The rich are richer than ever: Forbes list of 400 wealthiest Americans reveals Jeff Bezos made $16BILLION in a single year - and Mark Zuckerberg broke into the top ten for the first time
- America's top 400 billionaires have combined wealth of $2.34trillion, up $50billion from a year ago
- Bill Gates has retained his No 1 spot for 22nd straight year with a net worth of $76billion
- Amazon's Jeff Bezos, 51, has emerged as biggest overall gainer, coming in at No 4 with $47billion
- Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, 31, this year landed in
seventh spot with $40billion after cracking the top ten list last year - Cost of admission to the 2015 list was the highest ever at $1.7billion, up from $1.55billion a year ago
America's top 400 billionaires are now richer than ever, boasting a record-smashing combined wealth of $2.34trillion, up $50billion from a year ago, according to the latest issue of Forbes Magazine.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates continued to dominate the prestigious list for the 22nd year in a row with a $76billion fortune, retaining his No 1 spot despite losing $5billion from 2014.
But it was Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos who has emerged as the biggest overall gainer, adding a whopping $16.5billion to his war chest in a single year after his company posted a quarterly profit in July.
Scroll down for video
Old money, newer money: Microsoft founder Bill Gates continued to dominate the prestigious list for the 22nd year in a row with a $76billion fortune, but it was Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos who has emerged as the biggest overall gainer, adding a whopping $16.5billion to his war chest
Seriously rich: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made it into the top 10 list for the first time ever, landing at No 7 on the strength of his $40billion fortune
The 51-year-old CEO's $47billion nest egg catapulted him into the fourth spot on this year's list, 11 positions up from 2014.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made it into the top 10 list for the first time ever, landing at No 7 on the strength of his impressive $40billion fortune. Last year, the social-media wunderkind only barely cracked the list, coming in 10th.
In all, 25 newcomers made it into the ranks of America’s wealthiest billionaires, including 25-year-old Evan Spiegel (#327) of Snapchat, the youngest on the list, worth $2.1billion, Brian Chesky (#194) of Airbnb at $3.3billion and Bill Haslam (#327), governor of Tennessee, at $2.1billion.
Travis Kalanick (#80), the tech guru behind the popular ride-sharing service Uber, was the biggest percentage gainer, doubling his fortune to $6billion in a single year.
The old guard of the annual Forbes list remained largely intact, led by Gates, 58, and his friend Warren Buffet, the 85-year-old CEO of Berkshire Hathaway ($68billion), who has occupied the second spot on the list since 2001.
The rich kids of Forbes: Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel, 25 (#327, $2.1billion), is the youngest on the list, and Elizabeth Holmes, 31, founder of the blood-testing company Theranos, is the youngest woman on the list (#121, $4.5billion)
Much to smile about: Travis Kalanick, CEO of Uber, doubled his fortune to $6billion in a single year, landing him in No 80 spot on the list
Despite leaving his post as CEO of the software company Oracle Corp last year, Larry Ellison has retained his No 3 spot on the Forbes list, with a $47.5billion net worth.
Charles and David Koch, co-founders of Koch Industries, a giant company with interests in the oil industry, building and manufacturing, this year tied for fifth place, each bringing to the table a $41billion fortune.
Jim, Alice and Christy Walton, scions of the Walmart dynasty, each dropped a couple of spots from last year, with only Sam Walton’s 67-year-old son making it into the top ten on the strength of his $33.7billion net worth.
At age 31, Elizabeth Holmes, founder of the ground-breaking blood-testing company Theranos, became the youngest woman on the list (#121, $4.5billion), while the oldest billionaire was 100-year-old David Rockefeller Sr, who landed in the 211th spot with a net worth of $3billion.
The cost of admission to the 2015 list was the highest ever at $1.7billion, up from $1.55billion a year ago. Because of the bar being so high, 145 American billionaires didn’t make the cut, among them Elaine Wynn, co-founder of the Wynn Las Vegas hotel, and Urban Outfitters co-founder Richard Hayne.
The average fortune on the list was $5.8billion, up from $5.7billion last year.
- Flipping incredible! Moment dolphin retreives mobile phone
- Labeled a fake: Christian preacher 'proves' he can walk on...
- Witness captures moment Russian jets bomb Syria for first...
- New Carl's Jr Tex Mex commercial pokes fun at border wall
- Shocking moment woman throws wads of cash at shop assistant
- Very smart baby uses pillows to get down from bed
- Mass shooting at Oregon college leaves at least 7 dead
- Russian military releases footage of airstrikes in Syria
- See hurricane Joaquin's path as it heads toward New York
- Footage on the ground after rockets hit three areas of Syria
- Mass shooting at Oregon college leaves at least 13 dead
- Sam Kellet is seen spear fishing before fatal shark attack
- 'The more people you kill, the more you're in the...
- Putin signs decree drafting 150,000 conscripts into the...
- The ultimate bad hair day: Woman ends up in hospital after...
- 'Don't go to school tomorrow if you are in the northwest':...
- Married to the mob: John Gotti's grandson marries in...
- The amazing moment a dolphin gives a Miami Heat dancer her...
- EXCLUSIVE: Jim Carrey’s tragic ex was a Scientologist and...
- Suicides, sects, murder and insanity: The disturbing truth...
- Hurricane Joaquin upgraded to an 'extremely dangerous'...
- It’s a miracle (that anyone takes this preacher seriously):...
- Undercover video: Clinton campaign worker caught breaking...
- EXCLUSIVE PICTURES: Jim Carrey and Cathriona White deep in...