(FORTUNE Magazine) – THE BILLIONAIRES/COVER STORIES 86 THE BILLIONAIRES It's the frugal 1990s, and the world's 233 wealthiest individuals and families seem to be cooling the spending. One reason conspicuous consumption has become less popular: Times are a bit tough even for those in the lap of luxury -- the net worth of the average billionaire on our list hasn't risen by as much as a C-note since last year. The Sultan of Brunei remains the wealthiest, but if you weren't born into a royal family, take hope: A number of the ultra-rich, like Bill Gates, are self-made. by Stephanie Losee

92 HOW THEY GIVE THEIR MONEY AWAY Some do good for the worst of reasons, but many are motivated by a genuine desire to leave a better world behind them. And nowhere are philanthropists more openhanded than in the United States, thanks in part to its tax code. by Alan Farnham

98 THE BILLIONAIRES LIST The wealthiest people in the world, ranked by riches. by Stephanie Losee and Ani Hadjian

JAPAN 38 DOES JAPAN PLAY FAIR? While official protectionism is largely gone, Americans still battle cartels, old-boy networks, and outright corruption. The U.S. must keep the pressure on. by Edmund Faltermayer

AUTOS 56 LEE IACOCCA'S PARTING SHOTS About to retire as CEO, he sounds off -- brash as ever -- on his 46-year career, the Japanese, the unions, Chrysler's outlook, Ross Perot, posterity, and what he'll do with the rest of his life.

THE ECONOMY 62 WHAT WILL YOUR HOUSE BE WORTH? More than the prophets of housing gloom have warned, but less than you might have hoped only a few years ago. Here's how to think about your castle-as- investment now. by Rob Norton

TECHNOLOGY 68 TECHNOLOGY TO WATCH Recent discoveries about what causes Alzheimer's bring with them the promise ^ of a cure for the debilitating disease. by Gene Bylinsky

CORPORATE PERFORMANCE 70 THE BOUNCE IS BACK AT GOODYEAR Not only is CEO Stanley Gault, the retired chairman of Rubbermaid, slashing the debt and boosting new products, he is running the company on trust. by Peter Nulty

75 COMPANIES TO WATCH Low prices make Little Switzerland, a Caribbean jewelry store chain, shine. by Richard S. Teitelbaum

MONEY & MARKETS 76 A WHOLE NEW WAY TO RUN A BANK At maverick Bankers Trust, holding loans is out, sexy new derivatives are in. The company wants to take on every risk its clients face -- but can it handle its own risk? by Carol J. Loomis

78 HOW BANKERS TRUST LIED ABOUT $80 MILLION

DEPARTMENTS 4 EDITOR'S DESK 6 INDEX 8 NEWS/TRENDS China's stock market crush, who gains from a North American free-trade deal, quaking sales in California, junk bonds make a comeback, and more.

21 FORTUNE FORECAST Why consumers won't pull the economy out of the doldrums. by Vivian Brownstein

Also: A model for Bush -- plug in the numbers and he wins.

25 PERSONAL INVESTING Safe stocks for when those trusty market indicators are out of whack. by William E. Sheeline

Also: A double-digit return in real estate, and Portfolio Talk with Thomas Sowanick of Merrill Lynch.

34 LETTERS TO FORTUNE

155 KEEPING UP Learning to love Japanese baseball players, toupee insurance, and other matters. by Daniel Seligman

ABOVE: Billionaire Ted Turner of Turner Broadcasting System and his wife, Jane Fonda. Photo by Reuters/Bettmann.

COVER: (1) Bill Gates (photo by George Lange), (2) Ted Turner (Rick Maiman -- Sygma), (3) Athina Roussel (James Andanson -- Sygma), (4) Warren Buffett (Claudio Edinger -- Gamma/Liaison), (5) Ross Perot (Steve Starr -- Saba), (6) Taikichiro Mori (Peter Sibbald), (7) Queen Elizabeth II (Jayne Fincher -- Gamma/Liaison), (8) Sultan of Brunei (Universal Pictorial Press).