(NEXSTAR) — Lukas Walton, a Chicago resident and grandson of Walmart founder Sam Walton, is the richest person in Illinois, at least according to Forbes magazine’s latest report on the richest people in every state.
Forbes’ list, titled “The Richest Billionaire in Every State 2024,” says its data is up to March 8, 2024. It lists the 37-year-old Walton’s estimated worth as $27.8 billion.
Nearly every U.S. state has at least one billionaire, according to Forbes’ report. This is the second time Forbes has produced this list since 2019.
Check out the full list HERE at forbes.com.
More on Walton
According to Forbes, Lukas Walton is an investor in businesses that address environmental and social challenges. He inherited his fortune, the magazine says, when his father, John Walton, died in a 2005 plane crash and Lukas received about one-third of his father’s estate.
He does appear to be charitable, as Forbes says he’s donated at least $150 million to his family’s namesake charity, of which Lukas chairs the environmental program committee.
Forbes lists Chicago as Lukas’ residence and says he graduated from Colorado College with a Bachelor of Arts/Science. He’s No. 60 on Forbes’ list of 2024 billionaires.
Jim Walton, Lukas’ uncle and the youngest son of Sam Walton, is the wealthiest man in Arkansas, Forbes says, with an estimated value of $77.8 billion.
Other states
As of May 2024, only three states are without a billionaire, the report found, including Alaska, Delaware, and West Virginia. Forbes explained last year that West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice once had billionaire status but lost it due to heavy debts in the early 2020s.
Overall, the 54 people who made Forbes’ list (some tied for the wealthiest resident in their state) are worth $1.6 trillion. That’s up $100 billion from 2023’s report.
Also new this year, some states have lost their richest person. That includes Washington, which saw Jeff Bezos relocate to Florida in recent months. Bezos’ departure cleared the way for Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to rank as the wealthiest Washington state resident.
Tesla’s (and Texas’) Elon Musk maintained his rank at the top of Forbes’ list overall, sporting an estimated net worth of $195 billion. Bezos isn’t far behind at $194 billion. Rounding out the top five are California’s Mark Zuckerberg ($177 billion), Nebraska’s Warren Buffett ($133 billion) and Washington’s Gates ($128).
The interactive table below shows the wealthiest person in each state, their state of residence, their estimated worth in billions, and their estimated net worth Forbes listed in 2023 (if applicable).
For best viewing on mobile, turn your device horizontally.
There are some newcomers to the list. Among those, Forbes highlights Todd Graves, the founder and CEO of the Raising Cane’s fast-food chain. He surpassed Gayle Benson, owner of the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans, as Louisiana’s wealthiest resident.
Also profiting from fast food is Georgia’s Cathy family — Dan and his children, Bubba and Trudy Cathy — of Chick-fil-A fame.
In eight states, the richest person is a woman, according to Forbes. The wealthiest among them is Virginia’s Jacqueline Mars, granddaughter of Frank C. Mars, the founder of the Mars candy company. With an estimated net worth of $38.5 billion, Mars falls just behind Oregon’s Phil Knight of Nike by $2.4 billion.
If you’re hoping to land on Forbes’ list of wealthiest people, you may want to consider moving to Alaska. Leonard Hyde and Jonathan Rubini of JL Properties are tied as the richest residents — both have an estimated worth of “only” $400 million, Forbes reports.
As for states bordering Illinois, Wisconsin’s wealthiest person is home improvement store magnate John Menard Jr. ($25.2 billion), Iowa’s is seed-genetics savant Harry Stine ($9.7 billion), Michigan’s is Quicken Loans co-founder Dan Gilbert ($26.2 billion), Indiana’s is medical devices tycoon Carl Cook ($10.6 billion) and Missouri’s is Bass Pro Shops founder John Morris ($9.5 billion).
