Richest in DFW

19 DFW billionaires land on Forbes list of richest Americans in 2024

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has a net worth of $15.2 billion in 2024, Forbes says.

Photo courtesy of Dallas Cowboys

Over a dozen of Dallas-Fort Worth's illustrious billionaires have made the cut on the new Forbes 400, a list of the 400 richest people in the United States for 2024.

Released on October 1, the Forbes 400 list 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 $5.4 trillion collectively, which is a $1 trillion jump since 2023.

“The Forbes 400 is richer than ever, and it’s harder than ever to be one of the 400 richest people in America," said Forbes senior editor Chase Peterson-Withorn in a press release.

In all, 43 Texas billionaires made the list.

Austin resident Elon Musk ranks No. 1 nationally for the third time, with a net worth of $244 billion. Despite ranking at the top of the list this year, Musk's net worth has actually dropped by $7 billion since 2023.

Walmart heiress Alice Walton of Fort Worth is the third-richest Texan, as well as the wealthiest person in DFW and the wealthiest woman in America. According to Forbes' list, Walton has a net worth of $89.2 billion, which has risen significantly from her 2023 net worth of $56.7 billion. Walton, 74, is the only daughter of Sam Walton, who opened the first Walmart store in 1962.

New to the list is Lyndal Stephens Greth, who is the chairman of Midland-based oil company Endeavor Energy Resources and daughter of the late Autry Stephens, who founded the company. Forbes estimates Greth's net worth as $32.3 billion, and lists Dallas as her city of residence. She is the second wealthiest person in Dallas-Fort Worth, and the 28th most affluent person in the U.S.

Greth became chairman of Endeavor Energy Resources after Stephens died in August 2024. In a deal that closed in September, Endeavor Energy Resources was sold to Midland-based Diamondback Energy for an estimated $26 billion in stock and cash.

"Endeavor is one of the largest private oil producers in the U.S., generating some 327,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day," Forbes wrote in Greth's profile. "The company has the rights to drill on more than 500,000 acres in the U.S., mainly in Texas."

The third-richest person in DFW is Koch Inc. co-owner Elaine Marshall and family. Marshall, 82, has an estimated net worth of $28.3 billion — a substantial hike from her last reported net worth of $8.8 billion in 2014. She is the fifth wealthiest Texan and the 35th richest person in the U.S.

"Elaine Marshall owns an estimated 16 percent of $125 billion (sales) conglomerate Koch, Inc. (formerly Koch Industries) with her two sons," Forbes says. "She inherited her stake from husband E. Pierce Marshall (d. 2006), whose father J. Howard Marshall II (d. 1995) was an early partner of founder Fred Koch (d. 1967)."

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

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones of Dallas sits at No. 48 in the U.S. with an estimated net worth of $15.2 billion. Last year: $14.5 billion.
Banking and real estate mogul Andy Beal of Dallas holds the No. 74 spot nationally. His estimated net worth is $12 billion. Last year: $13.8 billion.
Money manager Ken Fisher of Dallas ranks 86th nationally with an estimated net worth of $11.2 billion. Last year: $7.1 billion.
Hotel and investment guru Robert Rowling of Dallas ties for 126 nationally with an estimated net worth of $8.6 billion. Last year: $7.5 billion.
Oil and real estate titan Ray Lee Hunt of Dallas ranks No. 176 nationally with an estimated net worth of $6.9 billion. Last year: $7.2 billion.
Private equity kingpin David Bonderman of Fort Worth and oil and gas tycoon Kelcy Warren of Dallas tie for No. 184 nationally with an estimated net worth of $6.7 billion. Last year: $5.7 billion and $4.6 billion, respectively.
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.
Media magnate and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban of Dallas ties for 230th nationally with an estimated net worth of $5.7 billion. Last year: $5.2 billion.
Margot Birmingham Perot of Dallas, widow of tech and real estate entrepreneur H. Ross Perot Sr., ranks 247th nationally with an estimated net worth of $5.3 billion. Last year: $4.9 billion.
Oil and gas honcho Trevor Rees-Jones of Dallas ties for 256th nationally with an estimated net worth of $5.1 billion. Last year: $4.9 billion.
Real estate bigwig H. Ross Perot Jr. of Dallas holds the No. 288th spot nationally with an estimated net worth of $4.6 billion. Last year: $3.7 billion.
Private equity firm cofounder Carl Thoma and Airplane leasing industry founder Steven Udvar-Hazy of Westlake tie for No. 308 nationally with an estimated net worth of $4.4 billion. Last year: $3.5 billion and $3.8 billion, respectively.
Oil heir Sid Bass ranks 359th nationally with an estimated net worth of $3.7 billion. Last year: $3.9 billion.
Oil and gas magnate Ray Davis of Dallas ranks No. 385 nationally with an estimated net worth of $3.5 billion. Last year: $2.9 billion.

Missing from the 2024 list is oil baron W. Herbert Hunt of Dallas, who died in April 2024. Hunt, 95, had a net worth of $4.7 billion. According to Forbes, Hunt owned Dallas-based oil company Petro-Hunt, a refinery in Louisiana, and also invested in real estate across Texas, Arizona, and California.

Also missing from the 2024 list is D.R. Horton founder Donald Horton, who died at age 74 in May 2024. Forbes estimated his net worth at $5.9 billion.

Find all the Texans on the new Forbes 400 list here.

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Centerstage spotlight

Showstopping Dallas Theater Center gala raises the curtain on a new era

Photo by Tamytha Cameron

Zeke Williams, Grace Cook, Jeff Netzer, Lynn McBee, Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart

On a picture-perfect Saturday night, more than 250 of Dallas’ most devoted arts patrons gathered at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre for CENTERSTAGE 42, the annual gala benefiting Dallas Theater Center. The elegant evening on May 2 proved to be both a celebration of Dallas theater’s past and a curtain-raising for its future.

As the sun began to set across the Diane and Hal Brierley Esplanade in the Dallas Arts District, guests descended the outdoor staircase for an al fresco cocktail reception. One popular stop was just inside the doors of the lobby: A "Ziya" digital photo booth from local company Make Life Sweeter that turned patrons' posed photos into stylized watercolor portraits.

Throughout the venue, installations highlighting Dallas Theater Center’s Public Works initiative reminded attendees that the organization’s impact stretches from the stage to the neighborhoods of North Texas.

A multicourse dinner was served on the stage inside the Potter Rose Performance Hall, making attendees feel like the stars of the show in the intimate, theatrical atmosphere.

One of the night’s most meaningful moments came with the presentation of the prestigious Linda and Bill Custard Award to Larry Angelilli, recognized for more than three decades of leadership and advocacy that helped shape Dallas’ cultural landscape. The gala also paused to honor the memories of two beloved arts patrons, Linda Custard and Sarah Warnecke, both longtime champions of Dallas Theater Center and the broader arts community.

Inspired by their example, guests bid high for fabulous live auction items, including trips to Palm Springs and Hawaii and a private dinner with actor Michael Urie at a home on White Rock Lake. A paddle raise followed, with patrons giving generously all around the room.

Every $100 counted - from upstage, downstage, and closer to the wings - as the sold-out fundraiser's earnings totaled an impressive $545,000 in support of the Tony Award-winning theater company and its education and community engagement programs, including Project Discovery, Summer Stage, Saturday Sessions, and Community Workshops.

It wouldn't have been a theater benefit without a showstopping performer. When scheduled headliner Michael Urie was called away for filming commitments tied to Shrinking, Dallas Theater Center called on homegrown talent — and the result brought the crowd to its feet. Broadway performer Tiffany Mann, a DFW native with credits including Be More Chill and Waitress, delivered a powerhouse performance - and a few sparkly outfit changes.

The entire program was emceed by Bri Woods and Akron Watson, both fresh off Dallas Theater Center’s acclaimed production of Ragtime. Woods, an SMU Meadows graduate and Linda and Bill Custard Meadows Actor in the Diane and Hal Brierley Resident Acting Company, represented the next generation of Dallas theater talent, while Tony-, Grammy-, and Emmy-winning Watson brought Broadway pedigree and star power to the gala stage.

This year’s gala leadership reflected the milestone spirit of the evening. Rather than appointing a single chair, Dallas Theater Center reunited gala chairs from the past decade to lead CENTERSTAGE 42 collectively. Leadership included Jennifer and Peter Altabef, Mickie and Jeff Bragalone, Stephanie Byrd, Scott Davis, Melinda Johnson, Brett Levy, Michelle Lockhart, Ann Mahowald, Deborah McMurray, Scott Moore, Scott Orr, Andy Smith, Paul Von Wupperfeld, Hamilton Sneed, and Krista Farber Weinstein.

The evening also marked an exciting turning point for Dallas Theater Center as it prepares to enter a new era under incoming Enloe/Rose Artistic Director Jaime Castañeda, a TCU grad who is making his return to DFW. The affable leader introduced himself to the audience with a few fun personal anecdotes (including one involving an Easter bunny suit) and expressed his enthusiasm for the vision and direction of DTC.

Cheers went up as Castañeda made a surprise announcement: That The Lehman Trilogy would be the final show in DTC's 2026-27 season.

Upon retrieving their cars from valet, guests departed with an ingenious gift on their front seat: A thank-you note and invitation for two tickets to the DTC's next production, the world premiere of Jonathan Norton's play Malcolm X and Redd Foxx Washing Dishes at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem -on stage now through June 7. "We look forward to welcoming you back to the theater!" read the note.

Spotted in the crowd, enjoying the evening, were DTC patrons and supporters including Zeke Williams, Grace Cook, Jeff Netzer, Lynn McBee, Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart, Ann Mahowald, Michelle Lockhart, Hamilton A Sneed, Krista Farber Weinstein, Caroline Hamilton, Brandi Willis, Paul von Wupperfeld, Andy Smith, Mickie Bragalone, Jeff Bragalone, Deborah McMurray, Glen Davison, Cynthia Smoot, Jeff Netzer, Jeremy Lock, D'Andra Simmons Lock, Lynn Richardson, Elvenn Richardson, Michelle Lockhart, Krista Weinstein, Paul von Wupperfeld, Sarah Jackson, Andy Smith, and many more. (Scroll through the photos, above, to see highlights of the night.)

Photo by Tamytha Cameron

Zeke Williams, Grace Cook, Jeff Netzer, Lynn McBee, Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart

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