Many try, but no one, it seems, can topple Walmart heiress Alice Walton of Fort Worth from her perch as the wealthiest person in Texas. In fact, her net worth soared by $6.7 billion from 2017 to 2018, according to the latest Forbes 400 list of the richest Americans.
The new Forbes 400 ranking puts Walton, with an estimated net worth of $44.9 billion, atop the list of Texas billionaires and at No. 12 nationwide.
This year, 12 Dallas billionaires land on the Forbes list: Andrew Beal (No. 46), Jerry Jones (No. 75), Robert Rowling (No. 107), Ray Lee Hunt (No. 127, tie), Trevor Rees-Jones (No. 127, tie), Kelcy Warren (No. 136), Ross Perot, Sr. (No. 172), Mark Cuban (No. 190), Gerald Ford (No. 280), Ray Davis (No. 316), W. Herbert Hunt (No. 328), and Ross Perot, Jr. (No. 354).
Walton is joined by four other Fort Worth billionaires on the list. She also happens to be the country’s and world’s richest woman. Last year, Walton ranked 13th nationwide with an estimated net worth of $38.2 billion, up from $35 billion in 2016 and $32 billion in 2016. From 2017 to 2018 alone, Walton’s net worth jumped nearly 18 percent.
Not far behind her on this year’s Forbes 400 — at No. 2 in Texas and No. 17 in the U.S. — is Austin tech titan Michael Dell, whose net worth is estimated at $27.6 billion in 2018, up from $23.2 billion last year. He’s chairman and CEO of the Round Rock-based tech company that bears his name.
For those keeping score, Houston boasts the most billionaires on the Texas list (13), followed by Dallas (12), Fort Worth and Austin (six each), and Brownsville (one). No one from San Antonio appears in this year’s Forbes 400.
Walton and Dell are the only two Texans among the 20 richest Americans. In all, 38 Texans appear in this year’s Forbes 400. Other than Walton and Dell, they are:
Andrew Beal
City: Dallas
Net worth: $9.9 billion
U.S. rank: 46
Source of wealth: Banking, real estate
Notable: Sold Preston Hollow estate in 2017 for $36.2 million
Jerry Jones
City: Dallas
Net worth: $6.9 billion
U.S. rank: 75
Source of wealth: Dallas Cowboys
Notable: Controls NFL’s most valuable franchise, worth estimated $5 billion
Richard Kinder
City: Houston
Net worth: $6.6 billion
U.S. rank: 79 (tie)
Source of wealth: Pipelines
Notable: Through family foundation, donated $70 million for Houston’s Memorial Park
Dannine Avara
City: Houston
Net worth: $6.2 billion
U.S. rank: 88 (tie)
Source of wealth: Pipelines
Notable: Formerly practiced law
Scott Duncan
City: Houston
Net worth: $6.2 billion
U.S. rank: 88 (tie)
Source of wealth: Pipelines
Notable: Is youngest Texas billionaire on list (age 35)
Milane Frantz
City: Houston
Net worth: $6.2 billion
U.S. rank: 88 (tie)
Source of wealth: Pipelines
Notable: Became billionaire after 2010 death of father Dan Duncan
Randa Williams
City: Houston
Net worth: $6.2 billion
U.S. rank: 88 (tie)
Source of wealth: Pipelines
Notable: Chairs board of family-owned energy company
Robert Rowling
City: Dallas
Net worth: $5.8 billion
U.S. rank: 107
Source of wealth: Hotels, investments
Notable: Donated millions of dollars for law and leadership center at Southern Methodist University
Ray Lee Hunt
City: Dallas
Net worth: $5.3 billion
U.S. rank: 127 (tie)
Source of wealth: Oil, real estate
Notable: Chairs board of family-owned businesses
Trevor Rees-Jones
City: Dallas
Net worth: $5.3 billion
U.S. rank: 127 (tie)
Source of wealth: Oil and gas
Notable: Sold University Park estate in 2018
Robert Bass
City: Fort Worth
Net worth: $5 billion
U.S. rank: 134 (tie)
Source of wealth: Oil, investments
Notable: Chairs board of company seeking to develop first supersonic business jet
Kelcy Warren
City: Dallas
Net worth: $4.9 billion
U.S. rank: 136 (tie)
Source of wealth: Pipelines
Notable: “Flunked out” of University of Texas at Arlington but returned to earn engineering degree
Tilman Fertitta
City: Houston
Net worth: $4.5 billion
U.S. rank: 153 (tie)
Source of wealth: Houston Rockets, restaurants, entertainment
Notable: Bought Rockets in 2017 for $2.2 billion
Robert Smith
City: Austin
Net worth: $4.4 billion
U.S. rank: 163 (tie)
Source of wealth: Private equity
Notable: Paid $59 million for three-story New York penthouse in 2018
Ross Perot Sr.
City: Dallas
Net worth: $4.2 billion
U.S. rank: 172 (tie)
Source of wealth: Computer services, real estate
Notable: Is oldest Texas billionaire on list (age 88)
Bert “Tito” Beveridge
City: Austin
Net worth: $4 billion
U.S. rank: 179 (tie)
Source of wealth: Vodka
Notable: Net worth shot up by 60 percent from 2017 to 2018
Dan Friedkin
City: Houston
Net worth: $4 billion
U.S. rank: 179 (tie)
Source of wealth: Toyota dealerships
Notable: Controls largest private company in Houston
Jeffery Hildebrand
City: Houston
Net worth: $4 billion
U.S. rank: 179 (tie)
Source of wealth: Oil
Notable: Sits on University of Texas System Board of Regents
Mark Cuban
City: Dallas
Net worth: $3.9 billion
U.S. rank: 190 (tie)
Source of wealth: Online media
Notable: Owns Dallas Mavericks and is investor on “Shark Tank”
Robert McNair
City: Houston
Net worth: $3.8 billion
U.S. rank: 200 (tie)
Source of wealth: Energy, sports
Notable: Owns Houston Texans
Sid Bass
City: Fort Worth
Net worth: $3.4 billion
U.S. rank: 232 (tie)
Source of wealth: Oil, investments
Notable: Invested millions of dollars in maker of Blue Bell ice cream
John Arnold
City: Houston
Net worth: $3.3 billion
U.S. rank: 239 (tie)
Source of wealth: Hedge funds
Notable: Donated millions of dollars to help survivors of Hurricane Harvey
David Bonderman
City: Fort Worth
Net worth: $3.3 billion
U.S. rank: 239 (tie)
Source of wealth: Private equity
Notable: Chairs board of low-cost Irish airline Ryanair
Joseph Liemandt
City: Austin
Net worth: $3 billion
U.S. rank: 271 (tie)
Source of wealth: Software
Notable: Drove effort to establish nonprofit Ride Austin ride-hailing service
Gerald Ford
City: Dallas
Net worth: $2.9 billion
U.S. rank: 280 (tie)
Source of wealth: Banking
Notable: Donated $20 million to build football stadium at Southern Methodist University
Ray Davis
City: Dallas
Net worth: $2.6 billion
U.S. rank: 316 (tie)
Source of wealth: Pipelines
Notable: Co-owns Texas Rangers
John Paul DeJoria
City: Austin
Net worth: $2.6 billion
U.S. rank: 316 (tie)
Source of wealth: Hair care products, tequila
Notable: Sold 70 percent stake of Patron tequila brand in 2018 for $5.1 billion
William F. Austin
City: Brownsville
Net worth: $2.5 billion
U.S. rank: 328 (tie)
Source of wealth: Hearing aids
Notable: Named Goodwill Global Ambassador for Ear and Hearing Health in 2017
Lee Bass
City: Fort Worth
Net worth: $2.5 billion
U.S. rank: 328 (tie)
Source of wealth: Oil, investments
Notable: Owns two cattle ranches in South Texas
George Bishop
City: The Woodlands
Net worth: $2.5 billion
U.S. rank: 328 (tie)
Source of wealth: Oil and gas
Notable: Owns ranch in South Texas and golf course near Houston
W. Herbert Hunt
City: Dallas
Net worth: $2.5 billion
U.S. rank: 328 (tie)
Source of wealth: Oil
Notable: Named (with wife Nancy) Les Femmes du Monde’s 2016 Couple of the Year
Edward Bass
City: Fort Worth
Net worth: $2.4 billion
U.S. rank: 344 (tie)
Source of wealth: Oil, investments
Notable: Married longtime girlfriend Sasha Camacho in 2017
Thai Lee
City: Austin
Net worth: $2.3 billion
U.S. rank: 354 (tie)
Source of wealth: Information technology
Notable: Runs one of country’s largest woman-owned businesses
Drayton McLane Jr.
City: Houston
Net worth: $2.3 billion
U.S. rank: 354 (tie)
Source of wealth: Walmart, logistics
Notable: Chairs initiative bringing high-speed “bullet” train to Texas
Ross Perot Jr.
City: Dallas
Net worth: $2.3 billion
U.S. rank: 354 (tie)
Source of wealth: Real estate
Notable: Sold Dallas Mavericks to Mark Cuban in 2000
Leslie Alexander
City: Houston
Net worth: $2.1 billion
U.S. rank: 383 (tie)
Source of wealth: Sports
Notable: Sold Houston Rockets in 2017 for $2.2 billion
