The 25 richest American families, ranked
Billionaires' wealth has been growing exponentially over the past few years.
And even though the United States doesn't have any royal families, it does have family empires with enormous fortunes.
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 25 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.
Spoiler alert: The Roy family, of HBO's "Succession," didn't make the cut.
25. Kohler family
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
23. The Dorrance family
22. The du Pont family
21. The Ziff family
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 report 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
19. The Taylor family
Net worth: $19 billion
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
17. The Smith family
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
15. The Busch family
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
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
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
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. The Hunt family owns the Kansas City Chiefs, which won its fourth Super Bowl in 2024, and they have a minority stake in the Chicago Bulls.
11. The Lauder family
Net worth: $25.9 billion
Source of wealth: Estée Lauder
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
9. The Duncan family
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
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.
Members of the Cathy family have previously generated controversy for donating to causes considered to have anti-LGBTQ+ stances.
7. The SC Johnson family
Net worth: $38.5 billion
Source of wealth: SC Johnson
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
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
Net worth: $44.8 billion
Source of wealth: Fidelity
Edward C. Johnson 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
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
Net worth: $116 billion
Source of wealth: Koch Industries
Brothers Charles and David Koch expanded their father's oil-refinery firm into the conglomerate Koch Industries after their other brothers, Frederick and William, left the business following a failed takeover. Today, Koch Industries 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 has been the company's chairman and CEO since 1967.
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
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
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.
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