170 last year.
The average net worth of the Forbes 400 is $1.8 billion. Among list members
in their 60s, the average net worth is $1.7 billion. Among list members in
their 40s, the average is $3.2 billion.
Only 58 members of the list are women.
The magazine said that 75 members of the Forbes 400 got their wealth from
finance and investments; 64 members got theirs from media and
entertainment; 38 from software and technology; 27 from real estate and 27
from oil and gas.
In all, 171 members inherited at least some of their wealth.
New to this year's list are Jeff Bezos, founder of online bookseller
Amazon.com <AMZN.O>, worth $1.6 billion, and Marcy Carsey and Tom
Werner, producers of television hits "Cosby," "Roseanne" and "3rd Rock from
the Sun," each worth $600 million.
Two other Microsoft executives are among the top 50. Paul Allen is No. 3,
worth $22 billion, and Steven Ballmer is No. 5, worth $12 billion.
The owner of computer company Dell Computer Corp. <DELL.O>, Michael
Dell, is No. 4 on the list, worth $13 billion. Dell is also one of the youngest
among the Forbes 400, aged 33.
One of the oldest on the list is Irene Wells Pennington, aged 99, of Baton
Rouge, Louisiana, whose $600 million net worth is attributed to oil.
Among the entertainment world, director Steven Spielberg is worth $1.6
billion, director George Lucas is worth $2 billion, talk show host and actress
Oprah Winfrey is worth $675 million and Walt Disney Co. <DIS.N> Chairman
Michael Eisner is worth $710 million.
Most of the nation's 400 richest individuals live in California, with 90. New
York is second with 51, followed by Texas, 30; Pennsylvania, 16;
Massachusetts, 15; Michigan, 15; and Florida, 14. |
