The 18 richest people in America

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They have more money than you can imagine.

The 18 richest people in America are worth an astounding $793 billion - more than the annual GDP of the Netherlands, Turkey, or Switzerland.

The two richest people in America are no surprise: Bill Gates and Warren Buffett maintain their lead at the top despite being the two most generous people on earth.

But US tech moguls continue to creep toward the very top. Heavyweights like Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook add billions to their net worths each year as their powerful companies continue to grow in value and influence.

Not everyone is an entrepreneur though. Inherited wealth has kept a hefty portion of the country's cash in the hands of a few families, as the Koch brothers, the Waltons of Walmart, and the heirs to the Mars candy conglomerate each rank among the wealthiest.

Check out the full list here:

 

18. Phil Knight


Net worth: $25 billion

Age: 78

Country: US

Industry: Retail

Source of wealth: Self-made; Nike

 

17. George Soros

Net worth: $25.2 billion

Age: 86

Country: US

Industry: Hedge funds

Source of wealth: Self-made; Soros Fund Management

 

16. Steve Ballmer

Net worth: $27 billion

Age: 60

Country: US

Industry: Tech

Source of wealth: Self-made; Microsoft

 

15. Sheldon Adelson

Net worth: $28 billion

Age: 83

Country: US

Industry: Real estate

Source of wealth: Self-made; Las Vegas Sands

 

13. and 14. John and Jacqueline Mars

Net worth: $32.4 billion each

Age: 77 and 81

Country: US

Industry: Candy

Source of wealth: Inheritance; Mars Inc.

 

12. Alice Walton

Net worth: $34 billion

Age: 67

Country: US

Industry: Retail

Source of wealth: Inheritance; Walmart

 

11. Jim Walton

Net worth: $35.1 billion

Age: 68

Country: US

Industry: Retail

Source of wealth: Inheritance; Walmart

 

10. Rob Walton

Net worth: $35.4 billion

Age: 72

Country: US

Industry: Retail

Source of wealth: Inheritance; Walmart

 

9. Sergey Brin

Net worth: $41.6 billion

Age: 43

Country: US

Industry: Technology

Source of wealth: Self-made; Google

 

8. Larry Page

Net worth: $42.5 billion

Age: 43

Country: US

Industry: Technology

Source of wealth: Self-made; Google

 

7. Larry Ellison

Net worth: $45.3 billion

Age: 72

Country: US

Industry: Tech

Source of wealth: Self-made; Oracle

 

5. TIE: David Koch

Net worth: $47.9 billion

Age: 76

Country: US

Industry: Diversified investments

Source of wealth: Inheritance/self-made; Koch Industries

 

5. TIE: Charles Koch

Net worth: $47.9 billion

Age: 81

Country: US

Industry: Diversified investments

Source of wealth: Inheritance/self-made; Koch Industries

 

4. Mark Zuckerberg

Net worth: $58.5 billion

Age: 32

Country: US

Industry: Technology

Source of wealth: Self-made; Facebook

 

3. Jeff Bezos

Net worth: $73.1 billion

Age: 53

Country: US

Industry: Tech

Source of wealth: Self-made; Amazon.com

 

2. Warren Buffett

Net worth: $77.2 billion

Age: 86

Country: US

Industry: Diversified investments

Source of wealth: Self-made; Berkshire Hathaway

 

1. Bill Gates

Net worth: $85.2 billion

Age: 61

Country: US

Industry: Tech

Source of wealth: Self-made; Microsoft