Warren Buffett's estimated fortune dropped by $6 billion over the past year to $39 billion in the just-released Forbes 400 listof richest Americans. He's the only person in the top 20 to see his wealth drop.
He's still number two on the Forbes list, but the gap between him and his friend Bill Gates has widened. The Microsoft Chairman's wealth is estimated at $59 billion, up $5 billion from last year.
That puts Gates $20 billion dollars ahead of Buffett.
Oracle's Larry Ellison is catching up with Buffett. He's number three with an estimated $33 billion, $6 billion more than last year.
One reason for Buffett's fading fortune is a decline of about 17 percent in Berkshire Hathaway stock over the past twelve months.
But there's another big factor: Buffett is giving his money away.