SOLVED - Children's book - rich boy with computer mentor [s]

[Brian]

Hello all! I've found a lot of lost books from my childhood on here to share with my children, but there's at least one I can't recall the title of. If anyone can help me, I'd be really grateful (not to mention impressed!) Minor spoilers, I guess, but I'm not sure how to describe the plot otherwise.

Looking for a children's book I read in the late 80's or early 90's (and its sequel). I think it started with a boy buying an old man a hot dog. It turns out the man was a dying rich man in disguise trying to find an heir for his fortune. He leaves the boy his entire estate and puts him in charge of everything. Then he has a computer program created a la Max Headroom to provide guidance to the kid.

In the second book, someone puts a virus into the computer program and the kid has to run things without the benefit of his mentor.

Sound familiar to anyone? I can't find anything online about this whatsoever.

Thanks in advance for any help!

[Theresa]

The richest kid in the world by Richard Hawks. The sequel is the sixty billion dollar fugitive.

[Brian]

Wow, thanks! How did you find that?

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

The Richest Kid In The World for the link.

[Theresa]

Brian - I'd read and really liked sixty billion dollar fugitive and remembered it so no great search skills involved!

[KC]

This is fanTAStic. I was just thinking about this book myself - and boom, you already had it solved. Thanks for your help!!!