Oh, What a Night

Dreamy Dallas gala raises record $2.1 million for diabetes research

For the organizers of the 2018 JDRF Dallas Dream Gala, the lavish event really was a dream come true. The fundraiser — themed, appropriately, "Oh, What a Night!" — raised a record $2.1 million toward JDRF's goal of eradicating type 1 diabetes.

This year’s gala, held at the Omni Dallas Hotel, was chaired by David Strauss and honored Joe DePinto, president and chief executive officer of 7-Eleven, Inc. Scott Paul served as corporate chair; Harold, Leigh and Jordon Gernsbacher, as fund a cure chairs; and Elle Paul and Kim Lites, as auction chairs.

As they arrived, guests — including Trey and Rachel Parker, Esther Maldonado, Allison and Derek Dooley, Aaron and Misty Herrington, Allison and Shane Dubose, Debbie Frazier, and Nic Turpin — were treated to a cocktail reception that included a first look at the many silent auction items and sugar-free Slurpees from 7-Eleven.

Ballroom doors then opened for a multicourse dinner highlighted by a seared filet of beef with potato terrine, roasted baby carrots, Brussel sprouts, broccolini, and cherry tomatoes in a bordelaise sauce.

Master of ceremonies, Fox 4 News Anchor Steve Eager, kicked off the program with a video highlighting JDRF’s efforts both locally and nationally to progressively remove the impact of type-1 diabetes from people’s lives. JDRF Greater Dallas executive director Amy Camp welcomed guests and noted that it was the largest-attended gala in the Dallas chapter's history.

Honoree DePinto took to the stage to explain why he is so passionate for JDRF's cause. "I’ve long been impressed by the great work being done by this wonderful organization," he told the audience. "JDRF is doing so much to save lives and to improve lives. The organization has raised or directed over $2 billion dollars towards efforts that have improved treatments, as well as researching for a cure.”

During the dessert course, Mark Schenfeld of Stokes Auction Group conducted a live auction. Bidding was fierce for fabulous items including an “Uncork and Unwind” package for three couples in Napa Valley; a 7-Eleven Slurpee Party for 250 guests; a high-roller experience in Las Vegas; admission to a live taping of The Voice; a Viking kitchen dream kitchen makeover; a Game of Thrones experience in Ireland; and more.

The emotional high point of the night came during a "fund a cure" presentation, led by Harold Gernsbacher and his daughters, Jordan and Leigh. Jordan spoke passionately about her journey through type 1 diabetes, which she was diagnosed with at age 6. To honor the family's ongoing commitment to the cause, Harold donated $120,365 to kick off the live-ask event. Patrons around the room pledged donations at whatever amount they could afford.

To end the evening on a celebratory notes, guests hit the dance floor as The Midtown Men entertained with popular hits from the 1960s.

The annual Dream Gala raises money to fund type-1 diabetes research, advocate for government support of research and new therapies, and connects and engages the diabetes community.

Rachel Parker, Trey Parker

Photo by Tamytha Cameron

Rachel Parker, Trey Parker

galas fundraisers

The Rich List

Dallas visionary joins 18 DFW billionaires on new Forbes' richest list

Ben Lamm and George Church, Colossal cofounders

Courtesy of Colossal

Ben Lamm (left) and George Church (right) founded Colossal in 2021.

The richest billionaires in America have a collective worth of $8 trillion in 2026, a staggering $1.4 trillion increase since last year, says Forbes. And the Dallas-based billionaire best known for starting a company to resurrect the long-extinct woolly mammoth has become one of the richest people in America.

Biotech "serial entrepreneur" Ben Lamm, cofounder of Colossal Biosciences, has made his debut as one of the country's richest residents for 2026, according to the just-released Forbes 400.

The annual Forbes 400 list is a definitive ranking of the wealthiest Americans, using interviews, financial data, and documentation provided by billionaires and their companies. In all, 43 billionaires across Texas made it on the 2026 list, and 19 are based in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Lamm, 44, cofounded the Texas-based "de-extinction" company with geneticist George Church in 2021 with the goal to resurrect extinct animals including the mammoth, Tasmanian tiger, and the dodo. The company is now worth over $10 billion, and Lamm's own net worth is currently estimated at $5.7 billion.

"Lamm believes that governments, which have long budgeted for conservation efforts, will pay Colossal to reintroduce extinct species or to prevent endangered ones from dying off," Forbes says in Lamm's profile. "In April Lamm spun Astromech out of Colossal. The company, which private investors valued at $3.8 billion in August, uses AI to forecast evolutionary change."

He is tied with Austin billionaire and Tito's Handmade Vodka founder Bert Beveridge as the No. 302 richest person in America.

In nearby Fort Worth, Walmart heiress Alice Walton, 76, who leads as the richest woman globally, still reigns richest woman in America, the third-wealthiest person in Texas, and the richest resident in Fort Worth for 2026.

Walton's net worth has grown by $12 billion since last year, bringing her current net worth to $118 billion. She is the only daughter of late Walmart cofounder Sam Walton, though she focuses her attention on other endeavors like the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine in Bentonville, Arkansas. Forbes still lists her residence as Fort Worth.

Alice Walton in 2026 Walmart heiress and Fort Worth resident Alice Walton is $12 billion richer than she was a year ago.Alice Walton/Facebook

Walton is one of only 62 women billionaires on the Forbes 400 list, making up just 16 percent of the total list.

"Shares of the retailing giant are up more than 10 percent since last year, helping Walton widen her lead over the nation’s second-wealthiest woman, Julia Koch (estimated net worth: $84.6 billion), an heir to the Koch, Inc. conglomerate fortune," Forbes says.

Missing from this year's list is David Dean Halbert of Colleyville. Halbert, 70, earned his billionaire status last year when his diagnostics firm, Caris Life Sciences, went public. He became one of the 400 richest Americans in 2025, but his net worth is currently estimated at $3.7 billion, which — shockingly — makes him one of the 590 American billionaires that are "too poor to make the cut" this year, according to Forbes.

"With the AI and data center boom in full swing and the U.S. stock market near an all-time high, it now takes a record $4.4 billion to rank among the nation’s 400 wealthiest people," the publication said. "That’s $600 million more than last year and $2.7 billion more than a decade ago.

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

Koch, Inc. stakeholder Elaine Marshall and her family rank No. 34 nationally with an estimated net worth of $32.2 billion. Last year: $28.3billion.
Endeavor Energy Resources chairman Lyndal Stephens Greth and her family rank No. 37 nationwide with an estimated net worth of $30 billion. Last year: $27.4 billion.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones of Dallas sits at No. 49 in the U.S. with an estimated net worth of $23.5 billion. Last year: $19.6 billion.
Money manager Ken Fisher of Dallas ranks 83rd nationally with an estimated net worth of $15 billion. Last year: $13.2 billion.
Banking and real estate mogul Andy Beal of Dallas holds the No. 110 spot nationally. His estimated net worth is $12.3 billion. Last year: $12 billion.
Gas tycoon Kelcy Warren of Dallas ranks No. 170 nationally with an estimated net worth of $9.3 billion. Last year: $7.5 billion.
Hotel and investment guru Robert Rowling of Dallas ranks 187th nationally with an estimated net worth of $8.8 billion, unchanged from 2025.
Oil and real estate titan Ray Lee Hunt of Dallas ranks 199th nationally with an estimated net worth of $8.3 billion. Last year: $6.9 billion.
Real estate bigwig H. Ross Perot Jr. of Dallas ranks No. 233 nationally with an estimated net worth of $7.4 billion. Last year: $6.5 billion.
Oil and investment mogul Robert Bass of Fort Worth ranks 245th nationally with an estimated net worth of $7 billion. Last year: $6.1 billion.
Media magnate and Cost Plus Drugs cofounder Mark Cuban of Dallas ranks No. 255 nationally with an estimated net worth of $6.8 billion. Last year: $6 billion.
Margot Birmingham Perot of Dallas, widow of tech and real estate entrepreneur H. Ross Perot Sr., ranks No. 264 nationally with an estimated net worth of $6.4 billion. Last year: $5.7 billion.
Oil and gas honcho Trevor Rees-Jones of Dallas ranks as No. 269 nationally with an estimated net worth of $6.2 billion. Last year: $5.9 billion.
Airplane leasing industry founder Steven Udvar-Hazy of Westlake ranks No. 336 nationally with an estimated net worth of $5.1 billion. Last year: $4.5 billion.
Oil and gas magnate Ray Davis of Dallas ties for 375th nationally with an estimated net worth of $4.6 billion. Last year: $3.5 billion.
Oil heir Sid Bass of Fort Worth and private equity firm cofounder Carl Thoma of Dallas tie for No. 380 nationally with an estimated net worth of $4.5 billion. Last year: $3.8 billion and $4.4 billion, respectively.

forbes 400 forbes billionaires richest americans dallas