Richest Texans

DFW billionaire retains crown as richest person in Texas for 2019, Forbes says

Alice Walton is the richest of the rich.

Photo courtesy of Wal-Mart

Walmart heiress Alice Walton of Fort Worth remains the richest person in Texas, according to the newly released Forbes 400 ranking. What’s really astounding, though, is that her estimated net worth skyrocketed by more than $6 billion in just one year.

Forbes pegged Walton’s estimated net worth at $51.4 billion, making her the 11th richest person in the country and the richest person in the Lone Star State. When Forbes published its 2018 ranking of America’s billionaires, her net worth stood at $44.9 billion. Between 2018 and 2019, that’s a difference of $6.5 billion. By comparison, Forbes estimates the entire net worth for pipeline heiress Randa Duncan Williams of Houston, who recently bought Texas Monthly magazine, at $6.3 billion.

Behind Walton among Texas’ wealthiest residents is Michael Dell of Austin. The founder, chairman, and CEO of Round Rock-based Dell Technologies notches a net worth of $32.3 billion, according to Forbes. That puts him at No. 18 on the list of America’s billionaires.

Holding down third place in Texas and 48th place in the U.S. is Dallas banker and real estate titan Andy Beal, with an estimated net worth of $9.8 billion.

This year, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones got muscled out of the No. 4 spot in Texas by Stan Kroenke, whose professional sports holdings include the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams.

The estimated net worth of Kroenke, who owns a 520,000-acre ranch west of Wichita Falls, is $9.7 billion, compared with $8.6 billion for Jones. That puts Kroenke in 49th place among the richest Americans. Kroenke, whose residence previously had been listed as Columbia, Missouri, bought the ranch in 2016; the list price was $725 million.

With Kroenke’s apparent relocation to Texas, Jones dropped this year to No. 5 on the list of the richest Texans and No. 56 among the richest Americans.

By the way, Kroenke’s wife, Walmart heiress Ann Walton Kroenke — also now apparently a Texan, according to Forbes — is tied for sixth place in the ranking of Texas billionaires. She shares that spot with Houston pipeline mogul Richard Kinder. Forbes estimates they’re each worth $7.5 billion, putting them both at No. 67 on the national wealth ladder.

Besides Jones and Beal, Walton keeps company in North Texas with fellow billionaires Robert Rowling, Ray Lee Hunt, Kelcy Warren, Margot Birmingham Perot, Mark Cuban, Trevor Rees-Jones, W. Herbert Hunt, Ray Davis, Gerald Ford, H. Ross Perot Jr., David Bonderman, and four members of the famous Bass family — Edward, Robert, Sid, and Lee.

Here's a closer look at Texans who made it onto this year’s Forbes 400, in order of ranking:

The aforementioned Randa Duncan Williams and her siblings Dannine Avara, Scott Duncan, and Milane Frantz, all of whom live in Houston. Each boasts an estimated net worth of $6.3 billion, tying them for the eighth place in Texas and 100th place nationally.
Omni Hotels and Gold’s Gym king Robert Rowling of Dallas. $5.5 billion. No. 12 in Texas. Tied for No. 119 in U.S.
Oil and gas heir Ray Lee Hunt of Dallas. $5.2 billion No. 13 in Texas. No. 127 in U.S.
Venture capital entrepreneur Robert Smith of Austin. $5 billion. No. 14 in Texas. Tied for No. 131 in U.S.
Oil heir Robert Bass of Fort Worth. $4.9 billion. Tied for No. 15 in Texas and No. 140 in U.S.
Restaurant mogul and Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta of Houston. $4.9 billion. Tied for 15th in Texas and No. 140 in U.S.
Pipeline executive Kelcy Warren of Dallas. $4.3 billion. No. 17 in Texas. Tied for No. 159 in U.S.
Vodka tycoon Bert “Tito” Beveridge of Austin. $4.2 billion. Tied for No. 18 in Texas and No. 168 in U.S.
Margot Birmingham Perot of Dallas, widow of tech entrepreneur H. Ross Perot. $4.2 billion. Tied for No. 18 in Texas and No. 168 in U.S.
Tech entrepreneur and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban of Dallas. $4.1 billion. No. 20 in Texas. Tied for No. 179 in U.S.
Toyota titan Dan Friedkin of Houston. $4 billion. Tied for No. 21 in Texas. Tied for No. 187 in U.S.
Houston Texans co-founder Janice McNair of Houston, widow of businessman and Texans co-founder Bob McNair. $4 billion. Tied for No. 21 in Texas and No. 187 in U.S.
Energy executive Jeffery Hildebrand of Houston. $3.8 billion. No. 23 in Texas. Tied for No. 207 in U.S.
Private equity giant David Bonderman of Fort Worth. $3.7 billion. Tied for No. 24 in Texas and No. 217 in U.S.
Oil and gas chief Trevor Rees-Jones of Dallas. $3.7 billion. Tied for No. 24 in Texas and No. 217 in U.S.
Former hedge fund manager John Arnold of Houston. $3.3 billion. No. 26 in Texas. No. 261 in U.S.
Investor and oil heir Sid Bass of Fort Worth. $3.1 billion. Tied for No. 27 in Texas and No. 275 in U.S.
John Paul DeJoria of Austin. $3.1 billion. Tied for No. 27 in Texas and No. 275 in U.S.
Tech entrepreneur Thai Lee of Austin. $3 billion. Tied for No. 29 in Texas and No. 287 in U.S.
Software entrepreneur Joe Liemandt of Austin. $3 billion. Tied for No. 29 in Texas and No. 287 in U.S.
Oil heir W. Herbert Hunt of Dallas. $2.6 billion. Tied for No. 31 in Texas and No. 333 in U.S.
Investor and former grocery distributor Drayton McLane Jr. of Temple. $2.6 million. Tied for No. 31 in Texas and No. 333 in U.S.
Hearing-aid titan Bill Austin of Brownsville. $2.4 billion. Tied for No. 33 in Texas and No. 355 in U.S.
Energy mogul George Bishop of The Woodlands. $2.4 billion. Tied for No. 33 in Texas and No. 355 in U.S.
Energy entrepreneur and Texas Rangers co-owner Ray Davis of Dallas. $2.3 billion. Tied for No. 35 in Texas and No. 363 in U.S.
Big-time banker Gerald Ford of Dallas. $2.3 billion. Tied for No. 35 in Texas and No. 363 in U.S.
Oil heir Edward Bass of Fort Worth. $2.2 billion. Tied for No. 37 in Texas and No. 370 in U.S.
Oil heir Lee Bass of Fort Worth. $2.2 billion. Tied for No. 37 in Texas and No. 370 in U.S.
Real estate developer H. Ross Perot Jr. of Dallas. $2.2 billion. Tied for No. 37 in Texas and No. 370 in U.S.
Private equity entrepreneur Brian Sheth of Austin. $2.2 billion. Tied for No. 37 in Texas and No. 370 in U.S.

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Texas shocks as America's No. 3 least safe state in 2026 report

Photo by Hiroshi Kimura on Unsplash

Texas ranks as the 48th "safest" state — out of 50.

While no state is invulnerable, some do more to protect their residents than others. And a new study has declared Texas one of the five least safe states in America.

WalletHub's "Safest States in America (2026)" report examined all 50 states for their emergency preparedness and for residents' personal and residential, financial, workplace, and road safety. Factors that weighed into the rankings include specific crime rates per capita, the share of the population that is uninsured, road quality ratings, workplace injury statistics, and more.

Texas ranked at the bottom of the list as the 48th "safest" state — or the third least safe state. It's joined by several other Southern states, like Mississippi (No. 50), Louisiana (No. 49), Florida (No. 47), and Arkansas (No. 46).

According to WalletHub, Texas specifically ranks third to last in the nationwide "emergency preparedness" category, which was determined based on the prevalence of climate disasters causing $1 billion or more in damages from 1980-2024, and the loss amount resulting from those disasters.

The Lone Star State also ranked 40th (or 10th worst) across three safety categories: personal and residential safety, financial safety, and road safety. The report additionally found that Texas has the highest rate of uninsured residents nationally.

Texas' "workplace safety" was the state's highest-ranking category, landing 30th nationally.

Additional rankings that determined Texas' overall safety include:

No. 30 – Assaults per capita
No. 32 – Fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 full-time workers
No. 32 – Sex offenders per capita
No. 35 – Murders and non-negligent manslaughters per capita
No. 36 – Fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel
No. 41 – Loss amounts from climate disasters per capita

According to the report, the five safest states in America are all located in the Northeast. Vermont leads as the country's safest state in 2026, followed by Massachusetts (No. 2), Maine (No. 3), New Hampshire (No. 4), and Connecticut (No. 5).

Though every state has varying levels of safety, WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo asserted that the safest places in the U.S. categorically invest in protecting their residents. Top-ranking states have low crime rates and diligently maintain their road infrastructure, and other states that prioritize their residents' safety have "strong economies and job markets that prevent people from falling into dangerous financial situations."

"[The safest states in America] have high levels of occupational safety and disaster preparedness, too," Lupo said. "In addition, states are made safer by efforts that individual residents take, such as forming a neighborhood watch or working in firefighting and EMT jobs at high rates."

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