Despite losing nearly $2 billion of his net worth, Jim Goodnight remains the richest person in North Carolina and held on to the No. 33 spot in the Forbes magazine list of the 400 richest Americans.
Goodnight's net worth of $6.8 billion was down from $8.7 billion last year, Forbes reported. Goodnight, 66, is co-founder and CEO of SAS Institute, the Cary-based company that is the world's largest privately owned software maker.
John Sall, who co-founded SAS in 1976, also saw his ranking drop a bit, to No. 91 from No. 84 last year. His net worth declined to $3.4 billion from $4.4 billion.
The only other Tar Heel on the Forbes list was Clemmie Spangler Jr. of Charlotte, with a net worth of $1.65 billion, down from $2 billion last year. He is ranked No. 212 on the Forbes list.
Microsoft's Bill Gates topped the list, followed by investor Warren Buffett and Oracle CEO Lawrence Ellison.
See the full list here.
Assistant Business Editor Alan M. Wolf joined the N&O in 1999 covering the business of health care. He became an editor in 2001, and helps oversee the paper's daily business coverage and Sunday Work&Money section. He lives in Clayton with his wife and two children. Reach him at 919-829-4572 or