Last year, the pooled net worth of the 400 richest Americans was $1.5 trillion which this year has increased to $1.7 trillion. At the same time, the average net worth of a Forbes 400 member which last year was $3.8 billion has gone up to $4.2 billion.

There are basically two reasons for taking the net worth to such a big height: First is that in last one year, two-third of the U. S. population added their fortunes. And second is the broadening gap between the very rich and the merely rich. In the present scenario, there are only two in the top 20 who are poorer. Last year, as a group, these people added to a worth of $73 billion.

Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Larry Ellison are known to be the U. S. three richest entrepreneurs. While calculating the net worth, much of their gains, worth billions, were added to it. Positioned at numbers 1, 2 and 3, respectively, they were up by $7 billion, $7 billion and $8 billion, during the last one year.

Thirty years ago, as recorded by Forbes, there were just 13 billionaires and the total worth of the 400 club was a mere $93 billion. Now what matters, are the different ways for reducing this widening gap between rich and poor.