Forbes 400 is released on Monday, with the price of entry up to $1.55 billion. It's the highest cut-off net value to enter the list since Forbes started tracking the richest Americans in 1982.
This year, 113 billionaires didn't make the cut. The combined wealth of America's richest billionaires amount to $2.29 trillion, which increased from the $2.02 trillion in 2013. The net worth of those in the list averages $5.7 billion, higher than last year's $5 billion.
Bill Gates, Microsoft's chairman and founder and Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s director, remains to be the richest man in America for the past 21 years. His net worth increased to $81 billion, up by $9 billion from last year. Warren Buffet, chairman and founder of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., with his $67 billion net worth stays in the second spot since 2001. Larry Ellision, who just stepped down as Oracle's CEO, comes third with $50 billion net worth.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is the 11st richest person in the U.S., whose net value soared to $35 billion this year. He's the biggest dollar gainer in the list. But when it comes to percentage, GoPro's Nick Woodman's net value increases 200% as GoPro went public this year.
There are 47 women in the list, down from last year's 48. The 30-year-old Elizabeth Holmes makes a debut in the list as the youngest woman billionaire. The self-made billionaire is a Stanford dropout who started blood testing company, in which she owns 50% of shares.
13 billionaires from last year were dropped from the list, while 6 died, including Tampa Bay Buccaneer's Malcolm Glazer. 303 of the billionaires increased their net worth, while 36 who are also included in last year's list have lower values.
This is the 33rd year Forbes has been ranking the richest Americans, looking into all account types, poring over SEC documents, interviewing the billionaires, and discounting dispersed family fortunes.
Kerry Dolan, a writer for Forbes, said, "Some of The Forbes 400 will become richer or poorer within weeks-even days-of publication."
