The Ziff Family – $14.4 Billion

Never heard of the Ziff family? You’re not alone! While some of the richest families in America house famous faces, like Mark Cuban or Jack Nicholson, some are a little more quiet with their wealth. Like William Ziff Sr., the man who create Ziff Davis, the publishing company behind PC Magazine and Car and Driver. In 1994, he sold the company for a whopping $1.4 billion, eventually generously giving much of that to his family upon his death.

Afterward, three of Ziff Sr.’s grandsons, Dirk, Robert and Daniel Ziff, started an investment firm together, Ziff Brother Investments. Now worth an incredible $14.5 billion, the brothers have invested in a variety of high-tech communications companies.

The Rockefeller Family – $11 Billion

While you have probably heard of the Rockefeller Center in New York, you may not know the man behind the name. As the first billionaire the country, the deceased John D. Rockefeller Sr. is still widely considered the wealthiest American of all time. For those who don’t know, Rockefeller founded Standard Oil in 1870, which eventually controlled almost all of the U.S.’s oil refining.

By the time the government broke up Standard Oil, the Rockefellers had become the wealthiest family in the world and de facto rulers of New York. Today, is son, John Jr. and the rest of the Rockefeller family split the $11 billion fortune among its 174 members.

The Spielberg Family – $3.7 Billion

Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg is the highest-grossing director in history, thanks to his incredible amount of unforgettable blockbusters. After all, he is the director behind films like the Indiana Jones franchise, Jaws, Schindler’s List, and many more.

Spielberg, along with his wife Kate Capshaw, and their seven children and grandchildren all together share an estate worth of $3.7 billion. Most of the family’s wealth comes from several real estate investments, and of course, Spielberg’s film work. However, most of their wealth comes from the director’s partial ownership of DreamWorks Studio, which had released major hits like Transformers and the Shrek films.

The Wynn Family – $3.4 Billion

There aren’t a lot of families that have a shot to fortune quite as incredibly as the Wynns. The family’s patriarch, Steve Wynn, became a billionaire in Las Vegas after constructing some of the Strip’s most famous hotels and casinos, including the Bellagio, Mirage, and, of course, the Wynn.

Of course, after hitting it big in Vegas, Steve Wynn took Wynn Resorts all over the world. Meanwhile, his former wife Elaine headed the Resorts board for over a decade. Unfortunately, the company started taking on water back in 2000 and stocks hit a rock bottom. However, after some restructuring, including firing his ex-wife, Wynn’s profits began to rise once again!

The Lucas Family – $5.5 Billion

Thanks to a few incredible deals, George Lucas is one of the richest celebrities of all time. First, Lucas signed a very smart contract which granted him total Star Wars franchise rights from 20th Century Fox. Then, after the massive success of Star Wars, the director founded companies like Industrial Light and Magic, LucasArts, and THX that not only changed film and entertainment as we know it, but also provided him with passive income.

However, Lucas’ best deal came in 2012, when he sold LucasFilm Ltd., which included Stars Wars, to Disney for a whopping $4.05 billion. Now, Lucas has turned his attention to opening a film museum in Chicago.

The Busch Family – $13.4 Billion

As if anyone did not know, the Busch family fortune’s roots in their titular beer company. The company first opened back to 1876, after Adolphus Busch created what we all know today as Budweiser. For many years, the company has remained in the family, generation after generations. Then, in 2008,  the company was fully bought out from the Buschs for $52 billion.

Thankfully for beer fans, the Busch family launched a new company less than a year later, William K Busch Brewing. As of today, they continue to be one of the richest families in America with a fortune estimated at $13.4 billion. Roughly 30 members of the family split the massive fortune.

The Jordan Family – $1.9 Billion

Michael Jordan rose to prominence in the ’90s as the breakout star of the Chicago Bulls NBA team at the time. Unsurprisingly, his massive success on the court led him into plenty of successful economic ventures off the court. Multi-year endorsements with the likes of Gatorade, Nike, and Hanes, some of which are still ongoing, as well as his Air Jordans line, have made the star a billionaire.

In addition to his endorsement deals, Jordan now makes a passive income thanks to his stake in the Charlotte Hornets team. While they might not be enjoying the same success as Jordan’s Bulls, they still put plenty in the former NBA star’s pockets.

The Ballmer Family – $47.8 Billion

The Ballmer family has its current patriarch, Steve Ballmer, to thank for their richest. For many years, Steve worked as the CEO of software giant Microsoft. In fact, Steve was among the very first dozen employees the company hired back in the early 1970s.

After taking a step back from his CEO position in Microsoft, Ballmer decided to buy a large portion of the NBA team the Los Angeles Clippers, for a rumored $2 billion. If that’s true, this would actually be the second-highest amount of cash ever paid for a pro sports team in American history. Fortunately, the team’s success in the court has made the Ballmer’s family fortune grow to over $47 billion, so it was certainly worth it!

The Kraft Family – $6.6 Billion

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is one of the richest sports owners of all time. So, as you might imagine, his entire family has become quite rich. He’s certainly come a long way, as Kraft initially started in packaging at his father-in-law’s company. Soon enough, he moved on, starting the immensely popular International Forest Products company. In case you didn’t know, the firm provided paper packaging products for some of the biggest brands in the world, including Avon, Quaker Oats, Kodak, just to name a few.

Before long, Kraft began buying sports teams with his millions made from the paper industry. While he owns several soccer teams and an e-sport team, his ownership of the New England Patriots is definitely his crown jewel!

The Koch Family – $98.7 Billion

Over eight decades ago, David and Charles Koch’s father, Fred C. Koch, successfully expanded their family’s oil refinery firm into Koch Industries. Over the years after David and Charles took over, the brothers have weathered everything from bad press to their other brothers’, Frederick and William, failed takeover. It’s all been worth it, however, as today Koch Industries generates over $100 billion in annual revenue.

Unfortunately, in 2019, David passed away, leaving his brother in charge. As a result, Charles has pledged to contribute over $1.2 billion to Cancer research. Not only that, but he also wants to contribute to hospitals, education, and cultural institutions through his foundation, the Charles Koch Foundation.

The Marshall Family – $12 Billion

Unlike many of the other richest families in America, the Marshall family did not gain all their wealth from a single source. Instead, they wealth comes from a massive, diversified portfolio of investments. For instance, the family still makes plenty of money from their 15% stake in the Koch Industries, which J. Howard Marshall II purchased in the 1950s.

After his death, Marshall II passed on the stock to his son, E. Pierce Marshall, which then went to his wife and children when he passed away. Believe it or not, the Marshalls are sitting on a massive $12 billion fortune. Of course, you may remember that E. Pierce almost did not relieve the money, as Marshall II married actress Anna Nicole Smith for the last year of his life and wanted to leave everything to her. After a nasty, long legal battle, the Marshalls retained the money.

The Murdoch Family – $19.8 Billion

Decades after making it to the top, the Murdoch family remains of the richest families in the world. While Rupert Murdoch was born in Australia, he became a U.S. citizen in 1985. For years, his father had dabbled in the media game, but nothing compared to how Rupert would expand. Rupert created News Corporation after his father died, which quickly became a media empire in New Zealand and Australia, where it produced television news.

Before long, Rupert expanded the business into America, Asia, and the UK, where he now owns Fox, Harper Collins, and The Wall Street Journal. So it’s actually no wonder that he’s managed to amass a fortune worth $19.8 billion!

The Hearst Family – $24.5 Billion

The Hearst Family can actually trace its fortune back to the father of its most famous patriarch, publishing titan William Randolph Hearst. In case you didn’t know, Hearst started life off as the son of a wealthy miner in San Francisco. When he turned 24-years-old, he decided to use some of his father’s money to purchase a newspaper, The San Francisco Examiner. From there, the rest was history.

Before long, William managed to expand his business into a massive radio, newspaper, and TV empire, known as the Hearst Corporation. Today, Hearst’s son, William II, controls the $24.5 billion media empire, in addition to working as a journalist.

The Kardashian-Jenner Family – $2 Billion

Of course, with the announcement, and then stripping, of Kylie Jenner’s billionaire status, some might wonder if Kardashian-Jenner Family really is one of richest families in America. However, even without Kylie’s billion, the family is still worth nearly $2 billion, thanks to their hit reality show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

From the show, most of the Kardashian-Jenner family created a variety of different business ventures, most notably in the cosmetic and fashion industries. Not only that, but they are also product promoters, making tons of cash from advertising products on their social media accounts, which have millions of followers. No matter what your opinion of Kim, Kylie, Kris, and the rest of the Kardashian-Jenner clan, there’s no question they are here to stay.

The Cuban Family – $3.9 Billion

Without a doubt, there are few names in the investment world bigger than Mark Cuban. After all, how many other investors and entrepreneurs have become Hollywood icons as well? The best part of all? Cuban worked his way up from a working-class family, making his incredible success even more admirable. He once lived in a three-bedroom apartment with eight other roommates, just to make rent!

Early ventures in software put Cuban on the path to success in the 80s and 90s, eventually resulting in his ownership of Broadcast.com, which Yahoo! ultimately bought for $5.7 billion! From there, he founded 2929 Entertainment, which has produced hits like George Clooney’s Good Night, Good Luck, and purchased the Dallas Mavericks basketball team.

The Mars Family – $72 Billion

In case the name didn’t give it away, the Mars Family runs the Mars Inc. candy empire, which owns the like of M&Ms, Milky Way, and Mars Bars. Like so many other children of rich families, Jacquelyn and John Mars inherited a majority stake in the company after their father passed away back in 1999. Thanks to that stake, the Mars family’s worth currently sits at a massive $72 billion.

Today, Jacquelyn’s son, Stephen Barger, works as the current chairman of Mars Inc. Meanwhile, his other siblings are in charge of the Mars Foundation, which donates millions and millions to educational, environmental, cultural, and health-related causes.

The Pitt Family – $300 Million

This probably comes as no surprise, but Brad Pitt’s family is not only one of the most famous in America, but also one of the richest. The son of a trucker, Pitt moved to Los Angeles in the 1980s, with hopes of pursuing an acting career. Needless to say, the actors managed to carve himself a large part of the Hollywood pie thanks to hit after hit in the ’90s.

While Pitt might be most famous as an actor, most of his $300 million fortune comes from the fact that he produces many of his films. In fact, he even won an Oscar for producing 2014’s Best Picture, 12 Years a Slave. Since then, Pitt has used his wealth to buy himself real estate, vineyards, and even launch his own line of wine and olive oil. As of today, Pitt has a net worth of $300 million, which he shares with his six children.

The Bezos Family – $137 Billion

The Bezos family’s iconic patriarch, Jeff Bezos, is one of the most famous CEOs in the world, thanks to his creation of Amazon. As such, he and his family have soared to the top of the world’s richest elite. Now that Amazon is arguably one of the biggest companies in there world, it’s really no surprise that the family has a $137 billion fortune under their belt.

However, many do not know that Bezos comes from very humble beginnings. You see, his mother had him as a teenager and his father owned a simple, small bike shop to support the family. That’s until his mother separated from his father and remarried Mark Bezos, an immigrant from Cuba, who taught Jeff more about a hard work ethic. Today, Bezos shares that knowledge and work ethic, along with his billions, with his four children.

The Nicholson Family – $400 Million

Did you know that the Nicholsons are one of the richest families in America? Don’t worry, many don’t! Though, when you think about it, it makes perfect sense. After all, thanks to all his hit and Oscar-winning roles, Jack Nicholson became one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood history. Then, he turned around and invested much of that money, making even more money!

While some of Nicholson’s investments, like investments into wine, have turned out well for the actor, some have not. For instance, the actor bought friend Marlon Brandon’s former Hollywood home for over $6 million, only to burn it down shortly after. Later on, he claimed that it was in honor of his late friend! Still, with $400 million, five children, and no wife, Nicholson have the money to spare.

The Walton Family – $169.7 Billion

As the owners and founders of one of America’s biggest grocery chains, Walmart, the Walton Family has become one of the richest families in the US. It all started back in 1962, when Sam and Bud Walton founded the store as nothing more than a grocery store. However, it soon grew into a place where you could buy anything and expanded to multiple locations. Today, Walmart has annual sales of over $500 billion, making it the largest retailer by revenue in the globe.

These days, the Walton family’s fortune is shared among seven family members, including co-founder Sam Walton’s three children, Rob, Jim, and Alice. That has actually made Alice Walton the richest woman in the world, with a $43.7 billion fortune.

The Lauder Family – $24.3 Billion

The Lauder family gained its fame and riches from their eponymous cosmetics company, Estee Lauder. Joseph Lauder and his wife, Estee Lauder, founded the company started shortly after World War II began. At the time, they sold their four basic products, a crème pack, all-purposes crème, cleansing oil, and skin lotion, exclusively in New York City.

While they started off as a small company, the Lauder products became an instant hit. Just two years later, the Lauder family had saved enough cash to open their first department store on Saks Fifth Avenue. The rest as they say, is history. By the 1990s, the company became the largest makeup company in the world. So it’s really no wonder that they are sitting on a $24.3 billion fortune!

The Butt Family – $11 Billion

For those of you who may not know, The Butt Family is based in Texas and are one of the richest families in America. Furthermore, they are the owners of the popular grocery store chain H.E.B Grocery. Believe it or not, they opened the business under tragic circumstances back in 1905.

You see, the original founder, Florence Butt, decided to open the store in hopes of offsetting the costs of her husband’s TBC diagnosis. To much of their surprise, the company immediately took off. Afterward, Florence’s son Howard continued to grow the company throughout Texas. As of today, Howard’s son, Charles, is the head of the multi-billion-dollar enterprise. What’s more, the empire is now worth $22 billion with 329 stores in Texas plus another 54 stores in Mexico.

The Gallo Family – $10.7 Billion

The Gallo family’s massive wealth is derived from several avenues. First of all, bothers Ernest and Julio Gallo decided to found the largest winemaker in the world located in Modesto, California. Meanwhile, their other brother, Joseph Gallo, assisted with the family business. However, he soon decided to open his first dairy and sold cheese as “Joseph Gallow Cheese.”

Furthermore, Joseph’s children currently run Joseph Farms. Meanwhile, the descendants of Julio and Ernest run E & J Gallo Winery, which makes annual revenues of approximately $3.8 billion. In case you didn’t know, Gallo’s family company sells much more than wine these days. In fact, you might want to try their famous liquor!

The Riney Family – $3.5 Billion

Not only is the Riney family one of the richest families in America, but they also command the Scottrade empire. Founder Rodger O. Riney, who was born in the 1940s, developed the company that was later bought by TD Ameritrade. What’s more, his first interaction with the stock market was when his grandparents gave him ten shares of stocks.

Back in the 1970s, Riney decided to start Scottsdale Securities. At that moment, Scottsdale provided trades at a lower-commission. Just a decade later, Riney opened another branch in St. Louis. As of today, the company was renamed Scottrade and it is known as a great company to work for.

The Stryker Family – $11.1 Billion

The Stryker Family is widely known as one of the most powerful and richest families in America. The patriarch, Homer Stryker, was an orthopedic surgeon, inventor, and businessman. Back in 1946, Stryker founded Orthopedic Frame Company Inc., which was later renamed Stryker Corporation. Not only did Stryker inventions contributed to orthopedic care, but also to patient comfort as well as to medical staff convenience.

After Stryker and his sons passed away, his grandchildren –Pat, Jon, and Ronda- each inherited a stake in the company. However, Ronda is the only grandchild to serve on the board. What’s more, all three are philanthropists and have donated over $855 million to several causes and foundations. Believe it or not, the company generated over $12 billion in sales just in 2017 alone.

The Mellon Family – $11.5 Billion

You can trace the Mellon family back to its roots in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where a university and several museums bear their name to this very day. Back in 1869, the family decided to found Mellon Bank. While their wealth started right there, it skyrocketed when they decided to invest in Gulf Oil, which later became Chevron-Texaco.

The Mellons are also known for their philanthropic ventures. You see, they founded Washington D.C.’s National Gallery of Art. What’s more, the family actually originates from Ireland thanks to its original patriarch, Thomas Mellon. Furthermore, he was the son of two Scottish-Irish farmers. Now, they own what has effectively become a massive empire!

The Brown Family – $12.3 Billion

Back in the 1870s, salesman George Garvin Brown founded Brown-Forman. Before long, it blossomed from a $5,500 startup to become one of the premier liquor supplies in the world. Then, following the massive success of the flagship whiskey brand Old Forester, the family’s wealth grew further after acquiring Jack Daniel’s in 1956.

Not only that, but they also own Woodford Reserve among other alcohol brands. These days, Brown’s descendants, including the company chairman, George Garvin Brown IV, have a staggering $12.3 billion fortune. Reportedly, an estimated 25 family members own over half of Brown-Forman Corp. Hey, it’s safe to say that they won’t have to worry about running out of cash!