盖茨再登福布斯榜首

盖茨再登福布斯榜首
More than $1B needed to make Forbes list

Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates speaks at 'Launch Tour 2007' in Seattle, to tout the release of Microsoft Windows Vista in this Feb. 26, 2007 file photo. Forbes magazine releases its annual rankings of the nation's wealthiest individuals on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2007. [AP]

A billion dollars just doesn't go as far as it used to. For the first time, it takes more than $1 billion earn a spot on Forbes magazine's list of the 400 richest Americans. The minimum net worth for inclusion in this year's rankings released Thursday was $1.3 billion, up $300 million from last year. The new threshold meant 82 of America's billionaires didn't make the cut.

Collectively, the people who made the rankings released Thursday are worth $1.54 trillion, compared with $1.25 trillion last year.

The very top of the list was unchanged: Microsoft Corp. founder Bill Gates led the list for the 14th straight year, this time with a net worth estimated at $59 billion. He was followed by Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. in second place with an estimated $52 billion and casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, No. 3 with an estimated worth of $28 billion.

Larry Ellison of Oracle Corp. maintained his ranking at No. 4, with an estimated net worth of $26 billion.

But the list showed some notable changes.

Joining the top 10 of the country's richest for the first time were Google Inc. founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, who tied for fifth place. The 34-year-old moguls' wealth has quadrupled since 2004 to an estimated $18.5 billion this year, while their company's stock value has surged 500 percent.

And, lower down, almost half of the 45 newcomers made their millions in hedge funds and private equity investments. The youngest member of this year's list was 33-year-old hedge fund manager John Arnold, who joined the ranks at No. 317 and a net worth of $1.5 billion.

"Wall Street really led the charge this year," said Matthew Miller, editor of the Forbes list. "God only knows if they'll be on it next year. It really just depends on what the market does."

Surging oil prices also helped some members of the list. Oil baron brothers Charles and David Koch also broke into the top 10, sharing the No. 9 spot with estimated wealth of $17 billion. Their ascension bumped the Walton family, heirs to the Wal-Mart Stores Inc. fortune, from the top 10 for the first time since 1989.

The discount retailer, struggling with a slowing economy and higher gasoline prices as well as merchandising mishaps, has seen its sales lag behind rivals like Target Corp.

Climbing 19 rungs to No. 7 was casino tycoon Kirk Kerkorian, who doubled his net worth to an estimated $18 billion. The 90-year-old investor is a majority shareholder in MGM Mirage - operator of the MGM Grand, Bellagio and other casinos - which saw record profits at several of its Las Vegas hotel-casinos.

Rounding out the top 10 was Michael Dell of computer maker Dell Inc., who was No. 8 with an estimated $17.2 billion.

The magazine confirmed the worth of an individual's holdings in public companies by using the August 31 closing stock price, and estimated the value of private companies by evaluating comparable public firms in the industry. The list also takes into account philanthropic donations.

今年，10亿美元身家已经不足以登上福布斯富豪排行榜。20日公布的福布斯400富豪榜榜单将门槛首次提高到13亿美元净资产，较上年提高了3亿美元。新标准让82位美国亿万富翁与富豪榜失之交臂。

今年上榜的美国富豪资本总净值达1.54万亿美元，2006年为1.25万亿美元。

榜单前几位的富豪名单仍旧如前：微软创始人比尔．盖茨以大约590亿美元的净资产连续第14年蝉联榜首。紧随其后的分别是伯克希尔-哈撒韦公司的沃伦．巴菲特、博彩业巨头谢尔顿．阿德尔森，分别以个人资产总值约520亿美元、280亿美元位列第二和第三位。

甲骨文公司首席执行官拉里．埃里森以大约260亿美元的个人净资产值居排行榜第四位。

但排行榜也有了些新变化。

谷歌创始人谢尔盖．布林和拉里．佩奇在今年的排名中首次跻身十强，这两位34岁的业界巨头以185亿美元的个人资产并列第五位。自2004年来，谷歌公司股价暴涨500%，两人的个人财富值相应翻了四倍。

在今年的富豪榜中，共有45位新成员，其中一半以上来自对冲基金和私募资本领域。最年轻的上榜者为对冲基金经理——33岁的约翰．阿诺德。他以15亿美元的个人资产与另一位富豪并列第317位。

“是华尔街帮助他们积累了财富”，福布斯杂志编辑马修．米勒感慨道，“老天爷才知道明年的排名是什么样，一切都由市场变化决定。”

飙升的油价让一些富豪身价暴涨，也令他们顺利进入榜单。石油大亨查尔斯．科赫和戴维．科赫兄弟跻身前十名，以170亿美元的个人资产排在第九位。他们把沃尔玛继承人——沃尔顿家族挤出了前十名。这也是1989年以来，该家族首次被挤出富豪榜单前十名。

缓慢发展的经济，飙升的油价，加上失败的销售使折扣零售商沃尔玛的销售额逐渐落后于对手，比如折扣零售商塔吉特。

博彩业巨头柯克．科克莱排名第七，上升了十九位。今年他的净资产翻了一倍，达约180亿美元。已有90岁高龄的科克莱是米高梅酒店集团的大股东，旗下有米高梅大酒店、美丽湖大酒店以及其它赌场，该集团的几家拉斯维加斯酒店博彩已获得创记录的利润。

荣登榜单前十的还有戴尔公司创始人麦克尔．戴尔，以约172亿美元的净资产位列第八。

福布斯400富豪榜通过8月31日股市收盘价确定了富豪个人持股情况，通过评估同行业中公司情况计算出个人公司资产值。该排行榜的评估也将慈善事业捐助资金计算在内。

net worth: 净资产

tied for：并列

hedge funds：对冲基金

baron：大亨，巨头

philanthropic donations：慈善事业捐款