The Forbes 400 Richest Americans

©AP Photo/Joe Nicholson

16. Steven Ballmer Net Worth: $15 billion Source: Microsoft Residence: Hunts Point, Wash Age: 52 Marital Status: Married, 3 children

More from Forbes.com: • In Pictures: Secrets of the Self-Made Billionaires • In Pictures: 25 Years of Wealth • In Pictures: Service Industry Billionaires In Pictures: The 400 Richest Americans

• Microsoft chief attempted to take over Yahoo for $44.6 billion in February; attempt to compete with Google on search backfired after 6-month slugfest—featuring Carl Icahn proxy fight—yielded no deal, sluggish stock price. Worse: Yahoo struck ad deal with Google soon after.
• Gaining some traction in online advertising; ranked first in display ads this June.
• Sales up 18% to $60 billion in 2007; net profits rose 26%.
• Entertainment division—videogame console Xbox, music player Zune—finally profitable.
• Detroit native dropped out of Stanford M.B.A. program to join former Harvard classmate Bill Gates in 1980.

Daniel Barry/Bloomberg News/Landov

17. Abigail Johnson Net Worth: $15 billion Source: Fidelity Residence: Boston Age: 46 Marital Status: Married, 2 children

• With family, runs Fidelity Investments, America’s largest mutual fund company.
• Assets under management: $1.5 trillion.
• Father Ned joined family business as analyst 1957, president 15 years later.
• Abby ran her first diversified fund 1993. Ned reduced his ownership in 1995, Abby inherited a 24% stake; she is rumored to have sold shares back to family in recent years. Individual stakes now a secret.
• Family owns 49% of company.
• Abby became president of company’s mutual fund division 2001. Today runs Personal & Workplace Investing division.
• Last year several top executives resigned, fueling speculation that Abby will eventually take over from Ned.

Courtesy of Enterprise Rent-a-Car

18. Jack Crawford Taylor & family Net Worth: $14 billion Source: Enterprise Rent-A-Car Residence: St. Louis Age: 86 Marital Status: Divorced, 2 children

• Left Washington U. to join Navy; served as a fighter pilot on U.S.S. Enterprise during WWII.
• Became sales manager for St. Louis Cadillac distributor.
• Took 50% pay cut to start company that provided replacement cars; eventually rented cars to customers with stolen or damaged vehicles.
• Business took off 1970s when insurance companies were ordered by courts to pay for replacement rentals.
• Today Enterprise Rent-A-Car revenues exceed $9 billion.
• Rental car business lagging as automakers sell fleets fewer cars at higher prices.
• Enterprise skirting industry woes by focusing on insurance replacements; demand remains steady so long as cars break down.
• Appointed nonrelated exec Pamela M. Nicholson president; son Andrew is chief executive; daughter Jo Ann Taylor Kindle runs Enterprise Foundation.
• Offering hybrid rentals; created Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels.

©Patrick McMullan

19. Anne Cox Chambers Net Worth: $13 billion Source: Cox Enterprises Residence: Atlanta Age: 88 Marital Status: Twice divorced, 3 children

• Surviving daughter of Cox Enterprises founder James M. Cox (d. 1957); sister Barbara Cox Anthony passed away in 2007.
• High school dropout James Sr. worked as a newspaper reporter before buying Dayton Evening News for $26,000 in 1898.
• Segued into politics; 3-term Ohio governor.
• Today media empire includes 17 daily newspapers, 15 TV stations, 86 radio stations, used car retailer Manheim Auctions, Cox Auto Trader. Sales exceed $15 billion.
• Nephew James Kennedy runs operation.

Courtesy of Irvine

20. Donald Bren Net Worth: $12 billion Source: Real estate Residence: Newport Beach, Calif. Age: 76 Marital Status: Twice divorced, remarried; 7 children

• Son of Hollywood producer attended U. of Washington on skiing scholarship; halted Olympics bid after injury 1956.
• Joined Marines, then built first house on $10,000 loan 1958.
• Developed 10,000-acre Rancho Mission Viejo in California, sold to Philip Morris 1967.
• With partners, bought real estate developer Irvine Co. for $337 million 1977. Became firm's sole owner in 1996.
• Developed central Orange County, Irvine and half of Newport Beach. Today owns 9,000 developable acres in Orange County, 400 office buildings, 40 retail centers, 90 apartment communities, hotels, marinas, golf courses.
• Paid $1.4 billion last October for 90% stake in 16 apartment complexes owned by Archstone-Smith.
• Republican donor actively involved in McCain's presidential bid. Gave $20 million to UC, Irvine's law school last August, another $8.5 million to California afterschool program for low-income students this year.

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