The Forbes 400

19 Dallas-Fort Worth billionaires land on Forbes' 2023 list of richest Americans

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban's fortune went up this year.

Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images

Austin's Elon Musk and Michael Dell are the richest people in Texas, but Dallas-Fort Worth billionaires are not far behind, according to the newForbes 400, a list of the 400 richest people in the United States for 2023.

Walmart heiress Alice Walton of Fort Worth is the third-richest Texan, the most affluent person in DFW, and the wealthiest woman in America, Forbes says.

"Walton, who had been the nation’s wealthiest woman for seven years before 2022, added $10.8 billion to her fortune since last year after a 26 percent rise in Walmart stock," the report says. "[Julia] Koch, who got a $3.8 billion wealthier, is now the second-richest woman in the country, worth an estimated $59.8 billion."

According to Forbes, Walton's net worth in 2023 is estimated at $66.5 billion, which is much closer to her 2021 net worth of $67.9 billion. Walton, 74, the only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, now focuses primarily on her Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, but Forbes lists her place of residence as Fort Worth.

Forbes' list, published October 3, is a definitive ranking of the wealthiest Americans, using interviews, financial data, and documentation provided by billionaires and their companies.

According to the report, America's elite class is now worth $4.5 trillion total, which ties a record previously set in 2021.

Unsurprisingly, Musk ranks No. 1 nationally, with a net worth of $251 billion.

Here's how the rest of Dallas-Fort Worth's billionaires fared on this year's list:

Banking and real estate mogul Andy Beal of Dallas holds the No. 50 spot nationally. His estimated net worth is $13.8 billion. Last year: $10.3 billion.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones of Dallas sits at No. 48 in the U.S. with an estimated net worth of $14.5 billion. Last year: $16 billion.
Money manager Ken Fisher of Dallas ranks 144th nationally with an estimated net worth of $7.1 billion. Last year: $6.3 billion.
Oil and real estate titan Ray Lee Hunt of Dallas ties for No. 140 nationally with an estimated net worth of $7.2 billion. Last year: $5.7 billion.
Oil and investment mogul Robert Bass of Fort Worth ties for 204th nationally with an estimated net worth of $5.3 billion. Last year: $4.9 billion.
Private equity kingpin David Bonderman of Fort Worth ranks No. 184 nationally with an estimated net worth of $5.7 billion. Last year: $6.5 billion.
Media magnate and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban of Dallas ranks 211th nationally with an estimated net worth of $5.2 billion. Last year: $4.6 billion.
Oil and gas honcho Trevor Rees-Jones of Dallas ties for 227th nationally with an estimated net worth of $4.9 billion. Last year: $4 billion.
Oil baron W. Herbert Hunt of Dallas ties for 227th nationally with an estimated net worth of $4.9 billion. Last year: $4 billion.
Hotel and investment guru Robert Rowling of Dallas ties for 123rd nationally with an estimated net worth of $7.5 billion. Last year: $4.8 billion.
Margot Birmingham Perot of Dallas, widow of tech and real estate entrepreneur H. Ross Perot Sr., ties for 227th nationally with an estimated net worth of $4.9 billion. Last year: $4.5 billion.
Oil and gas tycoon Kelcy Warren of Dallas ties for No. 192 nationally with an estimated net worth of $5.6 billion. Last year: $4.6 billion.
Real estate bigwig H. Ross Perot Jr. of Dallas ties for No. 304 nationally with an estimated net worth of $3.7 billion. Last year: $2.8 billion.
Homebuilder Donald Horton and family of Fort Worth rank 249th nationally with an estimated net worth of $4.6 billion. Last year: unlisted, but an estimated net worth of $2.9 billion in 2021.
Oil and gas magnate Ray Davis of Dallas ties for No. 395 nationally with an estimated net worth of $2.9 billion. Last year: unlisted, but an estimated net worth of $2.3 billion in 2019.
Private equity firm cofounder Carl Thoma ranks No. 326 nationally with an estimated net worth of $3.5 billion. Last year: $3.3 billion.
Oil heir Sid Bass ranks 291st nationally with an estimated net worth of $3.9 billion. Last year: $3.7 billion.
Airplane leasing industry founder Steven Udvar-Hazy of Westlake ranks No. 278 nationally with an estimated net worth of $4.1 billion. Last year: $3.8 billion.

400 richest people Alice Walton Forbes Jerry Jones billionaires reports

Animal News

Wills Point, Texas man charged with cruelty for abandoning 18 animals

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Lucas Wayne Penrod, charged with animal cruelty

Another animal cruelty case has emerged from Van Zandt County, resulting in the arrest of a Wills Point man: Lucas Wayne Penrod was charged with Cruelty to Nonlivestock Animals, a 3rd degree felony.

It began on Friday, October 24, when the Wills Point Police Department performed a welfare check at a mobile home within the city limits. Officers became concerned when they heard multiple dogs barking along with a foul odor of animal waste.

On October 25, after obtaining a search warrant, Wills Point PD and the SPCA of Texas ACI Unit entered the residence and found multiple animals living in deplorable conditions.

The mobile home was filled with trash and animal feces. The team discovered a total of 8 cats, 2 guinea pigs, 4 adult dogs, and 4 puppies, cruelly confined to the unsanitary living conditions on the property.

Two dogs were confined to filthy crates with no access to water.
Three puppies were in a small bathroom covered in urine and feces; one of the puppies was deceased and decomposing.
The guinea pigs were found in a cage without access to food or water.

Most of the animals showed signs of long-term neglect and were in dire need of urgent medical intervention. The animals were seized by the SPCA of Texas and transported to the organization's Dallas location for veterinary care.

Dog in cage Wills Point Lucas Wayne Penrod Dog abandoned in Wills Point by Lucas Wayne Penrod.SPCA

On October 26, Lucas Wayne Penrod, the owner of the animals, contacted an SPCA of Texas Investigator regarding the animals. The Investigator determined that Penrod had unlawfully allegedly abandoned the animals, failing to provide them with proper care, resulting in the death of one of the puppies and the critical state of the surviving animals.

On October 28, the SPCA of Texas Animal Cruelty Investigations (ACI) Unit obtained an arrest warrant for Penrod, who was apprehended by Tyler Police Department and booked into the Smith County Jail with a $50K bond. Penrod was charged with Cruelty to Nonlivestock Animals, a 3rd degree felony.

On November 1, at a civil custody hearing at the Van Zandt County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 courthouse in Wills Point, Penrod relinquished custody of the 18 allegedly abandoned, cruelly treated animals to the SPCA.

"The squalid conditions these beautiful animals were living in were abhorrent--locked in spaces without food or water, in their own excrement," said SPCA of Texas ACI Unit Chief Investigator Courtney Burns, CAWA. "This is some of the worst mistreatment of domestic animals I've seen in my extensive career in animal cruelty investigations. In no small part, these pets owe their lives to the Wills Point Police Department. If it wasn’t for their quick thinking to involve us right away, I don't think the animals would have made it."

"This case perfectly illustrates the team effort that investigating and prosecuting animal cruelty cases in Texas is," Burns added. "We are extremely thankful to the Tyler Police Department for their efficient assistance in apprehending Penrod so that he can be brought to justice in the timeliest manner possible. And we are especially grateful to the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office and court system with whom we continue to partner to get justice for abused animals in their jurisdiction."