Inventory of the richest people in every state in the United States: self-made wealth makers

In today's new era where the market is turbulent and it is increasingly difficult to cross class, starting from scratch is regarded as a small probability event that is more difficult to happen than before. For example, in the southern United States in the last century, the wealthy people who made their fortune by controlling natural resources such as oil and minerals have accumulated prohibitive wealth. It is difficult for future generations to learn from their models and imitate them and climb to the same class status.

However, the rise of technology and the Internet since the 21st century has enabled many young people who have seized this opportunity to stand at the top of the wealth pyramid. The interconnection of all things and the development of information have led to the rapid rise of the financial and media industries on the east coast, led by New York, and the high-tech industry, led by Silicon Valley, on the west coast, which have even brought opportunities and resources that exceed those of the traditional energy industry.

Young people who start from scratch do not have huge start-up capital and rich connections like the heirs of well-known families. Some even need to borrow foreign debts to start their own businesses, but they all rely on their tenacity to With his excellent judgment, he opened his own fortune ship, and on this voyage he overcame all difficulties, broke through bottlenecks, catered to market changes and needs, and reached the other side of success.

Washington State Bezos Family

Asset value: $162 billion

Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos is the richest person in the world , thanks to his 16% stake in the online commerce giant. In 2018 alone, the company achieved sales of $230 billion and net profit of $10 billion.

Bezos also owns the Washington Post and an aerospace company called Blue Origin, which is trying to develop rockets for commercial space travel.

Nebraska Buffett Family

Asset valuation: US$85 billion

"Stock God" Warren Buffett is one of the greatest businessmen in history First, the Berkshire Hathaway company he founded owns big brands such as Duracell, Dairy Queen and Geico.

Together with Microsoft founder Bill Gates, he established the "Giving Pledge" in 2010, calling on billionaires to donate at least half of their wealth to charity in the future, and he himself Pledge to donate 99% of his wealth.

California Zuckerberg family

Asset valuation: US$74 billion

The Zuckerberg family is the richest family in the largest state in the United States, and it is also on this list One of the youngest families in the world. Priscilla and Mark Zuckerberg are only in their thirties and have two young children.

Their fortune comes from Zuckerberg’s ingenuity and the disruptive idea he hatched in his Harvard dorm room: Facebook.

Zuckerberg and his wife are also extremely enthusiastic about charity. They have donated most of their wealth to charity.

Knight Family of Oregon

Asset valuation: US$30.7 billion

For 52 years, Phil Knight has been in charge of the shoe company he founded—— Nike, one of the most recognized brands in the world. It was originally called Blue Ribbon Sports and was an idea born with the help of Bill Bowerman, his track and field coach at the University of Oregon.

After his success, Knight donated nearly US$800 million to the school and also donated US$500 million to Stanford University, where he also received a master's degree in business. Nike has annual revenue of $36.4 billion and has offices in 52 countries.

The Johnson family of Wisconsin

Asset valuation: $30 billion

This Johnson family is not the same as the Johnson family of Massachusetts, which also appears on this list. connections, and they owe their fortune to cleaning products maker SC Johnson. The company has Ziploc, Pledge and Glade products.

Their family business began in the 1880s when S.C. Johnson developed and sold a wax for parquet floors. Today, its annual sales total $9.6 billion.

Peterffy Family of Florida

Asset valuation: US$25.7 billion

Thomas Peterffy, born in 1944 in war-torn Hungary, 20th century He immigrated to the United States in the 1960s and was a key figure in the development of electronic securities trading. He was also one of the first people to buy seats on the American stock exchange. The family is known for its conservative politics and philanthropic work.

Dorrance Family of New Jersey

Asset value: $17.1 billion

John T. Dorrance created the recipe for Campbell's Original Condensed Soup in 1897 , and successfully took over the company 17 years later. Because of his invention, his descendants now enjoy considerable wealth.

It is reported that at least 11 members of the family own more than 50% of the shares of this food company. The company has annual revenue of more than $8 billion and also owns well-known brands such as Prego, V8 and Pepperidge Farm. Dorrance's billionaire granddaughters, Mary Alice D. Malone and Bennett Dorrance, and great-grandson Archibald D. Van Bellen are on the company's board of directors.

Connecticut's Sackler family

Asset valuation: $13 billion

Brothers Raymond and Mortimer Sackler rely on their Purdue Pharma The empire made billions of wealth, and they left 100% ownership to their respective families. However, they amassed much of their wealth through the controversial opioid drug OxyContin, which was released in 1996 and is highly addictive. The Sacklers' cumulative marketing of the drug has been credited with sparking the national opioid crisis.

As a result, Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family still face several ongoing legal battles, the latest of which involves an $8.3 billion settlement that will be used to help states and communities fight with adults. For those struggling with addiction, time will also tell how these cases will affect family members.

Tennessee Frist Family

Asset valuation: $12.5 billion

The Frist family founded American Hospital Corporation, the world's largest privately held Healthcare facility operator with ***179 hospitals and 119 surgery centers in the United States and London.

The family is also known for its philanthropy. One of its members, Bill Frist, served as Senator and Senate Majority Leader from 2003 to 2007.

Omidyar Family in Hawaii

Asset valuation: $10.6 billion

The family owes its wealth to its patriarch, Pierre Omidyar. He immigrated to the United States from France and Iran, founded eBay, and later participated in the purchase and sale of PayPal. He still owns minority stakes in both companies.

Today, the Omidyars are best known for their nonprofit work and the Journalists’ Defense Fund.

Pierre is also a real estate developer in California and Mexico and the founder of First Look Media, which operates The Intercept news website and Topic Studios.

The Goodnight family of North Carolina

Asset valuation: $9.9 billion

The Goodnights’ wealth comes from the analytics software company SAS, which is owned by Founded in 1976 as a co-founder by James Goodnight to analyze agricultural data. He has led the company from its inception, and its products are now used by more than 83,000 organizations around the world, with annual revenue exceeding $3.27 billion.

The Goodnights also co-founded the private school Carey Academy with SAS co-founder John Thrall, and jointly own a country club and hotel.

The Alford Family of Maine

Asset valuation: $6.5 billion

The Alford family made its money through the 1993 sale of Dexter Shoes Proceeds from the sale of the company to Berkshire Hathaway. This acquisition is considered to be the only mistake Buffett made as a great businessman. Buffett once claimed that "this is the worst transaction I have ever made." Berkshire shares, which were trading for $433 million at the time, are now worth billions of dollars since being held by the Alfond family.

In his later years, patriarch Harold Alfond gave huge checks to colleges and hospitals in Maine, and his two children also own minority stakes in the Boston Red Sox baseball team.

Iowa Simplot family

Asset valuation: $6 billion

Idaho is most famous for potatoes, and from this underground vegetable The family that benefited the most was the Simplot family, who founded the J.R. Simplot Company in 1929. During World War II, an innovative freezing method developed in the 1940s made it the largest fresh potato transporter in the country at the time. But what really changed Simplot was a 1967 agreement with McDonald's founder Ray Kroc to supply frozen French fries to the fast-food chain.

Until J.R. Simplot's death in 2008, his company supplied one-third of the French fries in the United States.

Montana Washington Family

Asset valuation: US$5.9 billion

Dennis Washington started from scratch, starting as a carpenter and building a copper company that now owns mine, two diamond mines, and a regional railroad. It all started with an initial $30,000 loan.

Dennis and his wife, Phyllis, started a family foundation with $840 million and have now donated approximately $300 million to nearly 1,000 different causes. In addition, Dennis invested in his son Kyle's container ship business.

Wyoming Wyss family

Asset valuation: US$5.8 billion

In 2012, Swiss immigrant Hansjoerg Wyss sold his family The $20.2 billion sale of medical device maker Synthes to Johnson & Johnson made the Wise family billionaires. Today, Wise still has interests in several biotech companies, but he has devoted his later years to philanthropy.

The assets of the charitable foundation he founded have exceeded US$2 billion. In a 2018 New York Times op-ed, he pledged to donate US$1 billion to protection causes over the next ten years. .

Ohio Wexner Family

Asset valuation: US$5.4 billion

L Brands was founded by Les Wexner in 1963 with a loan of US$5,000. Now this global retail company Empire owns iconic brands Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works.

In 1982, Les Wexner purchased Victoria's Secret, turning it from a failing chain in San Francisco into a $12 billion lingerie, soap and candle giant that now has more than 3,000 stores worldwide. shop. The family has also donated hundreds of millions of dollars to Ohio institutions such as The Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.

Maryland Lerner family

Asset valuation: US$5.1 billion

In 1952, Ted Lerner borrowed US$250 from his wife to start a real estate business. The company has now developed into a 2,000-square-meter large enterprise integrating commercial retail and hotel apartments. The family owns the Washington Nationals baseball team and donates to hospitals in Washington, D.C., George Washington University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The Zucker family of South Carolina

Asset valuation: $4 billion

In 1982, Anita and Jerry Zucker accumulated their fortune by founding the chemical company InterTech Group. Family wealth. Jerry Zucker passed away in 2008, and Anita became CEO.

InterTech owns an aerospace engineering company and a large amount of commercial real estate, with annual revenue of $3 billion. The Zuckers are also major donors to education and health causes.

Iowa Stine Family

Asset valuation: US$3.2 billion

Harry Stein has been fond of seeds since he was a child. Multinational corporations such as Monsanto and Syngenta have made billions of dollars licensing corn and soybean genes. Later, these transactions would bring the family more than $1 billion in revenue almost every year.

Stein is also conducting experiments related to plant genetics, hoping to create seeds with higher yields and better resistance to pesticides. The family also bequeathed significant amounts of property to the University of Iowa and a senior care facility.

The Benson family of Louisiana

Asset valuation: US$3 billion

The Benson family’s wealth comes from Tom Benson’s investment in the St. Ownership of the Pelicans football team and Pelicans basketball team.

Before his death in 2018, the family legacy was inherited by his third wife, Gail Benson, who worked as an interior designer before she married Tom. Gail's inheritance resulted in lawsuits filed by Tom's daughter and grandchildren for control of the assets. They reached a confidential settlement in 2017, and Gayle still owns both teams.

The Sanford family of South Dakota

Asset valuation: $2.5 billion

T. Denny Sanford is the founder of First Premier Bank, which is engaged in issuing Credit cards with low limits and high interest rates. Although it has only 12 branches, it is one of the largest issuers of Visa and MasterCard cards in the United States. At the same time, the family is also a philanthropist, and its family has distributed a total of US$1.6 billion to charitable organizations.

Mississippi Duff Family

Asset valuation: $2.4 billion

Duff Capital Investors has annual revenue of more than $2.6 billion. Founded in 2007 by brothers James and Thomas Duff.

The company’s largest investment is the Southern Tire Supermarket, which the siblings inherited from their father. Over the years, they acquired a trucking company, construction company and energy supplier.

Justice Family of West Virginia

Asset valuation: US$1.9 billion

The Justice family owns dozens of companies in five states, including coal mines. Its patriarch, Jim Justice, is also the governor of West Virginia.

The family’s rich financial resources make them appear on this list. But in recent years, they have been required to pay tens of millions of dollars to the courts. A Virginia court estimated that the family's coal company would also be liable for $200 million in reclamation liability costs.

The Nelson Family of Rhode Island

Asset valuation: $1.8 billion

The Nelson family’s wealth benefits from the private equity venture founded by Jonathan Nelson in 1989 Investment firm Providence Equity Partners. Its investment areas are mainly in the media, communications, education and information industries, with a total of more than 180 investments.

One of its biggest returns was the triathlon, which was sold in 2015 for $900 million, four times the initial investment.

Utah Miller Family

Asset valuation: $1.4 billion

Larry Miller and Gail Miller ) started as one Toyota dealer and later developed 64, with total sales reaching US$5.1 billion. They also bought the Utah Jazz basketball team in 1986 for $22 million, which is now worth $1.4 billion.

After Larry's death in 2009, Gail inherited control of the estate and all property. In 2017, she placed the Jazz in a family estate trust, preventing her heirs from selling or transferring the team.

The Reimann-Ciardelli family of New Hampshire

Asset valuation: $1.1 billion

Andrea Reimann-Siardelli from Germany sold in 2003 after becoming a U.S. citizen His family has 11 shares in Luxembourg investment company JAB. The company's holdings include Peet's Coffee, Krispy Kreme and Panera. The Reimann-Ciardelli family maintains an enviable standard of living to this day.

Tharaldson family in North Dakota

Asset valuation: US$900 million

Judging from the success of Tharaldson, operating economy motels can also create considerable of wealth. Gary Tharaldson bought his first Super 8 hotel in 1982 and began acquiring properties and building hotels across the country, amassing more than 350 properties.

According to "Forbes" magazine, in 2006, he earned $1.2 billion by selling 130 hotels to Goldman Sachs. The money was then invested in commercial and residential land development. Among other things, the family owns an ethanol plant.

Gillam Family of Alaska

Asset valuation: $700 million

Robert B. Gillam made his fortune as CEO of McKinley Capital Management , an investment advisory firm that has earned more than $7 billion in assets since it began operations in 1990.

Before Gillum's death, he invested $30 million to suppress a mining project that might be close to his fishing cabin. Today, his son, Robert A. Gillum, runs McKinley Capital Management as CEO and chief information officer.

Vermont Abele Family

Asset valuation: $630 million

John Abele co-founded the medical device company Boston Scientific in 1979. It is best known for its Taxus stent, which is used to open clogged arteries, and for technology that lowers the cost of making medical devices.

After retiring in 2005, the then-billionaire sold most of his shares in Boston Scientific and began donating his wealth to philanthropic causes. Although he is no longer a billionaire, the family has no shortage of wealth.

The Gore family of Delaware

Different from the family of former Vice President Al Gore, Wilbert L. Gore and Geely are from Delaware. Naviev Gore is one of the greatest achievers in the field of textiles, and their success has also been said to have an element of luck. Gore-Tex, the waterproof fabric popular in sports and medical fields, was accidentally created in a laboratory in 1969.

In the 1970s, the family faced the risk of losing its patent rights to the material, but ultimately made a fortune from Gore-Tex by winning a court victory. To date, the material has generated more than $3 billion in revenue for the family.

Great success does require luck, but it also requires unusual problem-solving. These self-made wealth makers have extraordinary thinking habits in the process of realizing their own self-worth and creating huge wealth. Their success all relies on good ideas, knowing how to seize opportunities, superior mobility, risk awareness and like-minded partners who work side by side to realize the unlimited possibilities of their own entrepreneurial path.

In addition, with the accumulation of wealth, the newly wealthy self-made people are also actively fulfilling their social responsibilities. They believe that giving back to society helps to pass on family values ??from generation to generation. Charity plays a vital role in uniting family members. It will provide a platform for the next generation to showcase and build the family's reputation and tradition, thus helping the family's legacy to last and pass on wisdom.