We're looking for the leaders of tomorrow, those making notable contributions or accomplishments and setting themselves apart from their class in investment banking, investing, and sales and trading.
In the past, we've had people with a variety of roles and experiences from companies including Blackstone, Citadel, JPMorgan, and Goldman Sachs.
Take a look at our 2025 list here.
Criteria and methodology
Our selection criteria: We ask that nominees be 35 or under as of October 31, 2026, be based in the US, work in front-office roles, and stand out from their peers.
Please submit your selection by following the prompts below or via this form by September 9th to have it considered for the list. Please be as specific as possible in your nomination.
Email Michelle Abrego at mabrego@businessinsider. com with any questions or issues submitting your nominations.
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Michelle Abrego
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Michelle Abrego is a senior finance editor at Business Insider, based in New York. She works with a team of reporters covering the biggest investment firms in the world, how the wealthy spend and save their money, and the tech wizards transforming Wall Street. Before joining Insider, Michelle was the news editor at the investment trade Citywire. Michelle is a graduate of the University of Florida and City University London's masters program. You can reach her at [email protected].
Emily Wilson, the author whose 2017 translation of “The Odyssey” was an influence for Christopher Nolan during his own adaptation process, is doubling down in her critiques of the director’s blockbuster epic. In an op-ed written for The Atlantic, Wilson called out Nolan’s “Odyssey” for being “emotionally empty.” She previously torched the movie in a review published by the London Review of Books in which she called Nolan’s screenplay “abysmal” and added: “I would be ashamed to have written any part of this script.”
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In her op-ed for the Atlantic, Wilson explains how one of her big issues with Nolan’s movie is its approach to “Zeus’ law.” The phrase is repeated numerous times by characters in the movie and is a variation of the Golden Rule: “We must host beggars and strangers kindly, to ‘do as we would be done by,’ and because they could be gods in disguise.” Nolan’s movie reckons with how Odysseus (Matt Damon) breaks Zeus’ law by coming up with the plan for the Trojan Horse and executing it in an attempt to sack the city of Troy through a deception. But Wilson is not sold on Nolan’s interpretation here.
As Wilson explains: “The horse is presented as the ultimate violation of the law of Zeus, because it entails wielding a weapon of mass destruction disguised as a gift… The horse is presented as breaking ‘civilization’ because it represents the moment when the good guy, Odysseus, echoes the behavior of the bad guy by being a deceitful, ungrateful guest. But the film does not explain what ‘hospitality’ has to do with a narrative situation in which the Greeks have been besieging Troy for 10 years already [which Nolan’s movie does not depict]; the Trojans are not their hosts but their enemies in war. If the war is bad, it is nonsensical to suggest that the most important turning point is the use of the horse rather than Agamemnon’s choice to invade Troy in the first place and Odysseus’s choice to yield to the empire’s demands. The visually impressive spectacle of the horse on a stunning stretch of pristine beach contributes to the narrative muddle: The Greeks have supposedly been encamped there for the past decade, yet it shows no sign of human habitation.”
According to Wilson, Nolan’s “Odyssey” is “not interested in the social or psychological questions of how people deceive and are deceived.” She takes issue with the dissonance between the director’s script and his direction. The screenplay “grandly insists on the importance of human kindness, while the camera shows us an entirely different set of values,” she argues, explaining that Nolan’s direction is mostly concerned with the “mechanical challenge of moving objects through space,” be it the Trojan Horse or ships or more.
“What matters cinematically are the logistics: the rolling of the horse uphill and the claustrophobic, waterlogged interior. Once the ambush of the Trojans begins, the camera lingers repeatedly not on the human actors but on the enflamed, toppling buildings and the great gates of the city, whose slow-moving mechanism is observed at great length,” Wilson writes. “The script tells us loudly that people matter, but the camera shows us that what matters is the mechanical challenge of moving objects through space.”
“Nolan’s Odyssey is itself a kind of Trojan horse,” she continued. “The script grandly insists on the importance of human kindness, while the camera shows us an entirely different set of values. In these times of hatred and misinformation, we need more than the ‘apparent magic’ of deceptive images. We need art that is truthful about the costs and the necessity of compassion, and that recognizes that a sense of spiritual superiority may not protect us from lies. These lessons are legible in Homer and Virgil, but are elided by Nolan’s visually stunning, emotionally empty film.”
Wilson, who is also a professor of classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania, originally criticized Nolan’s adaptation for lacking “psychological, emotional, political and ethical depth.” The author said the movie has “nothing convincing to say.”
“Nolan’s ‘Odyssey’ lacks many of the elements that make the poem great,” Wilson wrote originally. “It has nothing convincing to say about time, memory, history, war, or about the relationship between one warrior’s glorious return and the lives of his family, adversaries, comrades, friends and neighbors. It lacks psychological, emotional, political and ethical depth. Its narrative structure is gimmicky. The writing is abysmal. None of the characters has convincing motivation for their actions or words. There are no sex scenes, and all the food looks horrible.”
Audiences have not shared Wilson’s dissatisfaction, as the movie received an “A” CinemaScore during its opening weekend and has turned into one of the year’s biggest blockbusters at the box office. The film has earned a staggering $405 million domestically and $922 million worldwide through three weeks of release.
Wilson’s criticisms were also derided by author Joyce Carol Oates, who slammed her on X for attacking Nolan’s movie.
“Rather than disagreeing with interpretations of Homer in a collegial manner, this person, who has benefited enormously from Nolan’s film, speaks in the crude language of MAGA folks attacking someone with ideas that differ from hers,” Carol wrote. “One would expect a translator, of all people, beholden to a text, in service to a text, to be just a wee bit more thoughtful & respectful of others who are acting in good faith just as (she would claim) she is.” %!s()
They're also evidence of how climate change isn't just changing the environments we all live in, but also impeding our ability to connect with one another.
As extreme weather becomes more common and disruptive, the effects can impair relationships, interrupt routines and communication, and damage gathering places and the foundations of community traditions.
As an assistant professor of social work at the University of Tennessee, I study converging social and environmental crises, including social disconnection and extreme weather. I've found that one of climate change's most overlooked impacts may be its ability to worsen the continuing loneliness epidemic.
Studies show the amount of time Americans spent interacting with friends and family in person was declining even before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down a lot of social interaction starting in 2020. My team's recent research in rural Appalachia has found several ways that extreme weather is further hindering social activities.
"I don't remember it being this hot growing up," one 28-year-old social worker told my research team. "People don't want to leave their house if it's that hot. People don't want to go to community events and be out in the community."
Severe storms and flooding can make travel unsafe or impossible, preventing people from leaving their homes, reaching family or attending social gatherings. These disruptions can erode the everyday interactions that help people feel connected.
Power outages sever communication
Extreme weather can also cut off the communication channels that help people stay connected. Severe storms, flooding, winter weather and extreme heat are all associated with power outages, which can leave residents without electricity, sometimes for weeks.
Electricity failures are often coupled with internet and cellular service interruptions, hindering communication via text messaging, phone calls, social media and email at precisely the time it's needed most.
As one 74-year-old rural resident explained to my team: "We're so isolated. We do not have any cellphone service other than through Wi-Fi. So when the power's out, we have no cellphone service … without your phone, you really lose all your connections."
The loss of shared places and traditions
Another way climate change can weaken social connection is by altering places and traditions that hold cultural and community significance.
I witnessed this firsthand when Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee hit my hometown of Cherry Valley, New York, in 2011. After floodwaters broke the dike, a treasured community place known as "the reservoir"—a small lake where families swam and picnicked—was emptied, leaving our rural community without one of its few gathering spaces.
In my team's Appalachian study, residents described how an extreme drought paired with prolonged heat affected places where people gather, share traditions and maintain connections across generations.
Water levels in lakes and rivers dropped too low for recreation, wildfires swept through the Wayne National Forest, and crop losses meant fewer of the region's beloved pawpaw fruit when the annual Ohio Pawpaw Festival arrived.
A 68-year-old resident told us: "I look around and it's just absolutely horrible. Our streams have gone dry. I had a friend drop off some pawpaws the other night and pitiful … nothing like what normally drops. It's really bad and I suspect this is going to continue. We've got to figure something out."
This kind of degradation of cherished places and traditions can threaten shared experiences that help communities stay connected.
These disasters often overlap
These fractures of social connection often overlap as communities face increasingly frequent co-occurring weather events. A severe storm, for instance, may trigger flooding and power outages during a heat wave, disrupting transportation and communication during dangerously hot temperatures.
Over time, frequent and consecutive weather hazards can weaken relationships by limiting mobility and social engagement.
People who are already socially isolated, including older adults and those living in rural areas or lacking reliable transportation and internet access, are often most vulnerable. Climate change and extreme weather can leave them even more isolated.
Keeping social connection amid disasters
As global temperatures rise, driven in large part by the burning of fossil fuels, climate change increasingly affects daily life. Social connection is crucial, both for responding to extreme weather and for working together to help the entire community adapt to a changing climate.
One promising way forward is for cities and counties to invest in community hubs, such as public libraries, or create new gathering spaces across communities.
In an era of accelerating climate disruption, social connection may be a community's greatest asset, and yet one of its most fragile resources to protect.
Citation:
Climate change may be making us lonelier: How heat waves and extreme weather disrupt social connections (2026, August 5)
retrieved 5 August 2026
from https://phys.org/news/2026-08-climate-lonelier-extreme-weather-disrupt.html
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Billionaires' wealth and power have grown sharply over the past few years. Although the US doesn't have any royal families, it certainly has family empires with enormous fortunes — and influence.
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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.
Below are the 40 richest families in the US, ranked by estimated net worth from lowest to highest.
The rankings were determined using the most up-to-date estimated net worths available from Forbes, released on July 29.
40. The (Charles & Rupert) Johnson family
Charles Johnson (left) is a majority owner of the San Francisco Giants.
Mike Coppola/Getty Images for the New York Philharmonic
Net worth: $13.4 billion
Source of wealth: Franklin Resources, San Francisco Giants
In 1947, Rupert Johnson founded Franklin Resources, a mutual fund company. A decade later, when Charles B. Johnson, Rupert's son, was 24, he took over as CEO and remained with the company for 56 years. Charles' brother, Rupert Johnson Jr., joined the company in 1965 and still serves as its vice chairman and director today.
Charles' children also serve in the company, with Jennifer Johnson becoming CEO in 2020 and Greg Johnson serving as executive chairman.
Today, the Johnson family owns 42% of the company, which went public in 1971. Forbes estimated in January that the firm had $1.7 trillion in assets under management.
38. (tie) The Tisch family
Steve Tisch (center) is the chairman and executive vice president of the New York Giants.
Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images
Net worth: $13.7 billion
Source of wealth: Loews Corporation, New York Giants
The Tisch family fortune dates back to the acquisition of Loews Theaters by brothers Bob and Larry Tisch in 1959. In the decades that followed, the brothers turned the company into a conglomerate of hotels, energy, and finance.
Today, the descendants of the two Tisch brothers own about a third of the company, which went public in 1959, and include five billionaires in the family's second generation.
Larry's son, James, serves as chairman of Loews, and James's son, Ben, serves as CEO. James' daughter (and Larry's granddaughter) Jessica Tisch is the police commissioner for New York City.
Bob's children, Jonathan, Laurie, and Steve, sit on the board of the New York Giants, which he acquired 50% of in 1991.
38. (tie) The Farmer family
The Farmer family still owns about 16% of Cintas Corporation.
Marcin Golba/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Net worth: $13.7 billion
Source of wealth: Cintas Corporation
Though Cintas is known today as one of the largest uniform, first-aid, and workplace supplies distributors in the US, its history dates back to the Great Depression when Doc and Amelia Farmer began collecting used rags from factories, washing them, and selling them back to businesses.
Their grandson, Dick, served as the company's CEO for nearly 40 years and led as it grew from a service company into an industry giant.
Today, the Farmer family still owns 16% of the company, which went public in 1983, and Dick's son, Scott, serves as chairman of the board.
37. The Hughes family
Tamara Gustavson, daughter of Public Storage Inc.'s cofounder B. Wayne Hughes, owns about 10% of the company.
Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for The Music Center
Net worth: $14.7 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.
Today, the company is the largest self-storage brand in the US.
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.
36. The Jenkins family
The Jenkins family owns the 20% of Publix that isn't owned by current or former employees.
Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images
Net worth: $15.2 billion
Source of wealth: Publix Super Markets
In 1930, grocery store clerk and manager George Jenkins decided to open his own grocery store after the new corporate owners of the Piggly Wiggly location where he worked failed to consider his ideas for the business.
His new food store business was founded with a focus on employee participation. Today, Publix is the largest employee-owned company in the US, with current and former employees owning about 80% of the company and the Jenkins family owning the remaining shares.
The family ran the business until 2017, when they brought in Todd Jones, the first outside CEO.
In 2025, the company's retail sales reached $62.7 billion across nearly 1,500 locations in the Southeastern US.
35. The Stryker family
The grandchildren of the Stryker Corporation's founder, Homer Stryker, hold an estimated 11% of the company.
Bennett Raglin/Getty Images
Net worth: $16 billion
Source of wealth: Stryker Corporation
The Stryker family has built wealth through the health technology company Stryker Corporation, which focuses on developing surgical equipment, neurotechnologies, and 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 8% of the multinational corporation, and one of them, Ronda Stryker, sits on its board of directors and is the largest individual shareholder.
34. The Estes family
The Estes family owns 100% of Estes Express Lines, the largest privately held less-than-truckload freight transport company in the US.
Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Net worth: $16.3 billion
Source of wealth: Estes Express Lines
The Estes family history begins when farmer W. W. Estes bought a used Chevy truck during the height of the Great Depression and began hauling livestock in the town of Chase City, Virginia.
That small hauling gig turned into a full freight transport company in the following decades. Today, Estes Express Lines is the largest privately held less-than-truckload company in the US.
Forbes estimates that the Estes family still holds 100% of the company, which has an estimated annual revenue of $5.6 billion.
The founder's grandson, Rob Estes Jr., serves as the company's CEO and chairman, while his son (or the founder's great-grandson), Webb Estes, is its president and COO.
33. The Haslam family
The sons of the Pilot Company's founder have taken up ownership in professional sports teams.
Jason Miller/Getty Images
Net worth: $16.4 billion
Source of wealth: Pilot Company, Cleveland Browns
The Haslam family has built its wealth in the gas station industry ever since James Haslam II founded the Pilot Company in 1958. It was 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 Cleveland Browns of the NFL. His other son, Bill, served as the governor of Tennessee from 2011 to 2019, and owns the NHL's Nashville Predators.
32. The Dorrance family
The family is behind Campbell's Soup.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Net worth: $16.5 billion
Source of wealth: Campbell's Soup Company
John T. Dorrance invented the process for condensing soup in the late 1800s.
Today, the Dorrance family owns around one-third of Campbell's Soup.
Now, the company owns more than soup, including the brands V8, Pepperidge Farm, and Snyder's, generating more than $10 billion in annual revenue, per the company's latest earnings report.
31. The Bass family
Sid Richardson Bass is one of four brothers who inherited their uncle Sid Richardson's fortune.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Museum of Modern Art
Net worth: $17.1 billion
Source of wealth: Oil, investments
The Bass fortune dates back to Sid Richardson's success in oil investments during the early and mid-1900s.
After his death in 1959, Richardson left his fortune to his four nephews, Sid, Edward, Robert, and Lee Bass, who have continued to grow it through oil stock transactions and investments in other industries, such as an aerospace firm and the ice cream maker Blue Bell.
The Bass brothers also serve as philanthropists and have donated millions of dollars to higher education institutions like Yale, Stanford, and Duke.
30. The Mellon family
Andrew Mellon, a Gilded Age giant, served as the US Secretary of the Treasury between 1921 and 1932.
Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images
Net worth: $17.2 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, and founded Union Steel in 1899.
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.
29. The Simon family
Herb Simon (right) is the chairman emeritus of Simon Property Group and the owner of the Indiana Pacers. His wife, Bui Simon (left), is a philanthropist and former Miss Universe.
Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
Net worth: $17.3 billion
Source of wealth: Simon Property Group
Founded in 1960 by brothers Herb and Melvin Simon, Simon Property Group is one of the largest real estate firms in America and is the largest shopping mall operator in the US.
In 1983, the Simon brothers bought the Indiana Pacers, and the family still owns 80% of the franchise today.
28. The Winchester family
The Winchester family owns concrete manufacturer Quikrete.
David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Net worth: $18 billion
Source of wealth: Quikrete
Quikrete, the construction materials manufacturer that pioneered pre-blended packaged concrete, traces its origins to its predecessor, Maintenance Products Inc., founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1940. A decade after the small company's founding, the aeronautical engineer Gene Winchester joined as general manager and, the following year, helped the company develop its pioneering packaged concrete blend.
The company, which was renamed to Quikrete in 1965, has an estimated annual revenue of $12 billion today, per Forbes.
Gene Winchester's sons, Dennis, Jim, and Jack, took over leadership of the company in 1981 and have since overseen its growth through multimillion-dollar acquisitions.
27. The Crown family
The Crown family focuses on the military manufacturing firm General Dynamics.
Gabriel Grams/Getty Images for Lyric Opera of Chicago
Net worth: $18.3 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 US Army Corps of Engineers during World War II, owned the Empire State Building in New York from 1951 to 1961. The magnate sold the iconic building and merged his company with General Dynamics Corporation, which today develops and produces military technology such as 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.
26. The Taylor family
The Taylor family controls Enterprise Mobility, which reported $35 billion in revenue in 2023.
CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images
Net worth: $20 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.
25. The Johnson family
Woody Johnson, one of the family's heirs, owns the New York Jets and served as the US ambassador to the UK in 2017.
WPA Pool/Getty Images
Net worth: $20.5 billion
Source of wealth: Johnson & Johnson
The Johnson family's wealth dates back to the founding of Johnson & Johnson by Robert Wood, James Wood, and Edward Mead — the three Johnson brothers — in 1886.
The pharmaceutical company, which introduced dental floss and commercial first-aid kits to the world, grew into a global brand under the direction of Robert Wood Johnson II, Robert Wood Johnson's son. 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 UK during the first Trump administration.
24. The Meijer family
The Meijer family owns the grocery store chain today.
General Motors Photo/John F. Martin
Net worth: $21.4 billion
Source of wealth: Meijer Inc.
The Meijer family owns and runs the Michigan-based Meijer grocery store chain, which has over 500 locations. 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.
23. The Lauder family
The family controls the cosmetics giant Estée Lauder, which owns MAC and Clinique.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
Net worth: $21.5 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, including MAC and Clinique, reported over $14.3 billion in sales in fiscal year 2025.
The Lauder family is active in philanthropy, and Estée Lauder's sons, the late Leonard Lauder and Ronald Lauder, became prominent art collectors. Leonard donated $1 billion in paintings and sculptures to the Metropolitan Museum of Art during his lifetime. The family also owns a significant amount of real estate.
22. The Ziff family
The Ziff family grew its wealth through Ziff Davis Inc., which published PC Magazine.
Getty/Scott Olson
Net worth: $21.6 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 that 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.
21. Millstone-Winter-Heyman families
Standard Industries is a global brand.
Sylvain Gaboury/Paul Bruinooge/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
Net worth: $21.7 billion
Source of wealth: Standard Industries
Currently led by David Winter, the Standard Industries conglomerate traces its family ties to a 1983 proxy battle in which businessman Sam Heyman acquired GAF Corporation, the country's largest roofing manufacturer, per Forbes.
20. The Hearst family
The Hearst fortune dates back to William Randolph Hearst's purchase of the San Francisco Examiner in 1887.
Bryan Bedder/Getty Images
Net worth: $21.8 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. It now owns newspapers, magazines, television stations, and stakes in cable TV channels, including A&E and ESPN.
Hearst once owned 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.
19. The du Pont family
Members of the du Pont family own the majority of shares in the company, although none take part in its management.
Laurent Gillerion/AP Images
Net worth: $22 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.
18. The Smith family
The family owns shares of both Illinois Tool Works and Northern Trust.
Illustration by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Net worth: $23.1 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.
17. The Marriott family
The Marriott family owns about 18% of the company today.
Simon M Bruty/Getty Images
Net worth: $23.5 billion
Source of wealth: Marriott International
The Marriott family's legacy traces back not just to hotels, but also to 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 that Marriott opened its first lodging location, a motel in Arlington, Virginia. By 1981, the company had opened its 100th hotel, and by 1989, its 500th.
Today, the company's portfolio includes 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 board chairman, and the family owns an estimated 18% of the company's shares, per Forbes.
16. The Busch family
Despite having extensive ties to the beer industry, the family's many descendants aren't currently involved with major beer firms.
Paul A. Hebert/Getty Images
Net worth: $24.4 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. As the company passed through each generation of the family, 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 family members 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.
15. The Hunt family
The Hunt family owns the Kansas City Chiefs.
Amanda Edwards/Getty Images
Net worth: $25.6 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 15 children) command several fortunes, from Hunt Oil and Petro-Hunt to Rosewood Hotels & Resorts.
His descendants spend their billions on real estate, such 6 the 6-million-square-foot underground business park SubTropolis, and on 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.
14. The Butt family
Charles Butt is the current majority shareholder of the H.E. Butt Grocery Company.
Courtesy of H-E-B
Net worth: $26.6 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. The company today has over 400 stores in Texas and Mexico and generated over $49.6 billion in revenue in 2025, Forbes reported.
Howard's son Charles became the company's longtime chairman and majority shareholder. Charles' nephew Howard Butt III now serves as CEO.
13. The Newhouse family
Advance Publications' holdings include Condé Nast Publications, the publisher of magazines like Vogue and The New Yorker.
Ben Gabbe/Getty Images
Net worth: $28.1 billion
Source of wealth: Advance Publications
The Newhouse family's wealth derives from the publishing giant that Sam Newhouse created. Advance Publications owns Condé Nast Publications, whose media properties include Vogue, Vanity Fair, and GQ.
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 Mills family
Charlie Mills is the son of Medline founder Jim Mills and currently serves as the company's chairman.
Bloomberg/Contributor/Getty Images
Net worth: $29.6 billion
Source of wealth: Medline Inc.
Founded in 1966 by Jim and Jon Mills, the grandsons of A. L. Mills, who had established the Chicago-based textiles company Northwestern Garment Factory in 1910, Medline is one of the largest healthcare companies in the US.
Today, Charlie Mills is the chairman, and his cousin Andy Mills serves as a director and was the company's former president. The company manufactures medical and surgical supplies as well as consumer healthcare supplies.
The Mills family owns about 18% of Medline's stock today, after selling 79% of the company in 2021 to a group of private equity firms, including Blackstone, Carlyle, and Hellman & Friedman, at a $34 billion valuation. The company went public in December 2025.
11. The Reyes family
The family owns a group of major distributors in the US and globally.
Artur Widak/NurPhoto
Net worth: $31 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 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.
10. The Cox family
The family owns firms in cable and broadcast, publishing, and the automobile industry.
AP Photos
Net worth: $38 billion
Source of wealth: Cox Enterprises
Since its founding in 1898, Cox Enterprises has had a hand in several industries: cable and broadband (Cox Communications), newspapers and radio stations, and the automotive industry. It generates over $20 billion in revenue per year, per Forbes.
The company's CEO is Alex Taylor, the great-grandson of the founder, James M. Cox.
9. The SC Johnson family
SC Johnson was founded by its namesake in 1882.
Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Net worth: $39 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, Samuel Curtis. Johnson, in 1886, 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.
8. The Cathy family
The fast-food chain Chick-fil-A has remained in the hands of Cathy family members since its founding by Samuel Truett Cathy in 1967.
Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images for Pinewood Studios Group
Net worth: $40.2 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. 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 Duncan family
The family's fortune dates back to Dan L. Duncan's 1968 founding of Enterprise Products Partners.
Bob Levey/Getty Images
Net worth: $43 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 quadrupled.
Randa Duncan Williams is the only child actively involved with the company.
6. The Pritzker family
The family's fortune dates back to Jay Pritzker's 1957 purchase of the Hyatt House hotel in Los Angeles.
Pool/Getty Images
Net worth: $53.2 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, many 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. JB Pritzker has served as the governor of Illinois since 2019.
Hyatt Hotels reported over $6.65 billion in annual revenue in 2024.
5. The Cargill-MacMillan family
The Cargill-MacMillan family owns 88% of Cargill Inc.
Jemal Countess/Getty Images
Net worth: $67.9 billion
Source of wealth: Cargill Inc.
William W. Cargill founded agribusiness giant Cargill Inc. in 1865.
As of 2020, 21 members of the Cargill-MacMillan family are billionaires, Forbes reported, and the company generated over $150 billion in revenue in 2025.
Bloomberg reported in 2022 that the family keeps 80% of Cargill Inc.'s net income inside the company for reinvestment annually.
4. The (Edward) Johnson family
The Johnson family owns 49% of the mutual fund company Fidelity, which generated $32 billion in revenue in 2024.
Brian Snyder/Reuters
Net worth: $69.5 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 generations of the Johnson family since. It's currently helmed by his granddaughter Abigail Johnson.
As of 2020, the family owns 49% of the company, according to Forbes. In 2024, the company generated over $32 billion in revenue, it reported.
3. The Mars family
The family owns the largest candy and pet food companies, according to Forbes.
Pool/Getty Images
Net worth: $129 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 as Ben's Original and Dolmio, as well as pet care brands. In 2025, the company brought in over $65 billion in sales, per Forbes.
The siblings run the Mars Foundation, which donates to educational, environmental, cultural, and health-related causes.
2. The Koch family
The family's fortune dates back to Fred C. Koch's 1940 co-founding of Wood River Oil and Refining Company.
Business Insider/Julie Bort
Net worth: $157 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.
For decades, the Koch brothers donated millions to fund the fiscally conservative Tea Party movement and fortify the Republican Party, The New York Times reported in 2019.
1. The Walton family
Aside from the retailer, the family also owns a total of seven sports teams, according to Forbes.
Rick Wilking/Reuters
Net worth: $520 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 reported $648.1 billion in revenue, making it the world's largest retailer by revenue.
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.%!s()
Game Freak has promised a series of quick fixes after a mixed response to the launch of its big budget RPG Beast of Reincarnation.
Best known as the developer of Pokémon, Game Freak has continued to make various other games over the years — though none as ambitious-looking as action role-playing epic Beast of Reincarnation, which launched for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S yesterday.
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But despite some flashy trailers and a lovable-looking dog companion, Beast of Reincarnation has garnered a tepid response from players. On Steam, the game sits with a Mixed user rating after more than 1,600 reviews. IGN's own Beast of Reincarnation review returned a 6/10 score, meanwhile.
"Its execution falls short of its promising ideas," we wrote. "The story is a bland, cliche-filled tale better-told by other games in the genre, combat quickly grows stale due to a lack of enemy variety and the predictable attack patterns that undermine what makes action RPG combat thrive, and boss fights end up being quite disappointing despite looking badass as all get out."
Now, Game Freak has responded to the game's early reception, and promised a list of changes that will arrive in a patch expected to land in the next seven days.
"Thank you for playing Beast of Reincarnation!" Game Freak wrote in a post on social media. "We take your feedback to heart and are currently planning a series of continuous updates." These will include camera adjustments, increased text size, story pacing improvements, bug fixes, and a change to prioritize the game's Performance visual setting rather than its chunkier Cinematic option.
Camera adjustments to move the game's view further back from main character Emma has been a common gripe — so much so that there's already a mod available for PC players to adjust the game's camera and field of view settings. An increase to the game's text size also seems a relatively straightforward and welcome change, though exactly how Game Freak plans to improve the game's story pacing is unclear.
Are you playing Beast of Reincarnation already? What are your thoughts on Game Freak's latest RPG at launch?
