Top Ten Richest Americans [PHOTOS]

Its official! The numbers are in and the list is out.

America's top billionaires have been declared by Forbes and it appears that the year has been kind to the Walton family.

1. Bill Gates: Net Worth $72 Billion
Bill Gates is the wealthiest in America, a position he has maintained since 1994, despite the fact that he gave most of it ($28 billion) to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He reclaimed the title of the world's richest man from Carlos Slim, earlier this year. A self made man, Gates has done more than his share to give back. His foundation managed to raise $335 million in pledges to help eradicate polio. With a net worth of $72 billion, a highly successful company and a foundation that has made significant steps in eradication of polio, what more could a man want?

2. Warren Buffett: Net Worth $58.2 Billion
It is hard to believe that Warren Buffett is 83 years old and was suffering from prostate cancer. The octogenarian who recently underwent radiation therapy is the fourth richest man in the world, and is still going strong. Berkshire Hathaway and 3G Capital have just picked up the iconic ketchup maker Heinz for $23.2 billion while a subsidiary of Berkshire is buying Nevada's NV energy for $5.6 billion. He is known not just for his shrewd business sense but also for his generosity. He recently donated $2 billion of Berkshire stock to the Gates Foundation, which brings his donations to nearly $20 billion.

3. Larry Ellison: Net Worth $41 Billion
Co-founder and chief executive officer of Oracle Corporation, Ellison is not only famous for his brain but also his mouth. This self made billionaire has never shied away from speaking his mind. In a recent interview, he said that Apple's best days are behind it as Steve Job is no more. He has also gone on record calling Google's alleged infringement on Oracle's patents in its Android software 'absolutely evil.' Ellison is known for owning houses on Malibu's Carbon Beach and owns 98 percent of Hawaii's Lanai Island.

4. Charles Koch: Net Worth $36 Billion
Koch is the chairman and CEO is Koch Industries, which is the country's second largest private company that boasts of sales of $115 billion. As the company has seen steady growth, so has Koch's net worth, which saw an increase of $5 billion this year. The company has acquired several companies recently including electronics-components maker Molex and cellulose fiber producer Buckeye Technologies. The company was also in the news for its interest in buying LA Times and the Chicago Tribune, a deal that never came through.

5. David Koch: Net Worth $36 Billion
David, the Executive Vice President of Koch Industries is the second of the richest brothers in world, that head America's second largest private company. Koch Industries own several firms that are involved in refinery, chemicals and financial trading, among others. David and his brother are known for their donations to the conservative party as well as Lincoln Center and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre.

6. Christy Walton: Net Worth $35.4 Billion
Christy Walton is the richest woman in the world. She inherited most of her wealth when her husband John Walton died in a plane crash in 2005. Her husband's investment in First Solar gave her wealth a significant boost. A majority of her holdings are in Walmart, founded by her father-in-law and his brother is 1962. She has received almost $350 million in dividends after taxes from Walmart in 2013.

7. Jim Walton: Net Worth $33.8 Billion
Jim is the youngest son of Sam Walton, founder and visionary of Walmart. Walmart started as single store in Arkansas in 1962 and was run by Sam and his brother James. Apart from receiving huge dividend cheques from Walmart, Jim is also the CEO of the Walton family's Arvest Bank, worth about $1.8 billion.

8. Alice Walton: Net Worth $33.5 Billion
Daughter of Sam Walton, Alice is best known as the Chairman of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, founded in 2011. The museum that hosts works of artists such as Andy Warhol, Norman Rockwell and Georgia O'Keeffe has had over 1 million visitors since its opening. Alice is known as the biggest philanthropist of the Walton family and gave more than $2 billion to support charter school initiatives in 2012.

9. S. Robson Walton: Net Worth $33.3 Billion
Robson, eldest son of Sam Walton, is the Chairman of the Walmart Stores, since 1992. Robson's tenure as Chairman has been marred by controversies such as employee protests against low wages, the company's connection to a bribery scandal in Mexico and a factory collapse in Bangladesh that killed more than 1000 workers. However, Walmart, under Robson, has come out of all of this without a scratch. The company's growth has seen a 5 percent increase since last year and continues to be the largest retailer in the world.

10. Michael Bloomberg: Net Worth $31 Billion
A welcoming change in the list, Michael is the world's richest mayor, having served the city of New York for 12 years. While Bloomberg has been lauded for his efforts to guide the city through the financial crisis and making the streets bicycle and pedestrian friendly, criticism has followed his "stop and frisk" practice, which the US District County called "unconstitutional." His fortunes have gone up by $6 billion, due to Bloomberg LP's performance, a financial data firm founded by him on 1982. He has recently made a $100 billion pledge to the Gates Foundation.