Want to know who are the richest people in 2020? We got you covered with our list of wealthiest people in America this year.
America, one of the most powerful and respected countries in the world. It is home to many wonderful places, rich in history, and has a wonderful culture. On top of that, America also has multiple well-recognized businesses across the globe. Some even reached the multi-million dollar investment mark.
Aside from that, it is also home to some of the wealthiest people on the face of our planet. Curious to see who they are? We’ll give you the list, with most of them aren’t actually newcomers to the scenes.
We also have to take note that the information showing in this list came from the reliable folks in Forbes. With that sorted out, let’s find out who made it to the list, who rose through the ranks, and who went down a couple of slots from last year. Here are the richest billionaires in America this 2020.
Ray Dalio – Net Worth: $16.9 Billion
Ray Dalio made his MBA degree from Harvard to full use and established the world’s biggest hedge fund firm, Bridgewater Associates, which specializes in global macroeconomic trends. The company’s funding style revolves around inflations, currency exchange rates, and tallying up the GDPs of various countries. To give you a perspective on how big his company has become, as of April this year, the funds under management of Bridgewater Associates sits at around US$138 billion.
No wonder why Ray Dalio managed to sum up around $16.9 billion in total net worth. He surely made a huge leap considering his multibillion-dollar company all started out from his apartment unit in New York. That simply shows that all big dreams came from small and humble beginnings.
Rupert Murdoch – Net Worth: $17.7 Billion
The media mogul Rupert Murdoch is the man behind the wheels on some of the most famous media outlets such as Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, and The Times of London. The small business that he inherited from his father that basically operated in Adelaide, Australia became a worldwide sensation as they expanded their grasp in the United Kingdom’s landscape, and soon after, the United States.
The ‘90s and the 2000s were marks of their rapid global expansion, and at one point, his parent corporation, News Corporation, operated in more than 50 countries and had over 800 companies under its umbrella. He recently made a huge deal with Disney that involved around $71.3 billion and the stake from his FX, National Geographic Networks, and Fox’s movie studio.
Thomas Peterffy – Net Worth: $18.1 Billion
Thomas Peterfly is one of the pioneers when it comes to digital trading and he made an impact in the investment realm after he established the largest electronic trading platform, Interactive Brokers. They are pretty much involved in all kinds of trades from stock, future contracts, EFPs, bonds, funds, and even forex.
He also had one of the most inspirational stories we have ever seen. His Cinderella journey started out when he arrived in the United States during the ‘60s with only $100 at hand that came from his father. He worked his way up to the top until he was able to perfect his financial modeling software. Look at him now, from $100 in his pocket and now worth at around $18.1 billion, a truly remarkable story indeed.
Pierre Omidyar – Net Worth: $18.7 Billion
Software engineer, billionaire, and philanthropist Pierre Omidyar made his mark in history after he founded the e-commerce corporation eBay. He’s also one of the youngest billionaires in history at the age of 31. All of that thanks to his smart investment and unparalleled work on his computer codes that brought success to his business. He later made another career-pivoting moment with his acquisition of PayPal in 2002. He followed it up almost a decade later with the founding of First Look Media.
He’s considered a genius when it comes to computers and codes, which became apparent during his childhood years. Aside from his online ventures, he also left a couple of marks in a couple of documentary films, which he became one of the executive producers.
Stephen Schwarzman – Net Worth: $18.8 Billion
When business owners talk about alternative investment management firms, they would often look for The Blackstone Group. They actually made the right choice considering it is the largest in the world when it comes to financial services. It also wouldn’t be possible without the guidance and wisdom of their chairman and CEO Stephen Schwarzman. It currently has an estimated total asset that sits in the $545 billion territory.
At a young age, managing tasks and providing good decisions were things he was already good at. From his tales, he already started earning a few bucks at the age of 14 after commissioning his brother for their small-scale lawn-mowing business, with a couple of their neighbors as their first clients. Now, he’s at the apex of the world together with his fortunes that amount to $18.8 billion.
Leonard Lauder – Net Worth: $19 Billion
In 1946, the husband and wife tandem of Estée Lauder and Joseph Lauder established Estée Lauder Companies that became a mainstay in the cosmetics and skincare industries. Fast forward a couple of decades, their heirs took over the business and lifted it to a higher notch, and Leonard Lauder is one of the men behind that success.
In his reign as the CEO of the company, he had a couple of smart investment moves such as the acquisition of big players in the cosmetics world including MAC Cosmetics, Bobbi Brown, La Mer and Aveda that took place during the ‘90s. Aside from his success in the business world, he’s also a huge supporter of various philanthropic works and has been a consistent benefactor throughout his career.
Laurene Powell Jobs – Net Worth: $19.6 Billion
If you think that Steve Jobs is a great executive, wait until you lay your eyes on his widowed wife, Laurene Powell Jobs. Just like Steve, Laurene Powell Jobs also has a knack when it comes to running businesses, and that fact is pretty apparent when she built her portfolio with nothing short of good and smart decisions that earned her billions of dollars.
Laurene’s portfolio consists of investments in various industries such as a sporting team, namely minority ownership of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, parent of the Washington Wizards, Washington Capitals, and the famed Capital One Arena. She also inherited Steve’s stocks from his Disney and Apple shares. However, a huge bulk of her fortune runs through the Emerson Collective, which is a combination of an investment entity and philanthropic tool with the goal of spreading positive advocacies and community engagements.
Jim Simons – Net Worth: $23.5 Billion
The billionaire and math wiz Jim Simons also found a spot in the list of wealthiest people in America this year. All of that thanks to his contribution to the company he established during the ‘80s, Renaissance Technologies. It specializes in investment funds that utilize risk management techniques and statistical data where they can derive their ideas and decisions.
He’s the main man behind the wheels from the founding date up until his retirement in 2009. Even if he’s not part of the main system anymore, he still has shares in the company that brought him a significant amount of money throughout the years. As of the time of writing, he has an estimated net worth of around $23.5 billion, which is always considered above standards even to the veteran players out there.
Len Blavatnik – Net Worth: $26.2 Billion
The billionaire Len Blavatnik migrated to the United States during the late ‘70s and pursued a degree in computer science from Columbia University. A few years later, he worked toward earning his MBA coming from Harvard Business School, and around this year, he started working on building his fortune.
He established Access Industries, a multinational industrial group that focuses on various industries such as gas and natural resources, chemical manufacturing, telecommunications, and real estate. Aside from his business endeavors, he’s also busy with his philanthropic works. He also received knighthood because of the contributions he made in the past couple of years in various charitable and philanthropic works.
John Mars – Net Worth: $28.9 Billion
His last name seems to be familiar to all of us, and if you still haven’t figured it out, we’ll give you a hint – bars! Yes, he’s the man behind the Mars Bars empire, M&M’s, Milky Way, Skittles, Snickers, and Twix. Pretty much everything that sugar lovers out there dream of. Aside from that, he also has a couple of investments in other fields such as pet care and other consumables such as foods.
Over the years, he managed to maintain good profit through his business and allowed him to get an estimated net worth of $28.9 billion. Not too shabby if you ask us!
Jacqueline Mars – Net Worth: $28.9 Billion
Sounds familiar again? You are absolutely correct. She’s the younger sister of John Mars. Just like her brother, she’s also involved in running the riches of the family ranging from sweets all the way to animal and pet care. She and her brother pretty much share the investment run by their family and have a similar net worth.
She proved herself time and time again that she could dominate the corporate world. Now, she’s soaring high and considered one of the wealthiest people in the world. From the looks of things, her family taught them well when it comes to handling business, just look at her now.
Sheldon Adelson – Net Worth: $31.2 Billion
Coming from a low-income family, Sheldon Adelson slowly made his way towards the pedestal that he’s on using only his guts and well-thought decisions. He first ventured towards business after he made a $200 loan from his uncle and started selling newspapers all over Boston.
He established around 50 businesses over the course of his career and saw many successes and failures along the way. He managed to get a strong foothold in the hotel and casino scenes during the late ‘80s and became one of the world’s leading figures in that industry. Now he has around $31.2 billion in his account and he’s still not showing any signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Michael Dell – Net Worth: $35.3 Billion
Starting from the get-go, people who grew up alongside Michael Dell knew that this kid had a knack in making a fortune out of nothing. In his high school days, he already made a couple of dollars from buying precious metals and working his way towards stocks.
During his college days, his credit score already surpassed the average and already earned a hefty amount of profit from his ventures. Around this time, the concept of making computers was already stirring up in his mind and that became more than his bread and butter. In reality, he established a world-class company that we all know today.
Phil Knight – Net Worth: $42 Billion
Phil Knight is not only known for his smart investments, but he’s widely considered as one of the top philanthropists in the world. If you guys are wondering what made him in this list, we’ll just have to introduce you to his world-famous company, Nike. Thanks to this company, he managed to grab a spot as one of the most influential people in the world.
What’s nice about Phil Knight is he gives back a portion of his fortune to his community. He’s known around the world as a philanthropist and has shared millions of dollars to many financial institutions and health research centers. He already reached the $2 billion mark when it comes to his accumulated donations over the years.
Daniel Gilbert – Net Worth: $42.7 Billion
At 22 years of age, Dan Gilbert co-established Rock Financial and eventually became the biggest online mortgage lender in the country, Quicken Loans. Over the years, his fortune just keeps on growing and growing, and he is now considered as one of the most powerful investors in today’s market.
Dan Gilbert currently has an estimated net worth of around $42.7 billion. He’s now making a huge avenue of profits with his acquisition of many sports teams, and probably the most prestigious in the list would be the NBA team Cleveland Cavaliers. He surely deserves a spot on this list from the accomplishments he acquired over the years.
Charles Koch – Net Worth: $44.9 Billion
Koch Industries plays a crucial role in many fields such as gas, chemicals, energy, and minerals. They even have a stronghold in the manufacturing and investing industries. Now that we have a quick overview of what they do, let’s meet the man behind the steering wheel.
The success of the company wouldn’t be possible without the help and guidance of Charles Koch. He led the Koch Industries from oil and chemical refining company to a multi-billion dollar business that operates around the world. He built up an estimated fortune of around $44.9 billion and a huge part of that came from his family-owned business.
Michael Bloomberg – Net Worth: $54.9 Billion
Bloomberg L.P. offers one of the best services when it comes to software and data processing. On top of that, they are also a major figure in the media industry, particularly radios, prints, and even on televisions. With that in mind, are you curious to know the man responsible for all of this? Let’s meet Michael Bloomberg.
He’s a self-made billionaire and used his wits to his advantage. Let’s give huge credit to his work ethic as he worked tirelessly for fifteen years as a rank and file employee and slowly made his way upwards the corporate ladder. He later went on to establish his own business during the ‘80s, which was called Innovative Market Systems (IMS) and got rebranded to what we know it for today, Bloomberg L.P.
MacKenzie Scott – Net Worth: 62.7 Billion
MacKenzie Scott is more than just your regular novelist. She is also keen on the investment ventures that earned her billions of dollars in profit. However, most of her portfolio came from her former husband’s divorce settlement, which is 25% of Jeff Bezos’ Amazon shares (4% of the company’s overall shares).
She’s now one of the leading figures in various advocacies and philanthropic work that revolves around anti-bullying campaigns, LGBTQ rights, and climate change. She sure knows how to make a significant impact not only in the financial and business industries but in the overall well-being of the society that she’s part in.
Rob Walton – Net Worth: $63.1 Billion
“Save money. Live better.” It seems like Rob Walton is living the philosophy and tagline of his famous business, Walmart. Judging from that, we can clearly see the reason behind his lucrative net worth of around $63.1 billion.
He’s the eldest of the Walton siblings who are the heirs of the Walmart fortune. A fun fact for those who love trivia. Rob was one of the key players when it came to preparing Walmart’s IPO back in the early ‘70s and all of that is thanks to his degree in law.
Jim Walton – Net Worth: $63.5 Billion
Jim Walton is the youngest of the Walton siblings who are known for their contributions to the success of the biggest retailer in the world, Walmart. He’s pretty much in control of any real estate deals for the company and now acts as the big boss of the Strategic Planning and Finance committees of their family business. He’s also a significant figure in the family-owned Arvest Bank.
He’s known to be thrifty when it comes to his finances and that goes to show his excellent money management skills. After all, Jim Walton wouldn’t achieve the level of success he has right now without that skill playing in the background.
Alice Walton – Net Worth: $63.7 Billion
Alice Walton is the rose among the Walton family that controls the famous retail corporation, Walmart. However, unlike her siblings who devoted most of their time working in their family’s main source of fortune, she had other plans for herself.
For starters, she established an investment bank back in the late ‘80s. She also had a keen interest in artworks just like her mother and that paved the way for her into arts and eventually establishing the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. She paid a huge fortune to acquire most of the artworks exhibited there and they are really a breath of fresh air to see.
Sergey Brin – Net Worth: $67.5 Billion
The Internet plays a huge part in today’s modern life, and we have to give credit to Sergey Brin and his gang for that. Why do you ask? He and his colleagues are responsible for making the number one search engine in the world today, and that’s Google.
Just like most on this list, the reason for his success is his vision and his drive towards achieving his goals. Just look at what he did back in the late ‘90s together with Larry Page. They started working in a search engine as part of their Ph.D. studies but suspended it momentarily after realizing the potential of their creation.
Larry Page – Net Worth: $69.4 Billion
Larry Page and Sergey Brin are the man behind the most successful search engine we have on the planet, Google and they established this multi-million dollar company in the comfort of their rented garage. Through the loans from their family and close friends, the pair managed to set sail and from there on, made history with their creation, Google.
He’s currently one of the key figures in Alphabet Inc., the parent of Google and that brought him billions of dollars of profit annually. He’s now one of the wealthiest people not only in America but on the face of the planet as well with an estimated net worth of around $69.4 billion.
Steve Ballmer – Net Worth: $72.2 Billion
Microsoft saw a drastic success during the 2000s and that can be attributed to the leadership of Steve Ballmer. Of course, his time as the CEO of the company was not always filled with rainbows and butterflies as he also faced a couple of issues along the way. Good thing, he managed to persevere and look at him now.
Currently, he’s running his own basketball club, and it isn’t just your run of the mill basketball team, it is the Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA! He sure knows how to make his financial advisor proud with an estimated net worth of around $72.2 billion.
Larry Ellison – Net Worth: $73 Billion
Larry Ellison used to be the big boss of Oracle Corporation, a multinational technology company that primarily works at database software, cloud engineering, and other tech-based ventures. He stepped down as the CEO of the company and held a strong position as the company’s chairman of the board and CTO.
Year after year, his fortune just keeps growing, and he slowly makes his way to the top of the ladder of the richest in the world. From the looks of things, he could easily use his credit cards to get everything that he wants, maybe he used those when purchasing a bunch of islands in Hawaii.
Warren Buffett – Net Worth: $78.9 Billion
Warren Buffett is considered one of the most successful investors in today’s standards but in all-time as well. Many aspiring and even seasoned business owners look up to him because of that feat. Well, we can’t blame them since his sphere of influence is head and shoulders above the rest of his peers and that would be a hard hurdle to tackle.
His steady hand is the sole reason why Berkshire Hathaway is at the peak of their success. They are a big player in many industries such as insurances, energy production, manufacturing, and even real-estate. From the looks of things, it seems like they got every industry covered with their footprints.
Elon Musk – Net Worth: $85.6 Billion
There are very few people in the world that don’t know what Tesla is but for those who have been living under a rock, it is a company that specializes in manufacturing electric vehicles and other technologies that pretty much saves gas and electricity consumption. A pretty ambitious company that became his edge compared to many competitors in the field.
With his main source of wealth explained, we can easily see why he built up such a high net worth compared to his competitors. We have to take note that Tesla and Musk are still not yet done pushing the boundaries and finding new ways to improve their craft so we can expect him to climb higher on this list in the coming years.
Mark Zuckerberg – Net Worth: $96.4 Billion
Another self-made billionaire on this list, Mark Zuckerberg. He’s the man behind the most famous social media platform on the planet, Facebook, and his endeavors all started in his dormitory room at Harvard University in the mid-2000s. Nowadays, it is considered as one of the biggest companies in the market.
That goes to show that we don’t actually need a degree in any business or financial courses to launch a successful multi-billion dollar company. We just need to have guts and conviction to get things done and we should be all set. However, we have to take note that education is always a tool that would make our lives better so it would be in our best interest to finish them seriously.
Bill Gates – Net Worth: $114 Billion
Philanthropist and business mogul Bill Gates is considered one of the most powerful and wealthiest people in the world. He’s a prodigy when it comes to programming and his computer prowess allowed him to get his hands on his own computer program at the early age of 13.
A few years later, he worked with his childhood friend and fellow Harvard student, Steve Ballmer on a computer program that we now know as Microsoft. Today, Microsoft holds the majority of the household shares of computers around the world and this investment venture became one of the most iconic tools to the rise of the digital market in today’s standards.
Jeff Bezos – Net Worth: $197.8 Billion
They say all businesses came from small and humbling beginnings. Well, Jeff Bezos and his multi-billion dollar company Amazon could attest that. It all started out as an online bookstore back in 1994 back in his own garage and slowly made his way towards other products that revolved around e-commerce.
Now, he holds the record of the wealthiest person in the world, which is amazing considering it was originally just a business founded in his garage. He then expanded his investment venture in aerospace technologies and sub-orbital spaceflight. He’s also a key figure in publication scenes with his purchase of The Washington Post in 2013. Don’t get discouraged if you are just starting out with your business in your garage, just look at him a few decades after that.