Pohlad richest owner in baseball, Forbes list shows

By PAUL WALSH, Star Tribune

Last update: March 6, 2008 - 11:38 AM

Several Minnesotans are sprinkled throughout the newest Forbes magazine list of the world's richest people -- and one of them is Carl Pohlad, the wealthiest among Major League Baseball's team owners.

Four MacMillans -- Whitney, Marion, Cargill and John -- sit tied for 236th with $4.4 billion each. Their wealth is from inheritance. Next is Richard Schulze of Best Buy. He's at No. 296 with $3.6 billion.

After that it's Pohlad (358th, $3.1 billion), whose pockets are the deepest of any team owner in baseball.

The New York Times in November made note of Pohlad at the top of the baseball ownership heap. At that time, the Twins had lost center fielder Torii Hunter to a more lucrative California Angels contract and would later see pitching ace Johan Santana go to the New York Mets deal for a richer deal.

Among Pohlad's peers on Forbes' global billionaire list are John Malone (Braves, tied for 553rd, $2.2 billion), Mike Ilitch (Tigers, 743rd, $1.6 billion), and Tom Hicks (Rangers) and George Steinbrenner (Yankees, tied for 897th, $1.3 billion).

As for the rest in Minnesota:

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor (428th, $2.7 billion); businesswoman Marilyn Carlson Nelson and family (553rd, $2.2 billion); DirectTV's Stanley Hubbard (743rd, $1.6 billion); businesswoman Barbara Carlson Gage and family (553rd, $2.2 billion), and publishing executive Dwight Opperman (1,014th, $1.1 billion).

At the top sits Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Chairman Warren Buffett at $62 billion.

Bill Gates saw his fortune rise to $58 billion. The Microsoft chairman fell to third on the list behind Mexican telecommunications mogul Carlos Slim, who has an estimated net worth of $60 billion.

The youngest member of the billionaire club is Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, 23, at 785th with $1.5 billion.

Wire services contributed to this report.

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