Key facts
- California is home to the most billionaires among US states, with about a third of the Forbes 400 residing there.
- New York ranks second with 54 billionaires, followed by Florida with 49.
- Texas has 43 billionaires, and Illinois has 18.
- Jeff Bezos, with a net worth of $378 billion, is the richest person in Florida.
- Michael Bloomberg, with a net worth of $94.9 billion, is the richest person in New York.
- Lukas Walton, with a net worth of $44.4 billion, is the richest person in Illinois.
California, New York, and Florida are the top three states for billionaires in the US, according to Forbes' annual list of the 400 richest individuals. A record $4.4 billion net worth was required to make the list this year, with 249 billionaires residing across these five states.
California, home to the booming tech and AI industries, hosts about a third of the Forbes 400 billionaires. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg resides in Palo Alto. Florida, known for its low taxes, is the third-most-popular state for the Forbes 400. Jeff Bezos owns a compound on Miami's Indian Creek Island, and President Donald Trump has his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach.
Forbes 400 members live across 38 states and the District of Columbia. Oregon's sole member is Nike founder Phil Knight, while Nebraska's is Warren Buffett.
Illinois is home to 18 billionaires, including Lukas Walton, grandson of Walmart founder Sam Walton, who is the state's richest person with a $44.4 billion net worth. Other wealthy Illinois residents include Eric Lefkofsky, Groupon's cofounder ($6.5 billion), and Ty Warner, creator of Beanie Babies ($8.2 billion).
Texas ranks fourth with 43 billionaires, many of whom made their fortunes in oil, gas, and pipelines. Elon Musk, the world's richest person, has stated he resides in Texas. Michael Dell, founder of Dell Technologies ($263 billion), and Mark Cuban ($6.8 billion) also live in the state.
Florida ranks third with 49 billionaires. Jeff Bezos leads with a $378 billion net worth, followed by Oracle founder Larry Ellison ($204 billion). Michael Jordan has a $4.7 billion net worth, and Donald Trump has a $7 billion net worth.
New York ranks second with 54 billionaires. Michael Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg L.P., is the state's richest person with a $94.9 billion net worth. Rupert Murdoch has a $25 billion net worth, and fashion designer Ralph Lauren has $14.8 billion.