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100 richest people: Meet the 10 richest Americans

The 100 richest people in the world gained $241 billion in net worth last year, according to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index. Americans dominated the list, occupying five of the top 10 spots. This countdown of the top 10 wealthiest Americans features a casino mogul, software tycoons, and a lot of Wal-Mart money. 

5. Larry Ellison

Fred Prouser/Reuters/File
Larry Ellison, co-founder and CEO of Oracle Corp., arrives at the premiere of the film 'The Guilt Trip' in Los Angeles in this December 2012 file photo. Ellison's son, David, was executive producer for the film.

Net worth: $40.3 billion

Wealth source: Oracle

Residence: Woodside, Calif.

World Ranking: 8th

Mr. Ellison holds a 23.5 percent stake in Oracle, the largest database company in the world. He also owns nearly half of NetSuite and a shares of LeapFrog, maker of educational software and tablets for children. Ellison started Oracle as a database for the Central Intelligence Agency in the 1970s, when he was working for Ampex Corp.

Eillison was good friends with the late Steve Jobs, who served as the official photographer for Ellison’s fourth wedding in 2003. He has two children, David and Megan, who served as executive producers for the 2010 Cohen brothers film, True Grit. 

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