Top 10 richest families in America 2021: ranking the richest

Top 10 richest families in America 2021: ranking the richest

When it comes to the richest families in America, most people are not familiar with the clans or their identities. The individual clans may not be household names; however, their companies are very famous. Walmart retailers and Vogue are recognised all over the world. Below is a list of the wealthiest clans and their net worth value.

richest families in America
Photo: canva.com (modified by author)
Source: UGC

Since the 19th century, these clans have acquired great wealth and built the business empires seen today. Forbes' top 50 list shows a collective net worth value of around $1.2 trillion, which is an increase from the 2015 value by 30%.

10 richest families in America

All the families that have been listed here have a net worth of at least $30 billion. There is also a lot of diversity in relation to the type of companies that generate revenues for these families. Here are the top 10 wealthiest clans.

1. Walton family - $247 billion

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Top 10 richest families in America 2021
The Walton family. Photo: WalmartWorld
Source: Facebook

The Waltons rank first in the list of richest families in the USA, with a net worth of $247 billion. The most significant source of their wealth is their stake with Walmart, the world's largest retailer in sales. Walmart was founded by brothers Sam Walton and James "Bud" and cumulatively, the heirs hold about half of the retailer's stock. The family is also the Arvest Bank owner, which has 16 bank branches in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma.

2. Koch family - $100 billion

Top 10 richest families in America 2021
Charles Koch is a founder of Charles Koch Institute. Photo: CKinstitute
Source: Facebook

The family owns Koch Industries, which is America's largest private company. Fred C. Koch co-founded it in 1940 as the Wood River Oil and Refining Company. The family still owns 42% of its shares and has a net worth of $100 billion.

3. Mars family - $94 billion

Top 10 richest families in America 2021
Jacqueline Mars, daughter of Forrest E. Mars Sr. who is founder of the M&M's. Photo: jacqueline_.mars
Source: Instagram

According to Forbes, the Mars family has a net worth of $94 billion. Frank Mars founded the company in 1911. The company produces candy, with their most popular product being the M&Ms. In 2017, they diversified after purchasing VAC, which is a pet care company.

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4. Cargill-MacMillan family - $47 billion

Top 10 richest families in America
Duncan MacMillan. Photo: DARLENE PFISTER/Star Tribune
Source: Getty Images

The Cargill-MacMillans are among the richest families in American history. They have a net worth valued at $47 billion and own Cargill, which brings revenues of up to $114.6 billion. Accumulatively, the family members own 88% of the shares.

5. Lauder family - $40 billion

Top 10 richest families in America 2021
William Lauder and family attend 2016 Breast Cancer Research Foundation Hot Pink Party. Photo: Rob Kim
Source: Getty Images

Estée Lauder, together with her husband, founded a cosmetics firm in 1946 while using her kitchen as a start-up location for developing skin creams. Today the company generates more than $14 billion in sales and owns 29 big brands, including MAC, Clinique, and Origins. The family has a net worth of $40 billion and runs the company with William Launder as its chairman.

6. S.C. Johnson family - $37 billion

Top 10 richest families in America
Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson, Fisk Johson, with his daughter. Photo: h.fisk.johnson
Source: Instagram

The Wisconsin-based family owns the SC Johnson, which generates revenues of up to $10.5 billion. S. C. Johnson started the company in 1886. The family has a net worth of $37 billion, making the family among the richest families in American history.

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7. (Edward) Johnson family - $36 billion

Top 10 richest families in America 2021
CEO and President of Fidelity Investments, Abigail Johnson. Photo: orangeaccounting
Source: Instagram

Edward C. Johnson II founded Fidelity Investments in 1946, and it is among the largest financial firms in the world. The firm is run by Abigail Johnson, the founder's granddaughter. The family accumulatively owns 49% of the company and has a net worth of $36 billion.

8. Cox family - $34.5 billion

richest families in America old money
Jim Kennedy, former president and CEO of COX Enterprises. Photo: coxenterprises
Source: Instagram

The Cox family is among the richest families in America, with a $34.5 billion net worth. The family owns Cox Enterprises, which is a media and automotive company. James M. Cox founded it in 1898, and its revenues in 2019 had gone to ups of $21.1 billion.

9. Pritzker family - $32.5 billion

Top 10 richest families in America 2021
J.B. Pritzker, Governor of Illinois and founder of Pritzker Group Venture Capital. Photo: jbpritzker
Source: Facebook

According to Forbes, the family has a net worth of $32.5 billion. Their primary source of revenue is generated from hotels and investments since the year 1936. A. N. Pritzker founded Hyatt together with his sons, and currently, the chairman of the company is Thomas Pritzker.

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10. Newhouse family - $30 billion

Top 10 richest families in America 2021
Samuel Irving Newhouse Jr. with Anna Wintour. Photo: tina.schlissel
Source: Facebook

Newhouse stems its fortune from the giant publication company, Advance Publications. The publishing empire was founded in 1922 by Sam Newhouse and publishes magazines such as The New Yorker, Vogue, Vanity Fair, and newspapers in over 20 states in the US. The family generally runs the company and has a net worth of $30 billion.

Frequently asked questions

Over the years, there have been different billionaires in the ranking list. The year 2020 saw 267 lose their billionaire status while also welcoming 178 others into the list. Here are some FAQs in line with the topic in discussion:

Who is the richest person in USA 2021?

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, the richest person as of 10th February is Elon Musk, founder of Tesla. He has a net worth of $202 billion, surpassing Jeff Bezos, who has a net worth of $193 billion.

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How many billionaires are there in the US in 2020?

According to Forbes, as of October 2020, the listed number of billionaires counted in the USA was 614. The total number of billionaires in the world that featured in the same list was 2095.

Who are the 13 richest people in the world?

The following are the top thirteen wealthiest people as of 10th February 2021:

  1. Elon Musk $202B (United States)
  2. Jeff Bezos $193B (United States)
  3. Bill Gates $136B (United States)
  4. Bernard Arnault $116B (France)
  5. Mark Zuckerberg $102B (United States)
  6. Larry Page $95.8B (United States)
  7. Sergey Brin $92.6B (United States)
  8. Zhong Shanshan $91.7B (China)
  9. Warren Buffett $91.0B (United States)
  10. Steve Ballmer $87.7B (United States)
  11. Larry Ellison $81.5B (United States)
  12. Mukesh Ambani $75.8B (India)
  13. Francoise Bettencourt Meyers $75.7B (France)

Despite being the richest families in America, some of them have numerous troubles and feuds. All in all, with such dynasties that are still running decades down the line, it means that they are doing something right. You can learn a thing or two from the business gurus.

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Source: Briefly News

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Kissa Wambugu (SEO writer) Kissa Wambugu is a content creator who has a background in journalism and media. She has worked in the field for several years until she decided to get into content writing which she is very passionate about. For her, writing is all about telling a story and making a difference, giving information that would serve one’s interests. Words have the power to make a difference, and when hers do, then a part of her purpose gets satiated.