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After two years of declining values, the rich finally got richer. On this, "Forbes" magazine's 21st annual edition of "The Forbes 400," the aggregate net worth of the nation's wealthiest 400 citizens leapt 10% in the past year, to $955 billion -- just one Bill Gates away from $1 trillion. Leading the charge: Internet stocks. A rising price of admission -- $600 million -- pushed 20 members off the list, including wrestling's Vince McMahon and Global Crossing's Gary Winnick. Their places were filled by newcomers like hedge fund managers Steve Cohen and Ken Griffin, both of whom would prefer we keep them out of our club.

The article introduces "Forbes," magazine's list of the 400 wealthiest people in the U.S. The nation's 400 wealthiest people misplaced $80 billion in net worth over the past year, a contributing factor in the exit of 35 people from the list. This year's new members include David Gold, who paid his admission in pennies collected by his chain of 99 Cent Only Stores Inc., Timothy Boyle, who climbed on with the success of Columbia Sportswear.

Arizona-based Allied Waste Industries' $9.1 billion buy out of Browning & Ferris Industries Inc. earlier this year has shifted ownership of a prime office complex in Houston to Allied Waste. [...]

Houston Grain Trading Inc., a Houston, TX-based agribusiness salvaging firm, has recently been contracted to do grain salvaging at the DeBruce Grain elevator, located just outside of Wichita, KS. The job at DeBruce elevator is Houston Grain's most extensive job in its history, according to Houston Grain President and founder Don Paul Jones. The work at DeBruce elevator, which exploded in June 1998, killing six people, involved extingushing the fire and cleaning up the debris brought by the explosion. The salvaged grains at DeBruce elevator will be sold as animal feed since the grains are no longer fit for human consumption. The DeBruce project is expected to run until Christmas 1998. Houston Grains expects to see its revenue increase tenfold in 1998 because of the DeBruce work.