Forbes has obsessively tracked the wealth of America’s richest people for the past 33 years. Following the money has led us to some remarkable stories of strivers, iconoclasts and innovators. Visionaries like Chuck Feeney, “The Billionaire Who Is Trying To Go Broke,” and larger-than-life personalities like party-loving billionaire Stewart Rahr, the self-professed “Number One King Of All Fun.”
Herein you’ll discover how Oprah Winfrey went from well-paid daytime talk show host to the world’s first female black billionaire. You’ll also find out about multibillion-dollar marketing juggernaut Nike’s humble origins; cofounder Phil Knight started it all hawking shoes out of his car trunk at track meets. And you’ll meet Donald Trump’s real apprentices: his son and daughter, who help him run his real estate empire.
Each year The Forbes 400 helps bring to light what America’s richest people have done to amass their considerable fortunes. It serves as a great proxy for the state of business in America. If you want to know how the world works, a good place to start is at the top.
