Forbes 400: Cook to cola salesman, how America's richest people started out

From Jeff Bezos to Mark Zuckerburg, Warren Buffet to Bill Gates—America's richest have been treading water for the past 12 months. Here's a definitive ranking of their net worth, and perspective of their humble professional beginnings

By Forbes

Published: Oct 30, 2019 12:15:46 PM IST

Forbes 400: Cook to cola salesman, how America's richest people started out

Image: Clodagh Kilcoyne / Reuters

America’s richest have been treading water for the past 12 months. The average fortune of the list members is up just 2.2 percent to $7.4 billion, and the $2.1 billion entry point is unchanged. Still, most have come a long way. This year, we are highlighting their professional beginnings, from stocking shelves to starting a ski tuning business in a basement and everything in between.

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(This story appears in the 08 November, 2019 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)