Forbes: Apple CEO Steve Jobs is 74th richest American

Forbes has published their annual list of “The 400 Richest Americans” which ranks 49-year-old Apple and Pixar CEO Steve P. Jobs at number 74. Last year, Forbes’ ranked Jobs at number 78 with $2.3 billion.

David Armstrong and Peter Newcomb, for Forbes’ “The 400 Richest Americans,” write, “The 400 Richest AmericansThe U.S. economy’s recovery may be a little shaky, but you wouldn’t know it from looking at this year’s Forbes 400. The combined net worth of the nation’s wealthiest climbed to $1 trillion, up $45 billion in 12 months.”

Forbes’ Top Ten ($ in billions):

1. Bill Gates – $48.0
2. Warren Buffett – $41.0
3. Paul Allen – $20.0
4. Alice Walton – $18.0
5. Helen Walton – $18.0
6. Jim Walton – $18.0
7. John Walton – $18.0
8. Rob Walton – $18.0
9. Michael Dell – $14.2
10. Larry Ellison – $13.7

74. Steve Jobs – $2.6

Full article and list here.

MacDailyNews Take: Only in America would a Wintel box assembler like Michael Dell find his net worth over 5 times greater than Steve Jobs’, the man who was and is a major force in creating and defining the very personal computer from which Dell profits. We won’t even mention the guy heading the list. But, it ain’t over ’til it’s over, right?

26 Comments

  1. I really don’t think SJ wakes every day cursing for only having $2.6bn in the bank when Mikey Dell has even more. When it gets to those amounts, it isn’t even like real money anymore.

    I do wonder though what SJ would have been worth if he’d stayed at Apple since he founded it like Mikey and Billy did with their babies.

  2. What’s amazing is anyone would assume that being rich automatically means you are more competent, more wise, more skilled.

    It helps, but many competent, wise and skilled people are far from rich.

    Same with being happy. Has NOTHING to do with how much money one has.

    As for Harry, what are the Waltons standing for? The answer is the dismantling of America. Turning us into low-paid discount store clerks one city at a time. That’s what the Walton’s stand for.

  3. Yes, two Walton girls are married and living in Columbia, MO – Ann Walton Kroenke & Nancy Walton Laurie, #60 & #68, respectively.

    It is interesting that ‘The Donald’ is part of the tie for 74th place with SJ and others. He might have so much more money if he didn’t spent it on his really bad taste.

    Can you imagine SJ doing The Apprentice? Half would probably be fired in the first episode.

  4. the waltons are the biggest family drama story in the Washington D.C. area since the famous episode of “Who shot J.R.?” on “Dallas”. They are a family who inherited their money from their father’s conglomerate of investments including Dalton Books, Shoppers Food Warehouse and others. The kids (all 4 listed) have been bickering continuously about who is entitled to what. Bill Dalton secretly married his girlsfriend 20years younger and made her sole heir to his estate before he passed away. That was the big coup to his spoiled rotten kid who by the way have sued him several time in the past.

  5. “Same with being happy. Has NOTHING to do with how much money one has.”

    I”m sorry but thats just not true. All studies say that people with money are happier than people with too little.

  6. “Only in America would a Wintel box assembler like Michael Dell find his net worth over 5 times greater than Steve Jobs’, the man who was and is a major force in creating and defining the very personal computer from which Dell profits.”

    Yes, and makes it even worse is that the bulk of Jobs’ fortune comes from Pixar (or so I read). The CEO of two of the greatest companies in the world and he’s #74. That says a lot. Quality is becoming less and less important in America.

  7. Hey Mr. Flintstone,

    True, having more money does not mean you happier, but I tell you what. It sure does help.

    And those who are self-made billionaires obviously have done something that the “common” person has not. Studies do suggest that they have worked harder and sacrificed more of their time.

  8. money != happy

    In fact, there was a recent discovery in a a scientific journal which discovered that when you give things away it triggers a chemical reaction in your brain which actually has a pleasurable effect… of course, that was written in a 2,000 year old book.

    If obtaining money = happiness then giving money away would take some of that happiness away. Bill Gates, as much as he is maligned here, is a great philanthropist, and from all external views happy… usually philanthropy is a common trait in happily wealthy people.

    Perhaps Sam Walton realized this folly before he died.

    It’s well-documented that those with lots of money suffer from the same problems as those without.

    Being content with what you have helps you maintain happiness.

    Jadis… having MORE money doesn’t help… having “enough” money and being content with that helps.

    Those that seek more power, glory, wealth and fame inevitably are never satiated… once you become a millionaire, then what?

    To say money = happiness ignores the billions of people who are much happier, have less anxiety and stress, perfectly content and have very little.

    NeoCon, money is a tool. you’re comparing too much with too little. I think the point is that in either case, “too little” or “too much” obviously adds anxiety.

    However, having enough to cover what you need is different than “too little”

    Besides, it’s the “love” of money that’s the problem, not money itself.

  9. ottomabulb
    Can you honestly say that not having to ever worry about debt ever hanging over your head again, you can’t afford that heart transplant, or losing your job to some outsourcer wouldn’t make you happy.

    The reality is that the people who keep spouting that money doesn’t make you happy are the ones who don’t have said money.

    If I won the lotto tomorrow I would prob give 70% of it away (Dep on the amount.) within a week, move to northern MN, get a nice cabin on a quiet lake and retire. That WOULD make me happy.

  10. Follow-up studies on lottery winners (those social scientists have to get tenure somehow!) almost all show that those who were happy pre-winning remain happy post-, and those miserable pre-winning eventually go back to their original misery.

    So money by itself is probably not a predictor of happiness, though the lack of necessities probably makes people feel bad and the pleasure in earning money honestly (unlike the Waltons who inherited) probably makes people feel good.

    At the level of billions it’s not what can be bought, but probably more like ego and power.

    Lastly, Bill Gates was not much of a philanthropist until he married Melissa. I’ll bet she’s the good heart. He could give away 90% of his money right now and still remain among the 35 richest Americans. (When Ted Turner relaized he was worth three billion, he decided to give the UN one third of it — a cool billion.)

  11. What’s the big deal? Stevo’s a zen minamilist anyway, isn’t he? Let Gates & Co keep the hedonistic head honcho spot.

    As far as Gates giving his money away, here are the reasons:
    (1) It promotes Micro$oft domination.
    (2) He has to give it away for tax reasons.
    (3) It promotes Micro$oft domination.
    (4) Melinda makes him do it because she knows more about all that tax stuff.
    (5) It promotes Micro$oft domination.
    (6) The need to say, “See how wonderful I am?”
    (7) It promotes Micro$oft domination.
    (8) Feelings of guilt
    (9) It promotes Micro$oft domination.
    (10)It promotes Micro$oft domination.

    You can discount most of the impact of reason# 8.

    And oh… did I mention It promotes Micro$oft domination??

Reader Feedback

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.