Profile: Richard Branson - UK
Net Worth: bil
Hometown: London
Marital Status: Married , 2 children
Education: N/A
Claim to fame: Self-made master marketer created one of Britain's best-known brands. Latest moves: Sold 49% of airline Virgin Atlantic to Singapore Airlines for 8 million in December. Last year launched Virgin.com and Virgin Mobile, which hopes to be the first global mobile brand. Other holdings range from telecom to fashion. For fun: Skydiving, hot-air ballooning.
Warren Edward Buffett - USA
Net Worth: bil
Hometown: Omaha
Marital Status: N/A , 0 children
Education: N/A
Self-deprecating value investor gave himself a "D" after "worst absolute performance of my tenure" as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. Passed on New Economy stocks, clung to blue chips like Coke, Gillette. Result: Book value per share up 0.05%, price per share down 22%. Predicts he'll edge S&P over next decade but concedes "large superiorities over that index are a thing of the past."
William Henry Gates III - USA
Net Worth: bil
Hometown: Seattle
Marital Status: Married , 2 children
Education: COLLEGE/DO
Even after a 45% slide in Microsoft stock, still the world's wealthiest man. In the midst of antitrust trials, the company's cofounder edged away from the spotlight, handing over chief exec post to Steven Ballmer, declaring himself chief software architect. Now facing the prospect of having his company broken up, he's been pleading Microsoft's case in the court of public opinion. Also more public about charitable donations, made through his billion Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Lawrence Joseph Ellison - USA
Net Worth: bil
Hometown: Atherton
Marital Status: single , 2 children
Education: COLLEGE/DO
Oracle's flamboyant founder is not shy about his distaste for the competition: "Microsoft's biggest problem is that it missed the Internet and has all the wrong products now." Immodest? Not with Oracle shares up more than 500% in the past year. Known for expensive and adventurous toys, but U.S. Customs wouldn't let him import a Russian MIG.
Sainsbury, David - UK
Net Worth: bil
Hometown: N/A
Marital Status: Married , 3 children
Education: N/A
Claim to fame: Family owns 40% of U.K. grocery chain Sainsbury. Latest moves: The family fortune dropped by over a half billion dollars as the stock price stumbled. The company continued to lose market share to market leader Tesco and even Asda, a Wal-Mart-owned grocery chain. David's father, Sir Robert, died in April.
