Alex Carson
Wealthy Americans
There are many billionaires in the United States. Some of them are entrepreneurs who made their money on their own, and others come from “old money.” This means that their families have had money for generations. Some of the wealthiest families in the world are very high profile, and always in the news and on TV. Others try to keep a lower profile, keeping their wealth a secret. These are the wealthiest families in the US.
The Wynn Family
The Wynn family is worth about $3.4 billion. Steve Wynn, the patriarch of the family, earned his money by building some of the most popular hotels and casinos on the Las Vegas strip, including the Bellagio and The Mirage. When these two hotels earned him a lot of money, he began building luxury hotels all over the world. Steve’s wife, Elaine, was on the board for over ten years. During the 2000s, the company wasn’t doing well, and Wynn Resorts stock shares took a hit. The company was restructured, and today, it is back on top.
The Bezos Family
Jeff Bezos is worth a staggering $137 billion. He is also one of the richest men in the world. Jeff is the founder and CEO of the e-commerce and streaming giant, Amazon. Jeff didn’t grow up with money. His mother was still a teenager when she had him, and his father owned a small bike shop. When he was four-years-old, his parents divorced. Not long after, his mother got remarried to an immigrant from Cuba named Mark Bezos, and Jeff took his last name. During the ’80s, Jeff was a hedge fund manager on Wall Street. He didn’t start Amazon until 1994, and at the time, it was supposed to be just an online bookstore. When he expanded, his bank account did as well.
The Riney Family
The Riney family is worth $3.5 billion. The family patriarch is Roger O. Riney, who founded and developed the company, Scottrade. TD Ameritrade later bought the company. Roger was born in the ’40s, and his first experience with the stock market was when he received ten shares of stock as a gift from his grandparents. During the ’70s, the deregulation of the brokerage industry occurred, and Roger moved on to start Scottsdale Securities, which offered trades with lower commission rates. Ten years later, he opened a branch in St. Louis, and in 1996, he started a trading platform. Who know that those ten shares of stock would help him become a billionaire.
The Lauder Family
The Lauder family is worth $24.3 billion. Shortly after World War II, husband and wife, Joseph and Estee Lauder, started the company. The company started in New York City, and they only offered four basic products, skin lotion, a crème pack, all-purpose cream, and cleansing oil. It took them just two years for them to afford a department store account with Saks Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Over the next 15 years, the brand introduced new labels, such as Aramis and Clinique. In the ’90s, the company began topping international sales.
The Spielberg Family
The Spielberg family is worth $3.7 billion. The patriarch is Steven Spielberg, the Oscar-winning director. He is also the highest-grossing director, thanks to films including Jaws, Indiana Jones, Schindler’s List, and Jurassic Park. He and his wife, former actress Kate Capshaw, have children and grandchildren, and they all have control of the estate. Their wealth comes from Steven’s film work as s director and producer, and real estate investments. They also own a large portion of DreamWorks, which is responsible for hits like the Transformers franchise and the Shrek films.
The Ziff Family
The Ziff family is worth $14.4 billion. A few years ago, they closed their American and London-based hedge funds. Their firm, Ziff Brothers Investments, has had a significant impact on Wall Street. Since then, Dirk and Robert Ziff have gone their separate ways, pursuing different businesses. The family’s fortune can be traced back over 100 years, back to the company, Ziff Davis. William Ziff Sr. started the company, and William Jr. took over after. Under William Jr.’s control, the company grew. Car and Driver and PC Magazine are among the best-known publications. These investments are the family’s primary source of their wealth.
The Butt Family
The Butt family is based in Texas, and they are worth $11 billion. The family owns H.E.B. Grocery, a well-known supermarket chain. In 1905, Florence Butt opened the store to help pay for her husband’s tuberculosis treatment. He couldn’t work, so it was up to Florence. The company took off, and stores were opened all over Texas. Florence’s son, Howard, took over, and the business flourished. Howard’s son, Charles, got a job in one of the stores when he was eight-years-old as a bag boy, and in 1971, he took over the company, becoming CEO. The empire is not worth $22 billion, with 329 stores in Texas and 54 in Mexico.
The Lucas Family
The Lucas family is worth $5.5 billion. George Lucas is the patriarch and is known as the richest celebrity of all time. He is responsible for films including American Graffiti and the Star Wars franchise. Not only did he help create these big hits, but he also pioneered the films’ special effects, and he owned the technology. George was granted complete franchise rights to Star Was per his contract, which led him to start successful film companies, including THX, which changed sound technology. His company, LucasFilm, also produced many hits. He also started video game companies, LucasArts, Skywalker Sound, and Industrial Light & Magic. His successful career earned his family billions.
The Jordan Family
The Jordan family is worth $1.9 billion, thanks to basketball superstar Michael Jordan. He was number 23 and played for the NBA team, Chicago Bulls. When he retired from basketball, Michael starred in Space Jam. He also had endorsement deals with Nike and Hanes. His line of sports shoes, Air Jordan, is extremely successful. He invested in the Charlotte Hornets, which further padded his bank account. Thanks to his athletic abilities, his family is wealthy.
The Hunt Family
The Hunt family is worth $13.7 billion. The family patriarch is H.L. Hunt. He started an oil company and struck oil, making him rich. Since then, the family has its hands in investments and different industries. One of his sons oversees the family oil company, and his other son owns another oil and gas company. His daughter founded Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, which she sold many years ago. Lamar is another heir to the Hunt fortune, and he co-founded the American Football League and Major League Soccer. He is also the one who coined the name, Super Bowl.
The Cannon Family
The patriarch of the Cannon family is Nick, and the family is worth $50 million. He is a rapper, producer, and an actor. A lot off his money came from his music career when he started the rap group, Da G4 Dope Bomb Squad. His singles, I’m a Slick Rick, Can I Live, and Nick’s Story shot him to stardom. He created his own rap label and then a record company. Nick is currently the chairman of TeenNick and has an exclusive deal with NBC.
The Kardashian-Jenner Family
The Kardashian-Jenner family was relatively unknown until the highly publicized trial of OJ Simpson. The family patriarch, Robert Kardashian, was a member of OJ’s defense team. After the family got a small taste of fame, his daughter, Kim Kardashian, started hanging out with Paris Hilton, which landed her in the tabloids often. When a sex tape of Kim and rapper, Ray J was leaked, her mother, Kris Jenner, got the family a reality show.
Keeping Up With the Kardashians made the whole family famous. By this point, Kris was married to Olympian, Bruce Jenner. Together, with their children, Kourtney, Kim, Khloe, and Robert, the family’s show made them famous. Bruce and Kris’s children together, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, were also part of the show. Since the shows beginning, the family has been involved in modeling, clothing lines, fragrance lines, and makeup lines.
Kim is the owner of KK Cosmetics, Khloe owns Good American, Kourtney runs a website called Poosh, and Robert has a sock line called Arthur George. Kendall Jenner is a supermodel, and the highest-paid model today. Kylie Jenner is the baby of the family and the wealthiest. She is a billionaire, thanks to her company, Kylie Cosmetics. Matriarch Kris is her family’s “momager,” and earns 10 percent of everything her children make. Altogether, the family is worth $2 billion, with Kylie having the most.
The Cuban Family
The Cuban family is worth $3.9 billion, and the patriarch is Mark Cuban. He grew up in a working-class family and started systems and software companies. He took his talent to Hollywood, where he founded the film company, 2929 Entertainment. Also, he has a significant stake in the Dallas Mavericks. He has created a huge empire for his wife and three children.
The Dorrance Family
The Dorrance family is worth $17.1 billion, thanks to John Dorrance. In 1897, he developed a method to condense soup, which made him a legend in the industry. His family is responsible for Campbell’s Soup, and the business has been in the family for several generations. Today, 11 family members control Campbell’s and have also created V8, Pepperidge Farms, and Prego. The current board members are John’s grandchildren and a great-grandson. His granddaughter Charlotte has since retired, and Ippy, his grandchild, sold his shares and left the company.
