Stephen Schwarzman, with an estimated net worth of $43 billion as of 2024, is a co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Blackstone Group, one of the world’s largest alternative asset management firms, managing over $1 trillion in assets. After starting his career at Lehman Brothers, Schwarzman and his partner Peter Peterson founded Blackstone in 1985 with $400,000.
In addition to business, Schwarzman is a prominent philanthropist, with major donations to institutions like MIT, Yale, and Oxford, and he created the Schwarzman Scholars program in China.
John Mars, co-owner of Mars, Inc., has an estimated net worth of $47 billion as of 2024. A key heir to the Mars candy empire founded by his grandfather, Mars has helped the company expand its product line beyond candy to include pet food brands like Pedigree and Royal Canin.
Mars, Inc. also acquired the Wrigley Company and veterinary chain VCA, adding billions to the company’s annual revenue. Known for their private approach, John and his family prefer a low public profile while maintaining significant influence over the family-owned business.
Jeff Yass, co-founder of Susquehanna International Group (SIG), is worth an estimated $49 billion as of 2024. Known for his early career as a professional gambler, Yass applied probability and quantitative analysis to finance, leading SIG to prominence as a global quantitative trading firm.
Charles Koch, the longtime chairman and CEO of Koch Industries, has a net worth of approximately $6y billion as of 2024. Koch Industries, one of the largest privately held companies in the United States, operates in diverse sectors, including oil refining, chemicals, and consumer goods like Dixie Cups and Lycra.
Known for his market-based management philosophy, Charles Koch has also co-authored books, such as Good Profit, sharing his business insights. He is a prominent philanthropist, funding educational initiatives and libertarian causes through the Charles G. Koch Foundation and organizations he co-founded, such as the Cato Institute.
Julia Koch, one of the wealthiest women in the United States, has a net worth estimated at around $74 billion as of 2024. She inherited her fortune, which includes a 42% stake in Koch Industries, following the death of her husband, David Koch, in 2019.
Known for her philanthropy, Julia has contributed significantly to healthcare and the arts through the Julia Koch Family Foundation, including a recent $75 million donation to NYU Langone Health.
Alice Walton is an American businesswoman, philanthropist, and daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton. Alice is the richest woman in America, with a net worth of$89 billion.
Alice took her lifelong passion for art and established the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in 2005 in her family’s hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas. Also in Bentonville, the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine plans to open in 2025.
Rob Walton, born Samuel Robson, is an American billionaire and the eldest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton. He inherited a vast fortune from the world's largest retailer, his net worth currently $94 billion.
Upon his father's death in 1992, Rob assumed the role of chairman for Walmart, a position he held until June 2015. His leadership and strategic decisions significantly contributed to the growth of Walmart, solidifying its position on the global stage.
Jim Walton is an American businessman and the youngest son of the founder of Walmart, Sam Walton. Because of Walmart’s success, Jim’s net worth is $95 billion, making him the 12th richest person in America.
Jim actively participated in the family business, working on real estate dealings, and serving on the board of directors. He is also chairman for the family's Arvest Bank, which boasts assets of more than $26 billion.
Michael Dell is most famously known as the founder, chairman, and CEO of Dell Technologies, one of the world's leading technology infrastructure companies. He's accumulated a net worth of at least $101 billion in his lifetime.
Through strategic business decisions, including the significant $60 billion merger with computer storage giant EMC in 2016, Dell has become the 11th richest person in America. His story serves as an inspiration for entrepreneurs and leaders across the globe.
Jensen Huang is the 15th richest American. Forbes estimated his net worth to be $104 billion in 2024. That is noticeably higher, bumping him up multiple spots compared to his ranking last year.
Jensen Huang co-founded NVIDIA in 1993 and played a pivotal role in transforming it into a leader in the graphics processing unit (GPU) industry, which became essential for gaming, data centers, and, most recently, A.I. technologies. His strategic vision and innovation in developing GPUs positioned NVIDIA at the forefront of the tech industry, and the company's stock price has soared. He has been referred to as the "Godfather of A.I."
Michael Bloomberg is a prominent American businessman and politician who founded Bloomberg LP, a global media and financial services company. As of 2024, his net worth is $105 billion.
Bloomberg’s company proved to be highly successful, contributing significantly to his wealth. He also served as Mayor of New York City from 2002-2013, where he implemented innovative strategies in government and philanthropy.
Bill Gates has been in the public’s eye for much longer than the others on this list for one big reason: he’s the co-founder of mega tech company Microsoft. That’s not the only thing Gates is known for — he’s also a philanthropist that donates much of his wealth to disadvantaged communities. As of 2024, Bill Gates is worth $107 billion (according to Forbes), but he doesn’t hoard the wealth.
Much of his money goes to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is reported to be the world’s largest private charity. Like many on this list, Gates started young. He wrote his first software program at 13. From there, he did whatever he could to learn about computing. All we have to say is, “Thank you for Microsoft!”
Steve Ballmer is an influential figure in the tech industry, known for his dynamic leadership as the CEO of Microsoft from 2000 to 2014. He is worth $123 billion, making him the 7th richest person in America.
He played a crucial role in transforming Microsoft from a software manufacturer into a diversified tech giant. After stepping down as CEO, he purchased the Los Angeles Clippers NBA team, further expanding his investment portfolio.
Sergey Brin, originally from Russia, is an iconic figure in the realm of technology and entrepreneurship. Brin, along with Larry Page, co-founded Google, the world's most popular search engine. He is now worth $130 billion according to Forbes.
After stepping down as the president of Google's parent company in 2019, he is still a board member and controlling shareholder. His journey from immigrant to one of the wealthiest people in the world is inspiring.
Larry Page, an American businessman, computer scientist, and internet entrepreneur, is best known for co-founding Google alongside Sergey Brin. Page’s net worth in 2024 was $136 billion according to Forbes.
As Google's founding CEO, Page led the company to profitability and exponential growth, expanding the team to more than 200 employees. Page remains a significant figure in the tech industry, holding a position on the board and retaining controlling shares.
Warren Buffett is the oldest person on this list, but we can’t leave him out. Even today, investors listen to what Buffett has to say, and that’s because he made his wealth as an investor, business tycoon, and philanthropist. According to Forbes, Buffett is worth $150 billion, an amount that’s consistently growing year-over-year.
Buffett is the world’s sixth-richest man, but he’s also very frugal. This billionaire is still living in the house he bought back in 1950 and drives an older vehicle (although it’s also still a very nice vehicle, of course). Instead of getting the finest foods, Buffett eats breakfast at McDonald’s and still uses the furniture he had when his child was born. We’re not sure how he does it.
Larry Ellison, an influential figure in the tech industry, is widely recognized as the co-founder of the software company Oracle Corporation. As the 4th richest person in America, his net worth is $175 billion according to Forbes.
Under his leadership, Oracle grew from a start-up with three programmers into a Silicon Valley titan, dominating the database software market. Ellison served as Oracle's CEO until September 2014, and currently holds the position of Chairman and Chief Technology Officer.
Mark Zuckerberg naturally made this list. As of 2024, he’s worth $181 billion. In 2008, Time listed him as one of the most influential people in the world, while Forbes agreed – putting him at 10th for the world’s most powerful people. How? He invented Facebook!
We’ve all probably used Facebook at one point in our lives. The platform was created and launched back in 2004 with Zuckerberg and a group of his friends. Business Insider investigated and found that Zuckerberg’s wealth is only increasing as time goes on. In 2020 alone, his net worth increased by $40 billion. He’s only just turned 40!
Jeff Bezos (real name Jeff Jorgensen) is best known as the founder and CEO of the e-commerce giant Amazon. According to Forbes in 2024, he was worth $197 billion, making him the second richest person in America and the third richest in the world. Now that’s a pretty big achievement, but that’s not even all.
As if that weren’t enough, Forbes also listed Bezos as the first centi-billionaire and the “richest man in modern history” after his net worth broke the $150 billion barrier in 2018. Way back in ’93, Bezos started working on Cadabra – later the name changed to Amazon – to be a bookstore in his garage. Thankfully, Bezos realized an online bookstore wasn’t that profitable, and he expanded the items for sale.
Today, we know Elon Musk for being a whacky entrepreneur. Well, as strange as he is, he’s worth quite a bit of money. Forbes puts Musk’s worth at $244 billion. How did he make that money? A lot of different ways. He’s the founder, CEO, and chief engineer at SpaceX as well as the CEO and product architect of Tesla, Inc. As of 2024, he was the richest person in America but the 2nd richest person in the world.
Over the years, Musk, originally from South Africa, developed an interest in computing when he was just 10 years old. From there, he learned all he could, and by the age of 12, he had already sold the code of a BASIC-based video game called Blastar. That was only the start of his fortune. Since then, Musk hasn’t stopped investing and creating, and we don’t see him slowing down any time soon.
