with Bermuda connections were well represented in Forbes Magazine's annual listing of the Forbes 400 wealthiest Americans.

Bill Gates, chief of software giant Microsoft Corp., topped the list of the richest Americans for the fifth year in a row.

But the recent stock market decline shaved $9 billion from Gates' net worth, putting him at $58.4 billion. Yet, he is still worth $18 billion more than last year, the magazine said in its October 12 issue.

Among those with Bermuda connections on the list were American International Group executive Ernest E. Stempel, who lives in Pembroke. His wealth was estimated at $1.2 billion, placing him 141st on the list.

And Marion MacMillan Pictet, whose court battle with fellow millionaire Michael DeGroote over the sale of Perot's Island hit the news in the early 1990s, had her wealth estimated at $560 million. She was 348th on the list.

Fidelity Investments founder Edward (Ned) Johnson, 68, is believed to be worth $2.2 billion and is 74th on the list. He owns a home in Bermuda and was one of the major contributors to the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute.

Former US presidential candidate H. Ross Perot, who owns a Tucker's Town home, is estimated to be worth $3.7 billion based on his electronic data management empire. He was ranked 34th.