20 Richest People in the United States in 2011

Forbes.com

(ref: Forbes 400, forbes.com. GDP data from 2010 CIA Factbook)

The total worth of the 400 wealthiest in the United States rose to $1.53 trillion.  Numbers in [brackets] are countries with the closest approximate GDP.

1. Bill Gates ($59.0 bil; 55 yo; Medina, Washington;   Microsoft) [Lebanon, Tanzania]
2. Warren Buffett ($39.0 bil; 81 yo;  Omaha, Nebraska; Berkshire Hathaway) [North Korea]
3. Larry Ellison ($33.0 bil; 67 yo; Woodside, California; Oracle) [Paraguay]
4. Charles Koch ($25.0 bil; 75 yo; Wichita, Kansas; diversified) [Trinidad, Estonia]
5. David Koch ($25.0 bil; 71 yo; New York, New York;  diversified) [Trinidad, Estonia]
6. Christy Walton ($24.5 bil; 56 yo; Jackson, Wyoming; Wal-Mart) [Estonia]
7. George Soros ($22.0 bil; 81 yo; Katonah, New York; hedge funds) [Georgia]
8. Sheldon Adelson ($21.5 bil; 78 yo;  Las Vegas, Nevada; casinos) [Mozambique]
9. Jim Walton ($21.1 bil; 63 yo; Bentonville, Arkansas; Wal-Mart) [Mozambique]
10. Alice Walton ($20.9 bil; 61 yo; Fort Worth, Texas; Wal-Mart) [Zambia, Macedonia]
11. S. Robson Walton ($20.5 bil; 67 yo; Bentonville, Arkansas; Wal-Mart) [Zambia, Macedonia]
12. Michael Bloomberg ($19.5 bil; 69 yo; New York, New York; Bloomberg LP) [Madagascar]
13. Jeff Bezos ($19.1 bil; 47 yo; Seattle, Washington; Amazon.com) [Madagascar]
14. Mark Zuckerberg ($17.5 bil; 27 yo; Palo Alto, California; Facebook) [Nicaragua, Chad]
15. Sergey Brin ($16.7 bil; 38 yo; Los Altos, California; Google) [Mali]
16. Larry Page  ($16.7 bil; 38 yo;  Palo Alto, California; Google) [Mali]
17. John Paulson ($15.5 bil; 55 yo; New York, New York; hedge funds) [Papua New Guinea]
18. Michael Dell ($15.0 bil; 46 yo; Austin, Texas; Dell) [Papua New Guinea]
19. Steve Ballmer ($13.9 bil; 55 yo; Hunts Point, Washington; Microsoft) [Benin, Malawi]
20. Forrest Mars ($13.8 bil; 80 yo; Big Horn, Wyoming; candy) [Benin, Malawi]

Net worth of the 20 wealthiest Americans for 2011: $459.2 billion [Pakistan].The net worth of the 400 wealthiest Americans was $1.53 trillion [the GDP of Mexico or the combined total GDP of Chile, Ghana, Ethiopia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia] or 10.4% of the $14.66 trillion GDP of the United States .

Check out Teaching Economics as if People Mattered – Born on Third Base for an interesting lesson plan about wealth and the Forbes 400.

Here’s a link to the 2009 list of the 20 Richest People in the US.

20 Richest People in the United States in 2009

(ref: Forbes 400, forbes.com. GDP data from indexmundi.com based on 2008 CIA Factbook)

In 2009, the net worth of the top 20 wealthiest fell by 13.8% and there are 3 newcomers to the top 20 group (indicated by an asterisk*). The total worth of the 400 wealthiest in the United States fell by $300 billion to $1.27 trillion. Numbers in [brackets] are countries with the closest approximate GDP.

20 Richest People in the United States in 2008

(ref: Forbes 400, forbes.com. GDP data from indexmundi.com based on 2008 CIA Factbook)

NOTE: This is the 2008 list. For 2009, please check out 20 Richest People in the United States in 2009.

For the second year in a row, the price of admission to The Forbes 400 is $1.3 billion. The net worth of America’s 400 wealthiest rose by $30 billion to $1.57 trillion. Numbers in [brackets] are countries with the closest approximate GDP.

1. William Gates III ($57.0 bil, 52yo, Medina, WA – Microsoft) [Kenya, Quatar]
2. Warren Buffett ($50.0 bil, 78yo, Omaha, NE – Berkshire Hathaway) [Cuba]
3. Lawrence Ellison ($27.0 bil, 64yo, Redwood City, CA – Oracle) [Paraguay]
4. Jim Walton ($23.4 bil, 60yo, Bentonville, AR – Wal-Mart) [Trinidad]
5. S Robson Walton ($23.3 bil, 64yo, Bentonville, AR – Wal-Mart) [Trinidad]
6. Alice Walton ($23.2 bil, 59 Fort Worth, TX – Wal-Mart) [Trinidad]
7. Christy Walton & family ($23.2 bil, 53yo, Jackson, WY – Wal-Mart inheritance) [Trinidad]
8. Michael Bloomberg ($20.0 bil, 66yo, New York, NY – Bloomberg) [Madagascar]
9. Charles Koch ($19.0 bil, 72yo, Wichita, KS – manufacturing, energy) [Dem. Rep. Congo]
10. David Koch ($19.0 bil, 68yo, New York, NY – manufacturing, energy) [Dem. Rep. Congo]
11. Michael Dell ($17.3 bil, 43yo, Austin, TX – Dell) [Yugoslav]
12. Paul Allen ($16.0 bil, 55yo, Seattle, WA – Microsoft, investments) [Chad]
13. Sergey Brin ($15.9 bil, 35yo Palo Alto, CA – Google) [Zambia]
14. Larry Page ($15.8 bil, 35yo San Francisco, CA – Google) [Haiti]
15. Sheldon Adelson ($15.0 bil, 75yo, Las Vegas, NV – casinos, hotels) [Mauritius]
16. Steven Ballmer ($15.0 bil, 52yo, Hunts Point, WA – Microsoft) [Mauritius]
17. Abigail Johnson ($15.0 bil, 46yo, Boston, MA – Fidelity) [Mauritius]
18. Jack Taylor & family ($14.0 bil, 86yo, St Louis, MO – Enterprise Rent-A-Car) [Rep. Congo]
19. Anne Cox Chambers ($13.0 bil, 88yo, Atlanta, GA – Cox Enterprises) [Jamaica]
20. Donald Bren ($12.0 bil, 76yo, Newport Beach, CA – real estate) [Iceland]

Net worth of the 20 wealthiest Americans for 2008: $434.1 billion [Egypt]

Net worth of the 400 wealthiest Americans for 2008: $1.57 trillion [combined total GDP of Chile, Venezuela, Egypt, Saudi Arabia] or 12% of the GDP of the United States

Check out Teaching Economics as if People Mattered – Born on Third Base for an interesting lesson plan about wealth and the Forbes 400.