The thing about a gigantic pile of money is that, if properly managed, it turns into a bigger pile of money. For these families, ranked as the world's 10 richest by Bloomberg, savvy business and investment decisions or the timely application of military force to consolidate power in a resource-rich territory have combined to produce staggering wealth. And what these fabulously rich individuals do with their inherited cash ranges from buying yachts, exotic animals and vineyards to financing cherished political causes and candidates around the world.

The Walton family ($432.4 billion)

Sam Walton opened his first discount variety store in Bentonville, Arkansas, in 1962 and turned it into a retail empire "by buying up low-cost goods and selling them at lower prices than his competitors," sai

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