Forbes Asia magazine recently compiled a list of the 40 richest Japanese and former Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi zoomed up the chart at number three with a net worth of a cool $4.8 billion. Last year, Yamauchi was at the 14th position but Nintendo's financial gains via the DS and the Wii have made his stock shares in the company much more valuable. Current Ninty Head Satoru Iwata has done a great job with the company over the past 2 years and Yamauchi was the one who put him in that position over other more senior Nintendo personnel.

Yamauchi retired from Nintendo in June 2005 after 55 years at the company. Yamauchi isn't that far behind the two front runners: Akira Mori, a real estate mogul; and Masayoshi Son, chair of Japan's number three wireless service provider. Both have a net worth of near $5.5 billion each.

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