The Richest Family in Every State 2023 (Do You Know Any of Them?)

The uber-wealthy are always a source of fascination, even more so when a personal element is involved.

While we all know the names of a few mega billionaires, stories about them often feel distant and even uninteresting.

Whether you like to keep up on the latest gossip or scandals or are a fan of shows like “Succession,” keep reading to see how you compare financially to these ultra-rich U.S. families.

Alabama’s richest family is the Ranes — specifically Jimmy Rane. Worth an estimated $1.2 billion, Rane has been able to keep more money in the bank than anyone else and is currently the only living billionaire in the state.

He made his fortune through Great Southern Wood Preserving, also known as YellaWood, a wood and lumber treatment company.

Robert “Bob” Gillam was the head of Alaska’s richest family before passing in 2018. Worth an estimated $320 million, Gillam founded McKinley Capital Management.

Gillam was the president and CEO up until he died. His son, Robert Gillam, now serves as CEO and CIO.

While the Garcias of Carvana used to hold the title of the wealthiest family in Arizona, recent issues with the company have plummeted stocks. Now, the title belongs to the Shoens.

The Shoen family founded U-Haul, and the company and family’s history are both marred with tons of drama, in-fighting, and scandal. They’re worth an estimated $9 billion.

Arkansas’ wealthiest family is also the country’s richest dynasty. You only need to visit your local Walmart to see the breadth of the Walton’s wealth.

The Waltons are worth an estimated $247 billion. The Waltons still own half of Walmart’s stock, and Rob Walton’s son-in-law is the current board chairman.

California’s richest family are the Pages, headed by Larry Page, co-founder of Google. Larry is believed to be worth $99.5 billion.

Of course, he gained his fortune from creating Google and now serves on the board and is a shareholder of Alphabet, its parent company.

Philip Anschutz is the head of Colorado’s wealthiest family, worth an estimated $10.8 billion.

Anschutz is an old-fashioned style tycoon with his hands in railroads, oil, telecom/entertainment, and real estate. He is also the owner of the popular music festival Coachella.

Connecticut’s richest family is fronted by Ray Dalio, who founded Bridgewater Associates, the largest hedge fund in the world.

Dalio’s financial escapades have earned him a net worth of $19.1 billion. Although he’s stepped down as CEO, CIO, and chairman, Bridgewater Associates still manages roughly $124 billion.

The Gore family founded and still operates W.L. Gore & Associates, known for the waterproof Gore-Tex fabric.

Worth an estimated $8.2 billion, the company was founded by Bill and Genevieve Gore before their son Bob Gore took over the company. Since his passing, other family members now own the company.

Thomas Petterfy is the head of Florida’s richest family, owning over 560,000 acres, most of which are in the state.

Thomas’ net worth is $26.8 billion, a fortune he garnered from his company Interactive Brokers — a specialized digital trading platform.

The Cox family are an old-school dynasty based in Georgia, currently worth an estimated $34.5 billion. Their company, Cox Enterprises, was founded in 1898 and deals in cars and entertainment.

The founder’s descendants still own and operate much of the company. The president and CEO, Alex, and chairman and former CEO, Jim, are both successors.

Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle software, fronts Hawaii’s richest family. He’s served as CTO and CEO, owning 35% of the company with a net worth of $144.1 billion.

Larry resides in Hawaii on the island of Lanai, owning most of the land.

The Simplot family made their fortune from Idaho’s biggest commodity — potatoes. The state’s richest family is worth roughly $7.7 billion and earned all of it from French fries.

J.R. Simplot Company first introduced the French fry in the 1940s and is now McDonald’s sole supplier.

If you’ve ever stayed at a Hyatt hotel, you’ve contributed to the Pritzker family fortune. Illinois’ most affluent family is worth $32.5 billion.

Two Pritzkers are chairman and board members, and two others have branched into politics. The family is fraught with drama and infighting, including lawsuits and financial quarrels.

Carl Cook is the CEO of Cook Group, the medical manufacturing company his parents started, making them the wealthiest family in Indiana.

Carl’s net worth is estimated at $10.5 billion. He is also the CEO and president of the Cook MyoSite division.

Harry Stine garnered his wealth by licensing soybean and corn seed genetics to other companies, some noteworthy names including Monsanto and Syngenta.

He is the head of Iowa's richest family, with an estimated net worth of $7.1 billion. He also owns and operates Stine Seed.

Kansas’ most affluent family is the Kochs, worth an estimated $100 billion.

Koch Industries started as Wood River Oil and Refining Company but expanded to paper and chemical production, plus venture capital funding.

The Kochs had their fair share of financial drama as the founder’s sons fought over coveted and influential positions following their father’s death.

Kentucky’s richest family is the Browns, who run the Brown-Forman Corp — the company behind Jack Daniels and Finlandia vodka.

The company was founded by George Garvin Brown in 1870, and his great-grandson George Garvin Brown IV, is its current chair. The Browns are worth an estimated $20.4 billion.

Tom Benson is the current figurehead of the Benson sports empire and the wealthiest family in Louisiana. He made his fortune owning sports teams, including the New Orleans Saints and the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Bensons have a net worth of $3 billion, and the family is fraught with infighting and financial and familial drama.

Maine’s richest family is the Alfonds, worth an estimated $4.8 billion. Their empire comes from a stroke of good fortune on their part and poor investment in fellow billionaire Warren Buffet.

Buffet purchased Dexter Shoe Company, the Alfond’s claim to fame, but quickly came to regret it. The Alfond family has continued to prosper since, though.

Ted Lerner started his career out in real estate and eventually purchased the Washington Nationals.

This has garnered the family a net worth of $6.4 billion, making the Lerners the wealthiest family in Maryland. After his passing, Ted’s son Mark Lerner inherited the Nationals.

Edward C. Johnson of Massachusetts founded the mutual fund company Fidelity in 1946 before passing it to his son Ned Johnson, who then gave the position to his daughter Abigail Johnson.

The Massachusett Johnsons are worth an estimated $36 billion. The company is 49% family-owned.

Daniel Gilbert, the founder of Quicken Loans, heads Michigan’s wealthiest family. Gilbert also owns real estate in Detroit, cofounded the sneaker sale site StockX, and owns the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team.

Gilbert is worth an estimated $19.8 billion.

The Cargill-MacMillan family is not just Minnesota’s richest family but one of the richest in the country. They’re worth an estimated $47 billion, and eight family members are billionaires individually.

An estimated 88% of their food marketing, financial risk management, and commodity trading company is family owned.

The Duff brothers are Mississippi's wealthiest family. Thomas and James are the cofounders of Duff Capital Investors, their father’s company Southern Tire Mart, a trucking company, a construction firm, and an energy firm.

James and his brother Thomas are worth an estimated $2.3 billion.

Missouri’s richest family is the Buschs. The family behind Budweiser and Anheuser-Busch have a net worth of $17.6 billion.

The company was family-owned from its conception in 1876 until it was taken over in 2008 by InBev for $52 million, ending the legacy of family ownership and leadership.

Dennis Washington and his family are Montana’s most affluent, worth an estimated $6.4 billion.

Dennis earned his fortune primarily from copper mining and offering heavy-duty equipment and marine transportation.

His son Kyle has followed in his footsteps, confounding the container ship company Seaspan Corp.

Few people are unfamiliar with Nebraska’s wealthiest family, the Buffets. Now worth an estimated $113.9 billion, Warren Buffet is the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

Despite his enormous fortune, Buffet has announced that he will donate 99% of his wealth. As of right now, $51 billion has been given to charity.

It likely won’t be a shock that Nevada’s richest family made its fortune from casinos. The Adelsons are the owners and former CEOs of Las Vegas Sands but have since sold their assets.

Miriam Adelson is the current head of the family and has a net worth of $35.7 billion.

Andrea Reimann-Ciardelli is the current head of New Hampshire’s wealthiest family, worth an estimated $720 million.

The Reimanns are the founders of JAB, a family-owned investment firm based in Luxembourg. JAB’s companies include Panera Bread, Peet’s Coffee, and Krispy Kreme.

The Dorrances are New Jersey’s richest family, with a combined net worth of $15 billion. Their claim to fame and fortune is John T. Dorrance, who invented condensed soup.

This eventually turned into the iconic Campbell Soup. John’s grandson Bennett still owns a 15% stake in the company.

Not to be confused with the banking dynasty, the Chase family of Mack Energy Corp. is New Mexico’s most affluent family.

Mack C. Chase is worth an estimated $700 million and is the son of an oil and gas mogul; his company also deals in oil.

The Bloombergs aren’t just New York’s wealthiest family but one of the richest families in the country. Michael Bloomberg has an estimated net worth of $94.5 billion.

Bloomberg is the CEO and co-founder of Bloomberg LLC, an avid environmentalist, and the former mayor of New York.

James Goodnight heads North Carolina’s richest family, with an estimated net worth of $9.4 billion.

Goodnight co-founded the tech conglomerate SAS in 1976 and still serves as the CEO. He’s also the co-owner of a country club, hotel, and private school.

The Tharaldsons are North Dakota’s most affluent family, with the header Gary Tharaldson worth an estimated $1.2 billion.

Gary started in hotels, starting with a Super 8 motel. He sold a good portion of his hotels to Goldman Sachs, using the profits to invest in real estate, developments, and an ethanol factory.

Ohio’s richest family are the Wexners. Les Wexner is the founder and former CEO of L Brands, the parent company of brands like Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works.

Wexner is worth an estimated $6 billion, and in 2020 he sold a large stake of Victoria’s Secret for $525 million.

Harold Hamm is the head of Oklahoma’s wealthiest family. Hamm made his fortune in fracking as the founder, chairman, and CEO of Continental Resources.

Hamm is worth an estimated $18.5 billion. He and his children took the company private in 2022 after going public in 2007.

Phil Knight cofounded Nike in 1964, a decision that has made the Knights the richest family in Oregon. He is worth an estimated $41.5 billion.

Knight served as Nike’s chairman until 2016. He is ranked amongst the top 25 wealthiest billionaires.

Jeff Yass’ gambling skills kickstarted his family’s fortune, now worth $28.5 billion. After professionally gambling and trading, he cofounded Susquehanna International Group.

Today, Susquehanna is one of the biggest trading firms. Traders are trained via poker tournaments in keeping with Jeff’s former profession.

The Nelson family is Rhode Island’s richest, headed by Jonathan Nelson, the founder of Providence Equity Partners, a private equity firm.

Jonathan has an estimated net worth of $3.1 billion, and Providence Equity Partners has over 170 companies it’s invested in. Nelson is currently the executive chairman but stepped down as CEO in 2021.

The Zuckers are the richest family in South Carolina, with Anita Zucker currently the head of the family. Their fortune comes from their company, InterTech Group, and is worth an estimated $2 billion.

Jerry Zucker founded the chemical manufacturing company in 1982. After his passing, his wife Anita took over as CEO.

South Dakota’s richest family is the Sanfords, currently worth an estimated $2 billion and headed by T. Denny Sanford.

Sanford owns First Premier Bank. While they may be the richest in the state, the Sanfords rank low among billionaires.

This is because T. Denny’s goal is to “die broke” by giving all his money to charity.

After founding Hospital Corp. of America with his father, Thomas Frist Jr. catapulted his family into the richest in Tennessee.

They’re worth an estimated $23.6 billion. Two of Thomas’ sons are board members of HCA Healthcare: Thomas Frist III and William Frist.

Elon Musk and his family are now the second richest in America, worth $242.7 billion. Musk made his fortune through SpaceX and Tesla.

Musk’s empire has begun to slightly destabilize after his controversial acquisition of Twitter, which has set his net worth on a negative projection.

Gail Miller and the Miller family are Utah’s most prosperous, with a net worth of $4.2 billion. They got their success by elevating one Toyota car dealership. It was so successful that they sold it for $3.2 billion in 2021.

They also purchased and sold the NBA’s Utah Jazz for a nearly $1.64 billion profit.

Vermont’s most affluent family is the Abeles, headed up by John Abele, who is worth an estimated $1.9 billion.

John co-founded Boston Scientific in 1979, making the Forbes 400 list just 17 years later. He served as co-chairman, board member, and director emeritus, finally retiring in 2017.

The Mars family are the third richest family in the country and the richest in Virginia; their net worth is estimated at $94 billion.

The family deals in candy, creating the Milky Way in 1929. They produce a host of other products, including other candies and foods and even pet care.

Anyone who’s ordered from Amazon knows Washington’s wealthiest family. Jeff Bezos and his family are worth an estimated $149.8 billion.

Aside from founding and now sitting as executive chairman for Amazon, Bezos also owns the aerospace company Blue Origin and The Washington Post.

The Justice family used to be the wealthiest reigning family in West Virginia but were demoted following owed debts and a recent lawsuit.

Now, Brad Smith, president of Marshall University and former CEO and chairman of Intuit, is the head of the wealthiest family in the state, with a net worth of $700 million.

Johnson & Johnson is one of the largest brands, with over 250 companies under their umbrella.

The Johnson family are worth an estimated $10.7 billion, making them the richest in Wisconsin and one of the richest in the country.

The company was founded in 1886 and is still operated by the founder’s descendants.

The Wyss family in Wyoming are the state’s most affluent. Hansjoerg Wyss founded Synthes, a medical device manufacturing company, and sold it to Johnson & Johnson. He has a net worth of $4.9 billion.

His daughter Amy’s net worth is $1.8 billion. Along with sharing the Synthes sales profit with her father, Amy is the founder of the LOR Foundation.

Pro tip: You can take tips from all of the families on this list and make it a priority to grow your wealth. 

The lives of the ultra-rich are endlessly enthralling, wrought with highs and lows, triumph and betrayal.

While very few will ever achieve billionaire status, it’s still interesting to learn about those who have and see if you get some inspiration to eliminate financial stress from your life through building wealth.