Forbes 400: record 313 US billionaires

[NeoConsSuck]

And as the awol prick exclaimed "Some people call you elitist. I call you my base".

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NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Bill Gates can now breathe a sigh of relief.

The founder of Microsoft Corp. (MSFT: Research, Estimates), the world's largest software maker, is still the richest man in America, according to Forbes magazine's annual list of the 400 richest Americans released Thursday.

For the first time since 2000, the magazine said, "the combined net worth of the nation's wealthiest climbed to $1 trillion, up $45 billion in 12 months." A record number of billionaires--313--was instrumental in reaching the trillion-dollar mark.

http://money.cnn.com/2004/09/23/news/newsmakers/forbes_400/index.htm?cnn=yes

[olddem43]

1. Sounds like they need another tax cut from Bushco.

Surprise! There's one coming right up.

[Carla in Ca]

15. That was the first thing I said in my email to them.

n/t

[dumpster_baby]

2. tax their wealth--like they do in Scandanavia!

Get that money--it belongs to us. They stole it.....

[krkaufman]

3. Very good to hear this...

... as a contrast to the expanding number of those in poverty.

Sounds like John Edwards has some new data for the Two Americas theme.

[Nimrod]

4. I haven't lost money

I know where it is. It's just in another guy's wallet now.

[camero]

5. Also, 36 million in poverty in the US

That says it all.

[KoKo]

6. Good, as long as they keep spending to prop up the economy...Tiffany,

Gucci, Prada, Coach...just keep on spending and buying that real estate..the whole country is depending on you all and the Millionaires behind you to keep us afloat.

Need to buy some bonds? When China and Japan can't do it anymore, we know where to find you.

:toast: to the Billionaires!

[jdj]

10. I sometimes wondered if Sex and the City was a GOP scam

Like Mike Moore said about the 80's stock market bust, the rich just needed the poor to chip in and raise them to the next level. And in a post 9/11 world, suddenly every middle income woman is supposed to have a closet full of $800 Manolos. Pretty fishy.

[alittlelark]

7. I know one

He made the $$$ himself, no old-$$$. We stayed at one of his Kauai places this summer. He is a great guy, and became a B'naire during the last 2 years of Clinton.

I wish he would use his $$$ to further my political agenda!

I have tried to imagine having that much $$$, it is difficult to grasp.

[Raster]

8. It sounds so cliche. Tragically cliche. The rich get richer...

[whistle]

9. I see that the five Waltons each worth $18B taken together...

...come out on top at $90B. That kind of concentrated economic power can keep the rest of us in poverty for a long long time. As for the 313 billionaires having a net worth over $1 trillion, that is still well below what U.S. is worth so it will be Bush's goal to distribute all of the rest of the U.S assets to these and perhaps another 313 well deserving real Americans (highest bidders) for his next four years. So the question to the American voters ought to be, will you let him do that?

[President Jesus]

11. Here's a list of how these guys donate their political jack

...not as GOP as you'd think
http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/hof.php?#BILLIONAIRES
(click names)

[w4rma]

12. You're mission a few hundred billionares on that list.

Also, you might have covered all of the Dem billionares. Definitely the most well known ones.

Then again, being a billionare offers certain freedoms. Maybe supporting Democrats without as much fear of retaliation from Repugs is one of them.

Btw, I *love* your site. :)

[ironflange]

13. 313 billionaires?!?!?

I can remember when the list consisted of J. Paul Getty and Howard Hughes, and we weren't totally sure about Hughes.

[JSJ]

14. billionaires' progeny account for newest billionaires nt

[otohara]

16. I Know One of Them Billionaires

imagine that ? He voted for Gore and is good guy actually.

[Kimber Scott]

17. Hey, Bush can tout this on the trail! And even talk about how they don't

pay taxes, or anything, because they're rich people. Boy, thank God for Bush. What would we do without him? (I know... eat and pay the rent, but who wants to talk about that stuff when we can talk about real issues - rich folks getting richer. The American Dream.)