The World's Richest People: Who Are They and How Did They Make Their Money

 

You’ve probably heard the term the 1% thrown around to describe the richest people in America. Although they represent just a tiny percentage of the population, these wealthy individuals have incredible economic and political power. However, the truth is that there are many more Americans with net worth, north of $30 million, and some even have wealth above $1 billion! For example, according to Forbes, Bill Gates alone has $78 billion, equivalent to 1% of U.S.

Bill Gates

A dropout of Harvard University, Bill Gates (born in 1955) co-founded Microsoft Corporation with Paul Allen. The company’s debut product was a computer language for hobbyists known as Altair BASIC. At Microsoft, Gates oversaw new product development, marketing and ultimately became chairman of the board. As of 2014, Gates has an estimated net worth of $81 billion (USD). Today, he works full-time at his philanthropic foundation.

Jeff Bezos

In 2012, he founded Blue Origin, a human spaceflight startup company. It is based in Kent, Washington. He also owns The Washington Post newspaper. His net worth is $34.9 billion (January 2017 estimate) Bezos was born Jeffrey Preston Jorgensen to a teenage mother in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As a teenager he worked for McDonald’s and IBM before enrolling at Princeton University where he graduated with degrees in electrical engineering and computer science.

Warren Buffett

Buffett is regarded as one of -- if not, the -- most successful investors in U.S. history. The legendary investor has amassed a net worth of $75 billion during his career as an investor, making him easily one of the richest people in America today. He’s also well-known for his philanthropy through The Gates Foundation.

Amancio Ortega

Ortega owns a Spanish apparel company called Indite x whose brands include Zara, Massimo Tutti Pullers, and Barsha. In total, he owns 59% of its shares. Ortega founded Indite x in 1975; today it has over 7,000 stores in 87 countries. He is worth $57 billion, according to Forbes’ real-time rankings of billionaires.

Mark Zuckerberg

The founder of Facebook has a net worth of $32.7 billion as of February 2019. The social network he created has changed how we communicate with one another, making it simple to keep in touch with far-flung family and friends. He’s only 34 years old, but his fortune is already larger than that of Michael Bloomberg or Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. (Source)

Carlos Slim Helm,

Mexican telecom tycoon, Carlos Slim Helm, is currently worth $68.9 billion, according to Forbes' real-time rankings of The World's Billionaires. Here are five things you should know about Slim.

Larry Ellison

Ellison co-founded Oracle in 1977 with his former college roommate, Robert Miner. He stepped down as CEO in 2014, though he remains executive chairman of Oracle’s board. As part of his plan to step down from day-to-day operations at Oracle, Ellison pledged to donate 95% of his wealth to charity (an estimated $60 billion). It will be spread out among various charities over time via a family foundation.

Michael Bloomberg

Although he is still fairly low on our list of the wealthiest people in America, Michael Bloomberg is number one when it comes to net worth among living billionaires. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP, will become even richer once he leaves office as mayor of New York City, having pledged to donate much of his $27 billion fortune to charity. Although some economists have criticized his stringent food policies as anti-free market, many approve of his efforts to make healthy foods more available in low-income neighborhoods.

Charles Koch

Koch’s Wichita, Kansas-based company Koch Industries is a large conglomerate with interests in oil refineries, fertilizer production, paper products and cattle farming. Among his partners is younger brother David, who is CEO of Koch Industries. Forbes pegs Charles’ net worth at $44 billion. He tops our list for the 10th year in a row due to his diversified portfolio of businesses and their continual growth.

David Koch

A co-owner of Koch Industries, David Koch is worth $42.9 billion. The company has built its fortune on a diversified portfolio of businesses including energy, wood products, chemical technology and ranching. With a philanthropic focus on medical research and museums, he recently donated $100 million to New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art to build David H. Koch Plaza in front of its iconic entrance at Fifth Avenue.