HE HAS pledged to give at least half his fortune to philanthropic causes, but for the moment Bill Gates remains the richest man in the US, according to the latest Forbesmagazine rich list.
The Forbes 400 list, which ranks the fortunes of the wealthiest people in the US, estimates the worth of the Microsoft founder at $54 billion (€40 billion), up $4 billion on last year. The list reveals that 2010 has been kind to US billionaires, with more than half adding to their net worth.
Mr Gates, who claimed the top spot for the 17th year in a row, was followed by investor Warren Buffett, who is worth $45 billion, up $5 billion. Oracle founder Larry Ellison’s net worth was unchanged in third place, at $27 billion. Christy Walton, heir to Walmart founder Sam Walton’s fortune, was in fourth place with $24 billion, up $2.5 billion. She was the highest placed of the 42 women on the list.
Some 217 of the tycoons are now worth more than they were a year ago. Just 84 of the billionaires had a decrease in wealth. In 2009, 314 members of the exclusive club had experienced a decrease in their wealth. The top 10 gained $24.9 billion. The same group had shed almost $40 billion last year. The total wealth of the group is up 8 per cent, besting the Standard & Poor’s 500 index, which measured a stock market increase of just 1 per cent, the magazine said.
The Forbes 400 are worth a combined $1.37 trillion, compared with $1.27 trillion last year. The billionaire whose fortune is multiplying at the fastest rate is Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who clocked in at number 35. His fortune has more than tripled over the last year from $2 billion to $6.9 billion, according to Forbes.
Facebook co-founders Dustin Moskovitz and Eduardo Saverin join the list with $1.4 billion and $1.15 billion respectively. Mr Moskovitz (26) is the list’s youngest billionaire. The oldest on the list is David Rockefeller snr (95), who is worth $2.4 billion. – (Additional reporting by Reuters)
