The Wealthiest Person in Every State in America
Being showcased in Forbes magazine is, and has always been, an honor. For ages, Forbes has been a credible source for lists of the most most influential people in the world. Today we take a look at the richest people in all 50 states who have captured a spot in one of Forbes’ most prestigious lists. This list’s top industries include finance and investment, fashion and retail, food and beverage, and the tech industry. Now let’s take a look at the nation’s wealthiest!
1. Alabama – Jimmy Rane
Jimmy Rane’s net worth amounts to around $900 million. He is the CEO of Alabama’s Great Southern Wood Preserving, which makes various lumber products such as desks and fences, among others, making the primary source of his fortune lumber. He is also popularly known as “The Yella Fella,” where his cowboy alter-ego appeared in plenty of his company’s T.V. commercials.
2. Alaska – Leonard Hyde and Jonathan Rubini
Leonard Hyde worked with Jonathan Rubini as a business partner in real estate. They have amassed around $300 million each and own the biggest buildings in Alaska, including the iconic J.L. Tower and the ConocoPhillips Tower. They are also in charge of the Alaskan military housing development and own several hotel chains both in and out of Alaska.
3. Arizona – Ernest Garcia II
Ernest Garcia is the richest person in Arizona, with a whopping net worth of $5.6 billion. He is currently the biggest shareholder of Carvana, an online platform that sells old cars and helps people get car loans. Carvana was founded by one of Ernest’s sons, Ernest Garcia III. He is also the founder and CEO of DriveTime, which is one of the biggest car retailer shops in the U.S.
4. Arkansas – Jim Walton
Jim Walton is the youngest son of the founder of Walmart, Sam Walton. While Walmart already boasts an impressive financial portfolio, Jim is also the Arvest Bank founder, which has around $16 billion in asset value. His net worth, you may ask? It’s $51.1 billion, which makes him the wealthiest person in Arkansas.
5. California – Mark Zuckerberg
You probably know the richest person in California as he started the famous social media platform Facebook during his Harvard days back in 2004 at the age of 19. The primary objective of his version of Facebook back then was to match his classmates’ faces and names. Since he introduced Facebook to the public in 2004, it boomed, becoming an internet phenomenon. Zuckerberg is currently worth $97.2 billion.
6. Colorado – Philip Anschutz
Philip Anschutz is one of the richest people in the sports industry. He currently owns the LA Kings, LA Galaxy, and is a minority owner of the LA Lakers. His Anschutz Entertainment Group operates more than 100 arenas and concert venues worldwide, making him the richest person in Colorado with a net worth of about $12 billion.
7. Connecticut – Ray Dalio
Ray Dalio is surely a rags to riches story. He started out being a golf caddy and, at just the young age of 19 years old, started playing in the market based on tips from the golf players he was assisting. He launched Bridgewater from his apartment in New York and is now the founder of Dalio, the world’s largest hedge firm, making him the richest person in Connecticut with an $18.4 billion net worth.
8. Delaware – Robert Gore and Elizabeth Snyder
They say that you should not go into business with family or close friends, but it clearly turned out well for siblings Robert Gore and Elizabeth Snyder, who founded the Gore-Tex, a revolutionary waterproof, lightweight fabric widely used from outdoor clothing to footwear to camping equipment. They have amassed around $885 million each, making them the richest people in Delaware.
9. Florida – Thomas Peterffy
If you have heard the term “discount brokerage,” you would probably have heard of Thomas Peterffy, Florida’s richest person with a net worth of $18.8 billion. He is the CEO and founder of Interactive Brokers, which is a trading platform for investors. He also owns around 500,000 acres of land in the United States. This is a far cry from 21-year-old Thomas, who arrived in the U.S. as an immigrant from Hungary.
10. Georgia – Jim Kennedy
Jim Kennedy is the richest person in Georgia, with a net worth of $9.2 billion. He is currently the chairman of Cox Enterprises, which is an automotive and media company. His grandfather also founded Cox Enterprises and the Dayton Evening News.
11. Hawaii – Pierre Omidyar
If you are familiar with eBay, then you probably know of Pierre Omidyar, the founder of the famous online retail platform. Aside from eBay, Pierre also owns a couple of resorts in California and Mexico. He clearly doesn’t have much time on his hands because he is also the First Look Media founder. With all his assets, he is the richest man in Hawaii with a net worth of $22.6 billion.
12. Idaho – Frank VanderSloot
Frank Vandersloot found fame and fortune by being the founding father of Melaleuca, which offers various natural and healthy products, from supplements to eco-friendly cleaners. He sells to every 1.5 million consumers monthly through his online store, making him the wealthiest person in Idaho. His net worth is $2.7 billion.
13. Illinois – Ken Griffin
Ken Griffin is the CEO and founder of Citadel, which is a hedge-fund primarily based in Chicago. Citadel manages around $32 billion in assets. He first started his trading business from his Harvard dorm room, and it grew into a hedge fund three years later. Griffin’s net worth is $15 billion.
14. Indiana – Carl Cook
Carl Cook is best known for his company Cook Group, which manufactures medical devices making him the richest man in Indiana. His parents were actually the brainchildren behind the company, and Carl just took over after his father’s death. His net worth is $10.5 billion.
15. Iowa – Harry Stine
Harry Stine is a farmer’s son, and his upbringing influenced him to build Stine Seed Co., an agricultural firm that licenses corn and soybean genetics to big firms such as Monsanto and Syngenta. As a child, Harry was fascinated with seeds, and his fascination turned out into a billion-dollar enterprise. Stine’s net worth is $5.4 billion.
16. Kansas – Charles Koch
Charles Koch is the CEO and founder of the Koch industries, which has over $110 billion in revenue. They manufacture everything from Dixie cups, paper towels, and fertilizers and airbag fibers. His father actually founded Koch industries, and Charles took over the company after his father passed away. Charles Koch’s net worth is $44.9 billion.
17. Kentucky – Tamara Gustavson
Tamara Gustavson is the largest shareholder of Public Storage, which she co-owned with her father, making her the richest person in Kentucky with a $5.3 billion net worth. She was once vice president of Public Storage but left the firm in 2003 to raise her kids.
18. Louisiana – Gayle Benson
Gayle Benson is the owner of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints, and the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans. She is also the widow of the late Tom Benson. She is the richest person in Louisiana, with a net worth of $2.9 billion.
19. Maine – Susan Alfond
Harold Alfond, who founded the Dexter Shoe Co., passed away and as a result, his daughter Susan Alfond and her three siblings became instant billionaires. Their shares were sold to Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, and they are now worth around $420 million in stocks. Susan is currently worth $2.1 billion.
20. Maryland – Ted Lerner
Ted Lerner is the richest man in Maryland with a net worth of $5.1 billion. He became rich through his real estate business. He currently owns 20 million square feet of commercial and retail space, hotels, and apartments in the Washington D.C. area.
21. Massachusetts – Abigail Johnson
Abigail Johnson became rich from her money management. She is currently the CEO of Fidelity Investment, a mutual fund firm with over $2.7 trillion in asset value. She took over as the CEO from her father, Edward Johnson III, and she has worked full-time ever since, making her the richest person in Massachusetts with $14.7 billion net worth.
22. Michigan – Daniel Gilbert
Daniel Gilbert co-founded Quicken Loans, which is the U.S.’s largest online mortgage lender since the mid-1980s. He has a very strong business strategy which was apparent when he sold Quicken Loans to Intuit for about $532 million but then later bought it for $64 million. Aside from the loaning industry, he also owns the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers. He is currently worth $57.3 billion.
23. Minnesota – Glen Taylor
Seeing as he went from being a millionaire to becoming a billionaire, Glen Taylor surely knows how to turn millions into billions. He first bought a wedding service business and turned it into Taylor Corp., a printing firm worth over $2 billion. He is also a shareholder of the NBA’s Timberwolves, WNBA’s Lynx, and Minneapolis Star Tribune. He is now the richest man in Minnesota with a $2.9 billion net worth.
24. Mississippi – Thomas and James Duff
Mississippi’s richest people are Thomas Duff and James Duff, with $1.35 billion each. The brothers co-founded Duff Capital Investors, which earned over $2.6 billion in revenue. The firm’s biggest asset is a commercial tire dealer, Southern Tire Mart, founded by their father back in 1973.
25. Missouri – Pauline MacMillan Keinath
Pauline MacMillan Keinath is the largest shareholder of Cargill, the largest private company in the United States. Pauline’s great-grandfather founded Cargill in Iowa, but even if the family is not directly involved in the company’s management, they still own around 90% of the company. Pauline herself is worth $4.9 billion.
26. Montana – Dennis Washington
Dennis Washington found his fortune in construction and mining. He was previously a crane operator and decided to diversify a business group called Washington Companies because of his love for machinery. Besides Washington Companies, he also owns a mining business, a regional railroad, and shares in two diamond mines. He has a net worth of $6.4 billion.
