SAS co-founder ranks 35th in Forbes' 400 richest Americans list

So, too, did Charlotte resident and former University of North Carolina System President C.D. Spangler, 78. Meanwhile, John Sall, 62, who co-founded SAS along with Goognight, preserved his wealth after losing nearly a quarter of his holdings last year.

So says Forbes magazine in its latest “Forbes 400” list of America’s richest people.

Goodnight, 67, shares the 35th spot on the Forbes list with Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg at $6.9 billion. Zuckerberg is the world’s youngest billionaire at age 26.

The Forbes data says Goodnight’s net worth improved $100 million from a year ago.

Still, he slipped two spots from 33rd on last year's list.

Goodnight's fortune also is down $1.8 billion from the $8.7 billion Forbes reported for the Cary resident and North Carolina State University graduate in 2007 and 2008 before the recession took hold.

Sall, meanwhile, ranks 90th at $3.4 billion. That’s the same totals Forbes reported for 2009. He rose a spot from a year ago.

In 2007 and 2008, Sall’s net worth was $4.4 billion, according to Forbes.

Spangler, meanwhile, ranks 238th at $1.7 billion. The Charlotte resident was worth $1.65 billion in 2009, according to Forbes. He dropped from 212th in 2009.

In 2007, Spangler’s net worth peaked at $2.9 billion before dropping to $2 billion in 2008.