Richest Americans - #1

William H. Gates III

Net Worth: $59 billion
Source: Microsoft
Residence: Medina, Wash.
Age: 51
Marital Status: Married, 3 children

• Harvard dropout and Microsoft visionary preparing to give up day-to-day involvement in company he cofounded 32 years ago to spend more time focused on his philanthropic endeavors.
• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation manages $33 billion, donates to causes aimed at bringing financial tools to the poor, speeding up the development of vaccines (for AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis), bettering America's lagging high schools.
• Sells 20 million Microsoft shares every quarter, proceeds going to private investment vehicle Cascade; more than half of net worth now outside of Microsoft.
• Company's new operating system, Vista, debuted in January to mixed reviews; shares up 12% in past year.
• Pressing on Google's turf (and vice versa); spent $6 billion to land Web ad firm Aquantive in May.
• Would-be rival to Apple's iPod, the Zune, not yet a hit.
• Believes Microsoft's far-flung bets, including 10-year affair with Internet-based television, may soon pay off; says next 10 years will be the "most interesting" in software history.
• Early goal: put "a computer on every desk and in every home."
• Soon more than 1 billion computers will run Windows.
• Days as world's richest man may be over; Mexican Carlos Slim Helú also worth $59 billion.

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