Forbes magazine has named Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates as the wealthiest person in America for the 17th year in a row.
In the magazine’s annual listing of 400 richest Americans, Gates’ fortune was put at $54 billion, with investment guru Warren Buffet remaining second with a fortune estimated at $45 billion.
Software tycoon Larry Ellison was in third place, while Wal-Mart heir Christy Walton was fourth.
The two youngest members of the club are Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg, ranked No 35 with a fortune estimated at $6.9 billion; and his former business partner, Dustin Moskovitz, tied for 290th place with $1.4 billion.
It took a net worth of at least a billion dollar to earn a spot in the rankings — up from $950 million in 2009. The collective net worth of the 400 billionaires rose by 8 per cent from 2009, totalling $1.37 trillion.
In stark contrast to the 2009 list, 217 of the tycoons are now worth more than they were a year ago. Just 84 of the billionaires had a decrease in wealth.
Ten Richest Americans:
1. Bill Gates- $54 billion
2. Warrenn Buffett- $45 billion
3. Lawrence Ellison- $27 billion
4. Christy Walton and family- $24 billion
5. Charles Koch- $21.5 billion
6. David Koch- $21.5 billion
7. Jim C Walton- $20.1 billion
8. Alice Walton- $20 billion
9. S. Robson Walton- $19.7 billion
10. Michael Bloomberg- $18 billion