The rich get richer

Gates, Buffett top 'Forbes' list of 400 richest Americans - USATODAY.com:

The total worth of the members of the Forbes400 list of the richest Americans rose to an estimated $1.37 trillion in 2010, up 8% from 2009, according to the list released late Wednesday.

The list further demonstrates the shift of the U.S. economy away from manufacturing, says Paul Argenti, professor at Dartmouth's Tuck School.

The finance and investment industries account for the biggest share of the list: 109 members.

"The pillars of American society are going away," he says.

The 159 richest individuals on the list have a combined net worth of more than $1T, with the combined worth of the top 400 coming in at $1.37T. ON average, that's $3.4B per person on the Forbes 400 list.