The view from the top just keeps getting better--and more distant--every year. Bill Gates has topped the Forbes magazine list of the world's richest people once again. Gates' net worth doubled this year to $36.4 billion, placing him well ahead of his nearest rival, the estate of Sam Walton, worth $27.6 billion. Gates has watched his personal wealth swell in the past year due to strong sales of Windows, the operating system used by most computer users. Gates is the chairman and CEO of Microsoft Corporation, makers of Windows. Warren Buffet came in at third place, worth $23.2 billion. Another Microsoft billionaire, co-founder Paul Allen, came in sixth place. He is worth $14.1 billion. For more information, check out the Forbes Web site
