America's billionaires get a lot richer
NEW YORK (AFP) — America's billionaires have just grown richer, a lot richer, according to this year's list of the 400 wealthiest Americans published by Forbes Magazine on Friday.
Last year, having one billion dollars would have bought you a place on the list. Now, the lowest ranked entrant has 300 million dollars more than that.
The collective net worth of those listed this year has meanwhile risen 290 billion dollars, despite jitters on the financial markets.
The top 10 spaces on the list were taken up by mostly familiar faces led by Microsoft founder Bill Gates with 59 billion dollars, followed by investment guru Warren Buffett with 52 billion dollars.
This year's biggest gainer was casino mogul Kirk Kerkorian, whose wealth increased nine billion dollars over the past year, earning him a spot on the top 10 for the first time.
Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page also appear in the top 10 for the first time with an estimated fortune of 18.5 billion dollars each.
Among those losing ground were the Walton family, the founders of retailing giant Wal-Mart, who left the top 10 for the first time since 1989.
Some 270 of those on the list are self-made, while the youngest is 33-year-old hedge fund manager John Arnold. Men overwhelmingly dominated the list again, with only 39 women appearing on the list this year.
