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Rob, Alice, and Jim Walton are part of America’s richest family.
Rick T. Wilking/Getty Images
The US may not have royals, but it does have influential family empires worth billions.
They’ve accumulated fortunes in various ways, including publishing, cosmetics, retail, and hotels.
The richest families in the US include the Waltons, the Kochs, the Hearsts, and the Lauders.
Billionaires’ wealth and power have been growing exponentially over the past few years, and although the United States doesn’t have any royal families, it certainly has family empires with enormous fortunes — and influence.
There are the Hearst and Newhouse families, who built publishing powerhouses; Estée Lauder, the founder of the cosmetics giant that generated the Lauder family fortune; and the families who created their wealth with retail and hotel empires, such as the Waltons with Walmart and the Pritzkers with Hyatt Hotels.
But not all of America’s richest families began as entrepreneurs; some were also savvy investors.
Below, meet the 35 richest families in the US, ranked from lowest estimated net worth to highest estimated net worth. The rankings were determined using the most up-to-date estimated net worths available from Forbes, which were determined in February 2024.
The ranking excluded first-generation fortunes, like those of Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, as well as fortunes controlled by a single heir.
35. The Hughes family
Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for The Music Center
Net worth: $13.8 billion
Source of wealth: Public Storage Inc.
Like many families on this list, the Hughes family’s fortune dates back to one highly successful business venture: Public Storage Inc., founded by B. Wayne Hughes in 1972. The company is today the largest self-storage brand in the US and was reported in 2023 to own 9% of the self-storage space in the US, per The Wall Street Journal.
Today, Tamara Gustavson, the daughter of B. Wayne Hughes, is the largest single shareholder in the company, owning approximately 10% of the shares and serving on the board.
34. The Mellon family
Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images
Net worth: $14.1 billion
Source of wealth: Banking
Andrew Mellon might be one of the most recognizable names to come out of the Gilded Age, but unlike other fortunes of the era, his has remained with the family. Mellon served as the US Secretary of the Treasury between 1921 and 1932, founded Union Steel in 1899, and acquired Gulf Oil in 1907.
In October 2025, Timothy Mellon, a grandson of Andrew Mellon, was reported by The New York Times to have anonymously donated $130 million to the US government to fund the paychecks of United States Armed Forces members during the government shutdown.
32. (tie) The Rollins family
SOPA Images/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Net worth: $14.2 billion
Source of wealth: Rollins Inc., Orkin pest control
While pests made the Rollins family wealthy, the family’s journey began in broadcasting. In 1948, O. Wayne Rollins founded Rollins Broadcasting along with his brother, John W. Rollins. Using the success from the broadcasting company, which had acquired several radio and TV stations across, Rollins, Inc. bought pest control Orkin for $62 million in the first leveraged buyout in the US.
Today, the Rollins family still owns about 40% of the publicly traded Rollins Inc., and Orkin is the largest pest control corporation by revenue in the US today, per Forbes.
32. (tie) The Chao family
Mayra Beltran/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
Net worth: $14.2 billion
Source of wealth: Westlake Corporation
One of the most quietly wealthy families, the Chao legacy began in 1986 with the funding of the petrochemical Westlake Corporation by Ting Tsung Chao, a Taiwanese-American engineer. The engineer was the first to open a manufacturing plant for polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, in Taiwan. Since then, the Westlake Corporation has also become a leader in producing low-density polyethylene, used for food wrappings, and is considered one of the most important publicly traded companies, bringing in $12.1 billion in revenue in 2024, per Forbes.
The family, including Ting Tsung Chao’s children, Albert and James, as well as four of his grandchildren, all sit on the company’s board and collectively own 75% of the company.
31. The Haslam family
Jason Miller/Getty Images
Net worth: $14.4 billion
Source of wealth: Pilot Company
The Haslam family built its wealth in the gas-station industry ever since James Haslam II’s founding of the Pilot Company in 1958 as a service station and convenience store company. As of 2024, the company has been fully owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway.
Today, the founder’s son Jimmy owns the NFL’s Cleveland Browns. His other son, Bill, served as the governor of Tennessee from 2011 to 2018, and owns the NHL’s Nashville Predators.
30. The Crown family
Gabriel Grams/Getty Images for Lyric Opera of Chicago
Net worth: $14.7 billion
Source of wealth: Henry Crown & Company
With his brothers, Henry Crown founded the Material Service Corporation in 1919, and began his business selling materials like gravel, coal, and lime to Chicago builders. The founder, who also served in the Army Corps during World War II, owned the Empire State Building in New York from 1951 to 1961. The magnate sold the iconic building soon after merging his company with the General Dynamics Corporation, which today develops and produces military technology like nuclear-powered submarines, battle tanks, and armored fighting vehicles.
Today, his descendants own a variety of holdings, from ski resorts to manufacturing firms, through Henry Crown & Company.
27. (tie) The Stryker family
Bennett Raglin/Getty Images
Net worth: $15.9 billion
Source of wealth: Stryker Corporation
The Stryker family has built wealth through the health technology Stryker Corporation, which focused on developing surgical equipment and neurotechnologies, along with other medical technologies. Its history dates back to Michigan orthopedist Homer Stryker’s founding of The Orthopedic Frame Company, which developed mobile hospital beds and cast cutters, among other inventions.
In 2023, the company, which went public in 1979, had sales of over $20 billion, per Forbes. Today, the grandchildren of Homer Stryker own an estimated 11% of the multinational corporation, and one of them, Ronda Stryker, sits on its board of directors and is the largest individual shareholder.
27. (tie) The Meijer family
General Motors Photo/John F. Martin
Net worth: $15.9 billion
Source of wealth: Meijer Inc.
The Meijer family owns and runs the Michigan-based Meijer grocery store chain, which has over 500 locations across the Midwest. The grocery store family’s history dates back to the chain’s founding in 1934 by Hendrik Meijer, a Dutch businessman. The supermarket chain is credited with pioneering the concept of one-stop shopping supercenters and now has an estimated annual revenue of $22 billion, per Forbes.
Today, the founder’s grandson, Hank Meijer, is the company’s executive chairman, and his two brothers, Doug and Mark, also serve on the board.
27. (tie) The Marriott family
Simon M Bruty/Getty Images
Net worth: $15.9 billion
Source of wealth: Marriott International
The Marriott family’s legacy traces back not just to hotels, but also root beer. In 1927, John Willard “J.W.” Marriott began selling A&W root beer at a small shop in Washington, DC; the venture quickly expanded into drive-in diners as the menu expanded, and by 1953, his Hot Shoppes company went public, per Marriott’s website. It wasn’t until 1957 when Marriott opened its first lodging location, a motor hotel (or motel) in Arlington, Virginia. By 1981, the company had opened its 100th hotel, and by 1989, its 500th.
Today, the company owns hotel brands like Sheraton, Ritz-Carlton, and St. Regis. David Marriott, the grandson of the company’s founder and son of former CEO Bill Marriott, is the company’s current chairman, and the family owns an estimated 16% of the company’s shares, per Forbes.
26. The Johnson family
WPA Pool/Getty Images
Net worth: $16 billion
Source of wealth: Johnson & Johnson
The Johnson family’s wealth dates back to Robert Wood Johnson’s founding of Johnson & Johnson in 1886. The pharmaceutical company, which introduced dental floss and first-aid kits to the world, grew into a global brand under the direction of Robert Wood Johnson’s son, Robert Wood Johnson II. Although the company, which went public in 1944, isn’t run by the family today, heirs still benefit financially from the global firm’s success through legacy stocks.
Woody Johnson, the most prominent member of the family today, also owns the New York Jets and served as the US ambassador to the United Kingdom during the first Trump administration.
25. The Kohler family
Pool/Getty Images
Net worth: $16.2 billion
Source of wealth: Kohler Company
The Kohler family’s legacy traces back to 1873, when John Michael Kohler founded the Kohler Company as a farm tools manufacturer. Since 1883, the company has focused on manufacturing bathroom fixtures and plumbing. Leadership of the company has been passed down from its founder to his son, former Wisconsin governor Walter J. Kohler Sr., and most recently to longtime CEO Herbert Kohler Jr.’s son, David Kohler. In 2024, the company made $9 billion in revenue, Forbes reported.
24. The Brown family
Noam Galai/Getty Images
Net worth: $16.5 billion
Source of wealth: Brown-Forman Corp.
The Brown family is behind Jack Daniel’s, Woodford Reserve, and Old Forester, among other alcohol brands. Forbes estimated 25 family members own more than half of Brown-Forman Corp., which began with pharmaceutical salesman George Garvin Brown in 1870.
23. The Dorrance family
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Net worth: $17 billion
Source of wealth: Campbell Soup Company
An estimated 11 members of the Dorrance family own more than 50% of Campbell’s Soup. John T. Dorrance invented the process for condensing soup in the late 1800s. Today, the company owns more than soup, including the brands V8, Pepperidge Farm, and Snyder’s, generating more than $9 billion in annual revenue, per the company’s latest earnings report. At least three of Dorrance’s descendants are board members.
22. The du Pont family
Laurent Gillerion/AP Images
Net worth: $18.1 billion
Source of wealth: DuPont
The du Pont fortune is one of the oldest and most widely shared fortunes on this list. Chemicals giant DuPont was founded in 1802 as a gunpowder manufacturer. Over time, it evolved into producing everything from dynamite to plastics and invented nylon and Teflon.
Forbes estimates about 3,500 family members control the majority of shares in the company, although none take part in running the company.
21. The Ziff family
Getty/Scott Olson
Net worth: $18.5 billion
Source of wealth: Ziff Davis Inc.
William Ziff Jr. sold the magazine publisher his father created, Ziff Davis Inc., which published PC Magazine, for $1.4 billion in 1994. Forbes reported his sons, Daniel, Robert, and Dirk, grew their inheritance through Ziff Brothers Investments and reportedly invested some of their billions with managers who used to work at their hedge funds.
The brothers own several homes in Aspen and have put their money toward philanthropic efforts.
20. The Butt family
Courtesy of H-E-B
Net worth: $18.8 billion
Source of wealth: H.E. Butt
Florence Butt founded H-E-B grocery store in Texas in 1905, which her son, Howard, expanded throughout the state when he took over the company in the 1920s. His son Charles is the majority shareholder and currently runs the company, which has over 400 stores in Texas and Mexico and generated over $46 billion in revenue in 2024, Forbes reported. Charles’ siblings and two nephews also have stakes in the business.
19. The Taylor family
CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP
Net worth: $19 billion
Source of wealth: EnterpriseRent-A-Car, National Car Rental, and Alamo Rent a Car
The Taylor family controls Enterprise Mobility, the parent company of National Car Rental, Alamo Rent a Car, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, which was founded by Jack C. Taylor in 1957. Since then, the Taylor family has acquired competitors National Car Rental and Alamo Rent a Car and grown into a powerhouse, with Enterprise Mobility reporting $35 billion in revenue in the 2023 fiscal year, Forbes reported.
18. Millstone-Winter-Heyman families
Sylvain Gaboury/Paul Bruinooge/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
Net worth: $19.2 billion
Source of wealth: Standard Industries
Currently led by David Millstone and David Winter, the Standard Industries conglomerate dates its family ties back to a 1938 proxy battle in which businessman Sam Heyman acquired GAF Corporation, which is the country’s largest roofing manufacturer, per Forbes.
17. The Smith family
Illustration by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Net worth: $19.8 billion
Source of wealth: Illinois Tool Works
Dating back to Byron Smith’s 1889 founding of the financial services company Northern Trust Corporation and his 1912 co-founding of the manufacturing firm Illinois Tool Works, the Smith family has ties to both the tools manufacturing and finance industries. The family now holds at least 9% of Illinois Tool Works and 1% of Northern Trust’s shares, according to Forbes.
16. The Reyes Family
Artur Widak/NurPhoto
Net worth: $19.9 billion
Source of wealth: Reyes Holdings
Led by chairmen Chris and Jude Reyes and CEO Duke Reyes, Reyes Holdings is a leading food-and-beverage distributor, according to Forbes. It owns Martin-Brower, McDonald’s’s main global food distributor, Reyes Beverage Group, the largest beer distributor in the US, and Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling, which serves the Midwest and the West Coast.
15. The Busch family
Paul A. Hebert/Getty Images
Net worth: $20 billion
Source of wealth: Anheuser-Busch
The Busch family roots in the beer industry date back to 1876, when Adolphus Busch created what is now known as Budweiser. While the company passed through each family generation, an estimated 25% of the business was sold between 1989 and 2008, and it was fully bought out for $52 billion in 2008, as reported by The New York Times. Roughly 30 members of the family split the fortune.
Part of the family got back into the beer business with William K. Busch Brewing, but the company shut down in 2019.
14. The Hearst family
Bryan Bedder/Getty Images
Net worth: $22.4 billion
Source of wealth: Hearst Corporation
About 67 family members share the fortune that William Randolph Hearst created when he took over the San Francisco Examiner in the late 1800s, Forbes reported. Soon after, Hearst acquired other newspapers and expanded into radio and TV, creating the foundation for the media giant, Hearst Corporation, which owns 76 newspapers, nearly 260 magazines, television stations, and stakes in cable TV channels that include A&E and ESPN.
Hearst used to own what is now one of the most expensive homes in America. His grandson, William R. Hearst III, is currently the chairman of the company’s board.
13. The Newhouse family
Ben Gabbe/Getty Images
Net worth: $24.1 billion
Source of wealth: Advance Publications
The Newhouse family’s wealth derives from the publishing giant Sam Newhouse created. Advance Publications owns Condé Nast Publications, whose media properties include Vogue, Vanity Fair, and GQ. As of 2021, the company owned a 30% to 35% stake in Reddit.
In April 2016, Sam’s sons sold the cable-TV company Bright House Networks for roughly $11.4 billion in cash and stock, per reports.
12. The Hunt family
Amanda Edwards/Getty Images
Net worth: $24.8 billion
Source of wealth: Hunt Oil Company
H.L. Hunt laid the foundation for his family’s fortune with Hunt Oil Company. His many heirs (he had 14 children) command several fortunes, from Hunt Oil and Petro-Hunt to Rosewood Hotels & Resorts.
His children spend their billions on real estate, like the 6 million-square-foot underground business park SubTropolis, and sports teams.
In 1947, Estée Lauder received her first major order for $800 of skincare products from Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomberg reported. The company, which sells cosmetics and fragrances through over 20 brands that include MAC and Clinique, brought in over $15 billion of revenue in fiscal year 2024, the company reported.
The Lauders are active philanthropists, and Estée Lauder’s sons, Leonard and Ronald, are major art collectors. Leonard donated $1 billion worth of paintings and sculptures to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The family also owns a significant amount of real estate.
10. The Cox family
AP Photos
Net worth: $26.8 billion
Source of wealth: Cox Enterprises
Since its founding in 1898, Cox Enterprises has had a hand in a number of industries — cable and broadband (Cox Communications), newspapers and radio stations (Cox Media Group), and the automotive industry. It generates about $20 billion in revenue per year, per Forbes.
The company’s CEO is Alex Taylor, the great-grandson of the founder, James Cox.
9. The Duncan family
Bob Levey/Getty Images
Net worth: $30 billion
Source of wealth: Enterprise Products Partners
Dan L. Duncan founded the gas and oil company Enterprise Products Partners in 1968 with just $10,000, per Forbes. After he died in 2010, the company remained under family control, and his four children inherited a nearly $10 billion estate. The family fortune has since more than doubled.
Randa Duncan Williams is the only one of the children actively involved with the company, serving as a non-executive chairwoman.
8. The Cathy family
Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images for Pinewood Studios Group
Net worth: $33.6 billion
Source of wealth: Chick-fil-A
Samuel Truett Cathy founded the fast-food chain Chick-fil-A in 1967. Since then, the business has remained in the hands of second- and third-generation family members. In 2021, Andrew Truett Cathy, the founder’s grandson, took over as CEO from his father, Dan.
As of May 2025, Samuel Truett Cathy’s sons, Dan and Bubba, each have a net worth of more than $10 billion, per Forbes.
The Johnson family is behind SC Johnson, which produces cleaning products such as Pledge, Glade, and Windex. The company was founded by its namesake, S.C. Johnson, in 1882 and was eventually taken over by his son Herbert Fisk Johnson. Herbert died in 1928 without a will, and the family feuded over the inheritance until it was eventually divided between his two children, Herbert Fisk Johnson Jr. and Henrietta Johnson Louis.
Herbert Fisk Johnson III, a fifth-generation member of the family, is the current CEO and chairman of the company.
6. The Pritzker family
Pool/Getty Images
Net worth: $41.6 billion
Source of wealth: Hyatt hotels
A.N. Pritzker and his sons Jay, Donald, and Robert created the family’s wealth by founding the Hyatt Hotel chain and investing in holdings such as Marmon Group. Today, the fortune is split among 13 family members, 11 of whom are billionaires, per Forbes. They reportedly spent much of the 2000s arguing over trusts, ultimately dividing up the fortune at the end.
Members of the Pritzker family have also been involved in politics. Penny Pritzker, Donald’s daughter, is the former US Secretary of Commerce. Her brother, J.B. Pritzker, has served as the governor of Illinois since 2019.
Hyatt Hotels reported over $6.65 billion in annual revenue in 2024.
5. The (Edward) Johnson family
Brian Snyder/Reuters
Net worth: $44.8 billion
Source of wealth: Fidelity
Edward C. Johnson II founded one of the world’s largest mutual-fund companies, Fidelity, in 1946, which has been run by three Johnson generations since. It’s currently helmed by his granddaughter Abigail Johnson.
As of 2020, the family owns 49% of the company, which is shared among six family members, according to Forbes. In 2024, the company generated over $32 billion in revenue, it reported.
4. The Cargill-MacMillan family
Jemal Countess/Getty Images
Net worth: $60.6 billion
Source of wealth: Cargill Inc.
William W. Cargill founded agribusiness giant Cargill Inc. in 1865. As of 2020, roughly 23 members of the Cargill-MacMillan family owned 88% of the company, Forbes reported, which generated over $160 billion in revenue in 2024.
Bloomberg reported in 2022 that the family keeps 80% of Cargill Inc.’s net income inside the company for reinvestment annually.
3. The Koch family
Charles Koch at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference 2016
Business Insider/Julie Bort
Net worth: $116 billion
Source of wealth: Koch, Inc.
Brothers Charles and David Koch expanded their father’s oil-refinery firm into the conglomerate Koch Industries, Inc. — later shortened to Koch, Inc. — after their other brothers, Frederick and William, left the business following a failed takeover. Today, Koch generates roughly $125 billion in revenue annually.
David Koch stepped down from a leadership position in the company in 2018 and died the following year. Charles Koch became the company’s chairman and CEO in 1967, and he has been the chairman and co-CEO since 2023.
David Koch’s foundation has pledged to contribute more than $1.2 billion to cancer research, hospitals, education, and cultural institutions, Koch’s external relations team told Barron’s in 2019.
The Koch brothers have also used their wealth to reshape conservative politics in a substantial way over the past few decades. Since the 1970s, they donated at least $100 million to fund the fiscally conservative Tea Party movement and fortify the Republican Party, The New York Times reported in 2019.
2. The Mars family
Pool/Getty Images
Net worth: $117 billion
Source of wealth: Mars Inc.
Jacqueline and John Mars inherited a stake in the candy empire Mars Inc., which invented M&Ms, Milky Way, and Mars Bars, when their father died in 1999.
The company also owns other food brands, such Ben’s Original and Dolmio, and petcare brands. In 2024, the company brought in over $50 billion in revenue, per Forbes.
The siblings run the Mars Foundation, which donates to educational, environmental, cultural, and health-related causes.
1. The Walton family
Rick Wilking/Reuters
Net worth: $267 billion
Source of wealth: Walmart
Sam and Bud Walton founded Walmart in 1962. Following its success, they founded Sam’s Club in 1983. In 2024, Walmart brought in $648.1 billion in revenue, the company reported, making it the largest retailer by revenue in the world.
The Walton family fortune is dispersed among seven family members, including cofounder Sam Walton’s three children, Rob, Jim, and Alice, who is the richest woman in the world.
Correction — May 6, 2025: An earlier version of this article misstated the name of Koch, Inc. and Charles Koch’s role. As of August 2024, the conglomerate is called Koch, not Koch Industries, and as of March 2023, Charles Koch is its chairman and co-CEO.
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