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You’re forgiven if you missed it amid the barrage of news about escalating violence in the Middle East, the vice presidential debate, the widespread devastation caused by Hurricane Helene and a historic dockworker strike that could have had significant economic implications, but this week marked the release of the annual Forbes 400 list, the definitive ranking of the richest of the rich in the U.S.

As my colleagues on the wealth team note, America’s 400 richest individuals are “having a rollicking time in the roaring 2020s; in all, they are worth a record $5.4 trillion, up nearly $1 trillion from last year.” And while the gender wealth gap among this cohort remains wide—there are only 67 women among these 400 people—it is narrowing, at least a little. Women now account for 17% of the list, up from 15% last year, and they hold 15% of the 400’s total wealth, up from 14% in 2023. They are worth a combined $839 billion, up from the $621 billion that the 60 women on last year’s list held.

The richest woman on the 400 is Alice Walton, a spot she’s held for nine out of the last ten years. What IS new and notable about........

© Forbes