Richest Just Get Richer
POSTED: 12:24 pm PDT September 23, 2005
NEW YORK -- The collection of tycoons making the 2005 Forbes 400 had a pretty good year.
The collective net worth of the nation's wealthiest hit $1.13 trillion, and the number of billionaires increased for the third straight year.
This year, there are 374 on the list -- up from 313 in 2004 and 262 in 2003.
Forbes said the minimum fortune needed to make the list rose to $900 million -- up $150 million from last year.
Bill Gates is still at the top of the heap.
Microsoft Corp.'s co-founder and chairman was the nation's wealthiest person for the 11th straight year, with a net worth of $51 billion.
He lengthened his lead over runner-up Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s Warren Buffett, who trailed by $11 billion.
Top 10 Richest Americans
1. William Gates -- $51 Billion
2. Warren Buffet -- $40 Billion
3. Paul Allen -- $22.5 Billion
4. Michael Dell -- $18 Billion
5. Lawrence Ellison -- $17 Billion
6. Jim Walton -- $15.7 Billion
7. Christy Walton -- $15.7 Billion
8. S. Robson Walton -- $15.6 Billion
9. Alice Walton -- $15.5 Billion
10. Helen Walton -- $15.4 Billion
Collectively, the top 10 richest Americans saw their collective net worth climb $125 billion, the magazine said.
Some who were on the list last year didn't make the cut this time around.
They include DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg, ketchup heiress Teresa Heinz Kerry and Gap founders Donald and Doris Fisher.
Distributed by Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc.
