Gates tops Forbes US rich list with $72bn
While most of the top names and rankings didn’t change from a year ago, the majority of members of the elite club saw their fortunes grow over the past year, helped by strong stock and real estate markets.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates remains America’s richest man, taking the top spot on the list for the 20th straight year, with a net worth of $72bn.
Investor Warren Buffett, the head of Berkshire Hathaway Inc, keeps second place with $58.5bn, while Oracle Corp co-founder Larry Ellison stayed third with $41bn.
Brothers Charles and David Koch, co-owners of Koch Industries, stay tied for fourth with $36bn each.
Wal-Mart heirs Christy Walton, Jim Walton, Alice Walton and S Robson Walton took the next three spots, with holdings ranging from $33.3bn to $35.4bn.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the founder of the eponymous financial information company, rounds out the top 10 with $31bn.
