Peter MokoenaThe American economic landscape is defined by immense wealth creation, primarily in technology, finance, and retail. This list showcases the top 100 richest individuals, whose fortunes reflect innovation, investment savvy, and market dominance. Their net worths are dynamic, fluctuating with stock prices and global markets, painting a picture of the nation’s most influential economic players.
America’s Richest 100 And The Wealth They Control
1: Elon Musk
The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and owner of X, derives his wealth from his stakes in these ventures. His fortune is notoriously volatile, shifting with the stock price of Tesla and the ambitious prospects of his private aerospace company.
2: Jeff Bezos
Founder of e-commerce giant Amazon, Bezos revolutionized retail and cloud computing. He remains a major shareholder and now focuses on his space venture, Blue Origin, and philanthropic efforts through his Earth Fund.
3: Larry Ellison
Co-founder of tech giant Oracle, a leader in database software and cloud systems. A renowned innovator and avid sailor, he owns a significant stake in the company and has diverse investments in healthcare and real estate.
4: Warren Buffett
The legendary “Oracle of Omaha” built Berkshire Hathaway into a massive conglomerate. Known for his value investing philosophy and philanthropic pledge, he remains one of the most respected figures in finance.
5: Larry Page
Co-founder of Google and its parent company, Alphabet. He played a pivotal role in creating the world’s dominant search engine and continues to hold significant wealth from his ownership stake in the tech behemoth.
6: Sergey Brin
Co-founder of Google alongside Larry Page. As a former president of Alphabet, he remains a controlling shareholder and board member, with his fortune tied to the success of the vast Google empire.
7: Mark Zuckerberg
Co-founder and CEO of Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook). His wealth is intrinsically linked to the social media giant’s stock performance as it navigates the future of connectivity and the metaverse.
8: Steve Ballmer
The exuberant former CEO of Microsoft. His immense wealth stems from his large ownership stake in the software company he led for over a decade, now fueled by cloud computing growth.
9: Bill Gates
Co-founder of Microsoft, he transitioned from tech pioneer to leading global philanthropist. While still wealthy from Microsoft, his fortune is managed through Cascade Investment and largely directed toward the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
10: Michael Bloomberg
Founder of the financial data and media company Bloomberg LP. A former mayor of New York City, his wealth supports his extensive philanthropy and advocacy around public health and climate change.
11: Jim Walton
The youngest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton. He chairs the family’s Arvest Bank Group and holds a significant stake in the world’s largest retailer, a constant source of the family’s wealth.
12: Alice Walton
The only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton. Her wealth supports a passion for art; she founded the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, to share her extensive collection.
13: Rob Walton
The eldest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton, he served as chairman for many years. He and his siblings inherited stakes in the retail giant, forming the core of their vast fortunes.
14: Phil Knight
Co-founder of Nike, the world’s leading athletic shoe and apparel company. Though retired, his legacy and wealth remain deeply tied to the iconic global brand and its “swoosh” logo.
15: Jacqueline Mars
Heir to the Mars candy empire, one of the world’s largest food companies. She and her family own famous brands like M&M’s, Snickers, and Pedigree pet food, generating their fortune.
16: John Mars
Heir to the Mars candy fortune. Along with his siblings, he owns the massive privately-held company known for brands like Milky Way, Twix, and Whiskas, ensuring the family’s wealth.
17: Michael Dell
Founder and CEO of Dell Technologies, a global leader in computer hardware and IT solutions. He took the company private in 2013, controlling a vast personal computing and infrastructure empire.
18: Julia Koch & family
Widow of David Koch, she and her children inherited a significant portion of Koch Industries, one of the largest privately-held companies in the U.S., with interests in energy, manufacturing, and commodities.
19: Charles Koch
CEO and co-owner of Koch Industries, a massive conglomerate with holdings in refining, chemicals, and paper. He is a influential advocate for libertarian and conservative political causes.
20: MacKenzie Scott
Ex-wife of Jeff Bezos, she received a 4% stake in Amazon as part of their divorce settlement. A renowned philanthropist, she has donated billions to charitable causes at a rapid pace.
21: Len Blavatnik
Founder of Access Industries, a privately-held industrial group with global investments in natural resources, chemicals, media, and technology. His diversified portfolio includes stakes in Warner Music Group and other major enterprises.
22: John Menard Jr.
Founder of Menards, a major Midwest-based home improvement store chain. His wealth comes from this highly successful private company, often compared to competitors Home Depot and Lowe’s.
23: Stephen Schwarzman
Co-founder and CEO of Blackstone, one of the world’s largest alternative investment firms. His wealth is derived from his stake in the company and its immense success in private equity and real estate.
24: Leonard Lauder
Chairman emeritus of Estée Lauder Companies, the cosmetics giant founded by his mother. His wealth stems from his ownership stake in the global beauty empire that includes MAC, Clinique, and La Mer.
25: Rupert Murdoch & family>
Chairman of News Corp and Fox Corporation, he built a global media empire spanning publishing and television. His family’s fortune and influence are deeply rooted in the news and entertainment industries.
26: Donald Newhouse
Co-president of Advance Publications, the media conglomerate owned by his family. Their private empire includes Condé Nast publications, American City Business Journals, and a major stake in Discovery communications.
27: Jim Simons
Founder of Renaissance Technologies, a highly successful quantitative trading hedge fund. A former mathematician and codebreaker, he is considered a pioneer of using mathematical models for investing.
28: Thomas Peterffy
Founder of Interactive Brokers, a major electronic brokerage firm. A pioneer in computerized trading, his wealth is tied to the success of his platform and his personal investments.
29: Ronald Perelman
A former corporate raider and investor, he ran MacAndrews & Forbes, a holding company with diverse investments in cosmetics, biotechnology, and entertainment, though he has recently divested many assets.
30: Michael Hartley
Founder of the privately-held company Hartley Industries. His wealth is derived from his successful ventures in manufacturing and industrial services, though he maintains a notably low public profile.
31: David Geffen
A powerhouse in the entertainment industry, co-founder of DreamWorks SKG. His wealth stems from a successful career as a music and film producer, and astute investments in art and real estate.
32: Harold Hamm
Chairman of Continental Resources, a major player in the U.S. shale oil boom. He built his fortune through oil exploration and is a key figure in the American energy industry.
33: Phil Anschutz
A reclusive billionaire with a vast empire through The Anschutz Corporation. His holdings span energy, railroads, sports teams (LA Kings), and entertainment venues like the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival.
34: Charles Ergen
Co-founder of Dish Network and EchoStar, satellite television and wireless communication companies. A former professional blackjack player, he built a fortune in the competitive pay-TV and telecom sectors.
35: Stephen Ross
Real estate developer and owner of Related Companies. He developed the Hudson Yards project in NYC and owns the Miami Dolphins NFL team, amassing wealth through high-profile urban development.
36: George Lucas
Creator of the “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” franchises. He sold Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012 for over $4 billion, with his wealth primarily deriving from that landmark deal.
37: Carl Icahn
A famed activist investor known for taking large stakes in companies and pushing for changes to increase their stock value. He leads Icahn Enterprises, a diversified holding company.
38: Abigail Johnson
President and Chairman of Fidelity Investments, the financial services giant founded by her grandfather. She oversees one of the largest mutual fund and brokerage firms in the world.
39: Ray Dalio
Founder of Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund. He is renowned for his principles-based approach to investing and economic analysis, building a vast fortune in finance.
40: Daniel Gilbert
Founder of Quicken Loans (now Rocket Mortgage), the largest mortgage lender in the U.S. He also owns the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers and has extensive real estate holdings in Detroit.
41: Jeff Yass
Co-founder of Susquehanna International Group (SIG), a major quantitative trading firm. His wealth is derived from the firm’s success in options trading and its early investment in TikTok’s parent company.
42: Robert Pera
Founder and CEO of Ubiquiti Inc., a networking technology company. He owns a majority stake in the firm and is also the owner of the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies.
43: David Tepper
Founder of Appaloosa Management, a highly successful hedge fund specializing in distressed debt. He is known for his savvy investments and also owns the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.
44: John Doerr
Chairman of venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins. A legendary tech investor, he provided early funding for Amazon and Google, building his fortune on spotting and nurturing groundbreaking companies.
45: James Dinan
Founder of York Capital Management, a hedge fund focused on event-driven and distressed investing. He has built his wealth through strategic investments in undervalued and complex situations.
46: Thomas Secunda
Co-founder of Bloomberg LP, the financial data and media company. As one of the original partners, his fortune is tied to the success of the terminal that revolutionized financial markets.
47: Bruce Kovner
A former commodities trader who founded Caxton Associates, a macro-focused hedge fund. He is also a major philanthropist, supporting causes in education and the arts.
48: Gordon Moore
Co-founder of Intel Corporation, the semiconductor giant. His “Moore’s Law” predicted the exponential growth of computing power. His wealth comes from his pioneering role in the tech industry.
49: Leonard Stern
Owner of Hartz Mountain Industries, a major real estate development company. He built his fortune in pet products and New Jersey real estate, developing millions of square feet of property.
50: Donald Bren
Chairman of the Irvine Company, a real estate development corporation. His vast wealth comes from owning and developing enormous tracts of land in Orange County, California.
51: Richard Kinder
Co-founder and executive chairman of Kinder Morgan, one of North America’s largest energy infrastructure companies. He built his fortune in pipelines and energy transportation.
52: Eli Broad
Founder of two Fortune 500 companies: KB Home and SunAmerica. A prolific philanthropist, he focused on education, science, and the arts in Los Angeles until his passing in 2021.
53: Jerry Jones
Owner, President, and General Manager of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, the world’s most valuable sports team. He also has investments in oil and gas and real estate.
54: Anne Cox Chambers
Daughter of Cox Enterprises founder James M. Cox. She was a principal owner of the media conglomerate, which includes cable television, newspapers, and radio stations, until her passing in 2020.
55: Blair Parry-Okeden
Granddaughter of Cox Enterprises founder James M. Cox. She inherited a stake in the massive media company but maintains an extremely private and reclusive life, largely out of the public eye.
56: Margaret Hunt Hill
Heir to the Hunt Oil fortune. A prominent Dallas socialite and philanthropist, her wealth was derived from the family’s vast oil and gas interests and investments.
57: Nancy Walton Laurie
Daughter of Walmart co-founder Bud Walton. Her wealth comes from her inheritance of Walmart stock and her ownership of a successful chain of craft stores.
58: Ann Walton Kroenke
Daughter of Walmart co-founder Bud Walton. She inherited a significant stake in Walmart and is married to Stan Kroenke, owner of sports teams like the Los Angeles Rams.
59: Alice Walton
The only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton. Her wealth supports a passion for art; she founded the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas.
60: Jim Walton
The youngest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton. He chairs the family’s Arvest Bank Group and holds a significant stake in the world’s largest retailer.
61: Rob Walton
The eldest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton, he served as chairman for many years. He and his siblings inherited stakes in the retail giant, forming the core of their vast fortunes.
62: John Paulson
President of Paulson & Co., a hedge fund known for its lucrative bet against the U.S. housing market before the 2008 crash. His wealth stems from these contrarian investment strategies.
63: Edward Johnson III
Former chairman of Fidelity Investments. He oversaw the growth of the mutual fund giant founded by his father, with the family’s wealth deeply tied to the financial services behemoth.
64: George Kaiser
Chairman of BOK Financial Corporation and a major shareholder in Kaiser-Francis Oil Company. A prolific philanthropist, he focuses on early childhood education and community development in Tulsa.
65: Stanley Druckenmiller
Chairman and CEO of Duquesne Family Office. A legendary hedge fund manager, he was a key portfolio manager for George Soros and known for his macroeconomic investment strategies.
66: Henry Hillman
An industrialist and venture capitalist who led the Hillman Company, a family investment firm with holdings in everything from venture capital to real estate until his passing in 2017.
67: Andrew Beal
Founder of Beal Bank, a private bank known for its investments in distressed financial assets. A mathematician and poker player, he built his fortune through unconventional financial strategies.
68: Charles Johnson
Former chairman of Franklin Resources (Franklin Templeton Investments). Under his leadership, the firm grew into a global investment management powerhouse, creating the family’s significant wealth.
69: Elaine Wynn
Co-founder of Wynn Resorts with her ex-husband Steve Wynn. She remains a major shareholder in the luxury casino and resort company and is a noted philanthropist in education.
70: Steven Cohen
Founder of Point72 Asset Management and previously SAC Capital. A renowned hedge fund investor, he is also known for his extensive collection of contemporary art and sports ownership.
71: David Shaw
Founder of D.E. Shaw & Co., a pioneering quantitative hedge fund. A computer scientist by training, he applied advanced technology to investing, building a highly successful firm and personal fortune.
72: Patrick Soon-Shiong
A surgeon and entrepreneur who invented the cancer drug Abraxane. He sold his pharmaceutical companies for billions and now owns the Los Angeles Times and invests in health tech.
73: John Malone
Chairman of Liberty Media, Liberty Global, and Qurate Retail. A cable television pioneer, he is known for his complex deal-making and massive holdings in media and telecommunications.
74: Stephen Feinberg
Co-founder of Cerberus Capital Management, a private equity firm specializing in distressed investments. He has taken a low-profile approach while building a significant fortune in finance.
75: Randal Kirk
CEO of Intrexon, a synthetic biology company (now Precigen). A serial entrepreneur, he built and sold several pharmaceutical companies before focusing on genetic engineering and biotech.
76: Robert Bass
A Texas billionaire and investor. As part of the Bass family, his wealth originated from oil, but he has since diversified into private equity, real estate, and venture capital.
77: Richard Chilton
Founder and CEO of Chilton Investment Company, a hedge fund firm. He is a value-oriented investor and has significant holdings in energy and industrial companies.
78: George Mitchell
Founder of Mitchell Energy & Development. A pioneer of hydraulic fracturing (fracking), his innovation unlocked shale gas and oil, revolutionizing the energy industry before his passing in 2013.
79: Ted Lerner
Founder of Lerner Enterprises, a major real estate development company. He developed shopping malls and commercial properties and was the founding owner of the Washington Nationals baseball team.
80: Donald Sterling
A former real estate magnate and owner of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers. He was forced to sell the team in 2014 after a public scandal involving racist remarks.
81: Harold Simmons
A corporate raider and investor with holdings in chemicals, metals, and waste management. He was known for his hostile takeovers and was a major political donor until his passing in 2013.
82: Peter Thiel
Co-founder of PayPal and Palantir Technologies, and a early Facebook investor. A venture capitalist and libertarian, he focuses on technology companies and futuristic “breakthrough” investments.
83: Ronald Lauder
Heir to the Estée Lauder cosmetics fortune. He is president of the World Jewish Congress and a noted art collector and philanthropist, focusing on Jewish causes and restitution.
84: H. Ross Perot
A businessman who founded Electronic Data Systems (EDS) and Perot Systems. He ran for U.S. president as a third-party candidate and was known for his patriotic rhetoric.
85: Les Wexner
Founder of L Brands, which included Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works. His wealth came from building a global retail empire in apparel and personal care products.
86: Richard DeVos
Co-founder of Amway, a multi-level marketing company for health, beauty, and home care products. He also owned the NBA’s Orlando Magic and was a major philanthropist.
87: John Kluge
A media tycoon who built and sold Metromedia, a group of independent television stations. For a time, he was one of the richest Americans, passing away in 2010.
88: Kirk Kerkorian
A financier and investor who was a major player in Las Vegas, owning the MGM Grand and other casinos. He also had investments in the automotive and film industries.
89: Philip Knight
Co-founder of Nike, the world’s leading athletic shoe and apparel company. Though retired, his legacy and wealth remain deeply tied to the iconic global brand.
90: Jacqueline Mars
Heir to the Mars candy empire, one of the world’s largest food companies. She and her family own famous brands like M&M’s, Snickers, and Pedigree pet food.
91: John Mars
Heir to the Mars candy fortune. Along with his siblings, he owns the massive privately-held company known for brands like Milky Way, Twix, and Whiskas.
92: Michael Dell
Founder and CEO of Dell Technologies, a global leader in computer hardware and IT solutions. He took the company private in 2013, controlling a vast personal computing empire.
93: Charles Koch
CEO and co-owner of Koch Industries, a massive conglomerate with holdings in refining, chemicals, and paper. He is a influential advocate for libertarian political causes.
94: Julia Koch & family
Widow of David Koch, she and her children inherited a significant portion of Koch Industries, one of the largest privately-held companies in the U.S.
95: MacKenzie Scott
Ex-wife of Jeff Bezos, she received a 4% stake in Amazon as part of their divorce settlement. A renowned philanthropist, she has donated billions to charitable causes.
96: Mark Zuckerberg
Co-founder and CEO of Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook). His wealth is intrinsically linked to the social media giant’s stock performance and its ventures into the metaverse.
97: Sergey Brin
Co-founder of Google alongside Larry Page. As a former president of Alphabet, he remains a controlling shareholder and board member of the tech behemoth.
98: Larry Page
Co-founder of Google and its parent company, Alphabet. He played a pivotal role in creating the world’s dominant search engine and holds a significant ownership stake.
99: Warren Buffett
The legendary “Oracle of Omaha” built Berkshire Hathaway into a massive conglomerate. Known for his value investing philosophy and philanthropic pledge to give away his wealth.
100: Jeff Bezos
Founder of e-commerce giant Amazon, Bezos revolutionized retail and cloud computing. He remains a major shareholder and now focuses on his space venture, Blue Origin.
Closing
This list captures a moment in time, where fortunes are built on innovation, inheritance, and investment. Their wealth is a testament to business acumen and market trends, constantly evolving. Beyond the numbers, their influence shapes industries, philanthropy, and the broader economy, making them central figures in the American story of capitalism.