I have always been fascinated by Forbes’ ranking of the wealthiest people in the world.  Recently they produced their list of the 400 richest Americans and claimed that the net worth of these individuals collectively fell over $300 billion over the past year.  It just goes to show you that even billionaires face tough times every once in a while.

These lists have always been a source of inspiration to me and given me a sense that making ridiculous amounts of money is actually possible.  Even if it’s only a dream, it really helps to motivate me to work harder, be more ambitious, and strive to continually better myself.  Many of the top 10 richest Americans you will recognize, while there may be a few names that you haven’t heard before.  Either way, here’s some people that can hopefully inspire and motivate you when trying to become successful online or offline:

1. Bill Gates – $50 billion (software)
2. Warren Buffett – $40 billion (investments)
3. Larry Ellison – $27 billion (software)
4. Christy Walton - $21.5 billion (Wal-Mart)
5. Jim C. Walton – $19.6 billion (Wal-Mart)
6. Alice Walton – $19.3 billion (Wal-Mart)
7. S. Robson Walton – $19 billion (Wal-Mart)
8. Michael Bloomberg – $17.5 billion (Media)
9. Charles Koch – $16 billion (Manufacturing & Energy)
10. David Koch – $16 billion (Manufacturing & Energy)