Ross Perot

Texas magnate added $600 million to net worth this year; with son Ross Jr., sold natural gas interests under land owned by their Hillwood real estate outfit on Texas' Barnett Shale to Quicksilver Resources in August. Cotton broker's son spent time in Navy, IBM sales department, before founding Electronic Data Systems 1962. Sold to General Motors for $2.5 billion 22 years later. Formed data processing company Perot Systems 1988. Two failed self-financed presidential bids; tackled Nafta, budget deficits. Last December his foundation sold a copy of the Magna Carta for $21.3 million.