William Henry Gates III

William 'Bill' Gates, Chairman of Microsoft Corporation, is the richest of the rich in America. The Forbes list of richest Americans pegs him at the No. 1 spot for the 11th consecutive year.

His personal wealth is estimated to be $48 billion (Rs 220,800 crore).

Microsoft is now looking at growth through other initiatives: television set-top boxes, games, cell phones, online music, search software, et cetera.

Gates is also the world's biggest philanthropist settinga side $27 billion for vaccine development, fighting AIDS, and helping schools through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

A Harvard dropout, 48-year-old Bill Gates is married and has three children, He lives in Medina, Washington.

Forbes' 23rd annual ranking of the 400 richest people in America shows that the combined net worth of the United States' wealthiest people increased by $5 billion to a cool $1 trillion in the last one year.His personal wealth is estimated at $46 billion by Forbes magazine.

Photograph: Gettty Images

Also see: The Tata Legacy