Jerry Yang, 35, Chief Yahoo & Co-Founder, Yahoo ($2.81 billion)

Jerry Yang is the sixth richest American under 40. A Taiwanese native raised in San Jose, California, Yang co-created the Yahoo! Internet navigational guide in April 1994 with David Filo and co-founded Yahoo! Inc. in April 1995.

Yang, a leading force in the media industry, has been instrumental in building Yahoo! into the world's most highly trafficked Web site and one of the Internet's most recognised brands.

A member of Yahoo!'s board of directors, Yang works closely with the company's president and CEO to develop corporate business strategies and guide the future direction of the company.

Yang holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering from Stanford University and is currently on a leave of absence from Stanford's electrical engineering PhD programme.

Photograph: Yahoo!

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