Richest of the Rich

These Dallas-Fort Worth billionaires are among the richest on the planet

Trevor Rees-Jones, Jan Rees-Jones, Abi Ferrin Grand Opening

Trevor-Rees Jones, pictured here with his wife, Jan, is the fourth richest North Texan and the 258th richest in the world.

Photo by Shana Anderson

Who's the richest of them all? Forbes has released its 2016 list of the world's billionaires, featuring 1,810 individuals who have a combined net worth of $6.48 trillion. Among the 540 American billionaires are 22 very wealthy North Texans.

Leading the pack is Fort Worth's Alice Walton, Walmart heiress. The 66-year-old, the richest in Texas, has an estimated net worth of $32.3 billion, down from $39.4 billion last year. She takes the No. 16 spot overall.

The next North Texan on the list is Andy Beal, 63, at No. 115. The banker's net worth, at $9.4 billion, is down from $11.7 billion in 2014. Dallas oilman Ray Hunt, 73, lands at No. 248. His net worth is down slightly from last year, to $5.4 billion from $5.6 billion.

Not everyone's net worth took a tumble. Dallas oil and gas mogul and noted philanthropist Trevor Rees-Jones, the 258th richest man on the planet and fourth richest North Texan, is worth an estimated $5.2 billion. The 64-year-old is up from $4.3 billion in 2014.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, 73, is now worth an estimated $5 billion, compared to last year's $4.2 billion, which puts him at No. 270 overall. Mavericks owner and Shark Tank star Mark Cuban's on the list too, at No. 527. The 57-year-old is worth an estimated $3.2 billion, up from $3 billion.

Here are the remaining North Texans on Forbes' list of the world's richest for 2016:

Robert Rowling (Dallas), No. 286, $4.9 billion
Ross Perot (Dallas), No. 403, $3.8 billion
Robert Bass (Fort Worth), No. 612, $2.8 billion
David Bonderman (Fort Worth), No. 688, $2.5 billion
Gerald Ford (Dallas), No. 906, $2 billion
Edward Bass (Fort Worth), No. 1011, $1.8 billion
Lee Bass (Fort Worth), No. 1011, $1.8 billion
Sid Bass (Fort Worth), No. 1011, $1.8 billion
Ray Davis (Dallas), No. 1067, $1.7 billion
W. Herbert Hunt (Dallas), No. 1067, $1.7 billion
Kelcy Warren (Dallas), No. 1067, $1.7 billion
Ross Perot Jr. (Dallas), No. 1198, $1.5 billion
Todd Wagner (Dallas), No. 1198, $1.5 billion
Darwin Deason (Dallas), No. 1275, $1.4 billion
Tim Headington (Dallas), No. 1275, $1.4 billion
Kenny Troutt (Dallas), No. 1367, $1.3 billion

A total of 48 Texans land on the Forbes list. Notable names include Michael Dell ($19.8 billion), best boss ever Jeffrey Hildebrand ($4.2 billion), and Jean Paul DeJoria ($2.8 billion).

The richest people on the planet are Bill Gates of Microsoft fame ($75 billion), Zara's Amancia Ortega ($67 billion), Warren Buffet ($60.8 billion), Mexico's Carlos Slim Helu ($50 billion), and Amazon's Jeff Bezos ($45.2 billion).

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less money, more problems

Making $100K in Dallas in 2025 doesn't stretch as far as it used to

Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

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Dallas' increasing cost of living means making six figures isn't going as far as it used to, according to a just-released income study by personal finance website SmartAsset.

An annual $100,000 salary in Dallas is worth only $77,197 after taxes and when adjusted for the city's cost of living, the annual report revealed. That's nearly $900 less than what six-figure-earning Dallasites were bringing home in 2024.

North Texans living in Plano are taking home even less: The study says a Plano resident's six-figure salary is only worth $71,372 in 2025.

In the report's rankings of U.S. cities where $100,000 is worth the least, Plano ranked at No. 26, while Dallas ranked 38th.

Manhattan, New York is the No. 1 place where a six-figure salary is worth the least, where a New Yorker's take-home pay is only worth $30,362 after taxes and adjusted for the cost of living.

The report warns a six-figure salary may seem comfortable at first, but it may not stretch as far depending on where an individual lives, any applicable tax obligations, and the rate of inflation.

"Earning $100,000 places an individual tax filer at the upper limit of the 22 percent federal tax bracket," the report's author wrote. "But taxes aren’t the only factor. The cost of living varies widely across the country, affecting how much purchasing power remains after necessary expenses."

Cities a $100,000 salary goes the furthest
The U.S. city where a six-figure salary goes the furthest is Oklahoma City, where residents come away with $89,989 after all expenses.

Despite a six-figure salary not stretching very far in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas cities actually dominated the top 10 list of U.S. cities where a $100,000 is worth the most. Texas doesn't impose state or local income taxes, which likely boosted its statewide six-figure salary value.

Six-figure earners living in El Paso see the greatest amount in take-home pay statewide, according to SmartAsset, with residents making $89,114 annually after taxes and expenses in 2025. That's $274 more than 2024's take-home pay.

The four other Texas cities where a $100,000 salary goes the furthest after taxes and expenses are:

No. 3 – Corpus Christi ($88,015)
No. 6 – Lubbock ($86,846)
No. 7 – San Antonio ($86,084)
No. 9 – Houston ($83,343)

SmartAsset used its paycheck calculator to apply federal, state and local taxes to an annual salary of $100,000 in 69 of the largest American cities, which was then adjusted for the local cost of living (which included average costs for housing, groceries, utilities, transportation, and miscellaneous goods and services).

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