The Richest People In America: Steven Ballmer

©AP Photo/Joe Nicholson

#16 Steven Ballmer

$15.0 billion
Source: Microsoft

Microsoft chief attempted to take over Yahoo for $44.6 billion in February; attempt to compete with Google on search backfired after 6-month slugfest—featuring nasty Carl Icahn proxy fight—yielded no deal, sluggish stock price. Worse: Yahoo struck ad deal with Google soon after. Gaining some traction in online advertising; ranked first in display ads this June. Sales up 18% to $60 billion in 2007; net profits rose 26%. Entertainment division—videogame console Xbox, music player Zune—finally profitable. Detroit native dropped out of Stanford M.B.A. program to join former Harvard classmate Bill Gates in 1980.

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