YP Social Diary

The 6 fall galas and parties every Dallas young professional should attend

Aida Kurtanovic, Nejra Kurtanovic, Jenna Jenovich

Aida Kurtanovic, Nejra Kurtanovic, and Jenna Jenovich at a past Dallas Autumn Ball.

Photo by WJNPHOTO

Dallas young professionals, it’s time to circle some important upcoming dates in the fall 2022 social diary.

From a new sporty soiree to a bubbly-fueled cocktail party and galas that rock late into the night, these are the six top philanthropic events that no Dallas YP will want to miss this fall.

The Tailgate , presented by CultureMap, October 13
A new signature event for CultureMap, The Tailgate celebrates the culture of sports and the fans who cheer them on. It will feature chef-driven food and signature cocktails, plus game-day-inspired activities, entertainment, and a spotlight on local sports-related nonprofits. Participating restaurants include past Tastemaker winners like Fearing's, Carte Blanche, Empire Baking, TLC Vegan Kitchen, and many more. It'll all take place at The Empire Room. General admission and VIP tickets ($60-$99) are on sale now.

Dallas Opera Crescendo Pre-Show Mixers, October 14 & 28
In an effort to make opera fun and relevant for a whole new generation of patrons, the Dallas Opera this fall introduced a new networking and social group, called Crescendo, for young professionals. Members can enjoy pre-show mixers to mix and mingle before performances, and then significant discounts to each show. There are two this fall: Rigoletto on Friday, October 14, and Hansel and Gretel on Friday, October 28. Memberships are $60 for an individual and $120 for two. Information and registration here.

BubblyQ Young Texans Against Cancer Dallas presents BubblyQPhoto courtesy of YTAC

BubblyQ, October 20
Fourteen years strong, the champagne-infused function at Fearing’s at the Ritz-Carlton may still be the most popular fall fundraiser on the Dallas YP scene. In addition to bites from top local restaurants selected by chef Dean Fearing (Ame, Beverley’s, Meridian, Monarch, and more) and a cocktail experience courtesy of Parliament, there is an epic silent auction filled with trips, spa treatments, and shopping sprees. All proceeds collected by Young Texans Against Cancer support local cancer initiatives. Tickets are $150 and can be purchased online.

Junior League of Dallas Auction, November 5
Themed “Timeless Treasures Auction,” this year’s JLD auction nods to the treasures at the event’s location - the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, including the VIP experience in the Lyda Hill Gems and Mineral Hall. The evening will include a silent auction, gaming, a diamond pull, and entertainment from The Special Edition Band. Patrons can also enjoy a bonus after-hours adventure to “Stay & Play” in the Museum until midnight. Auction benefits the Junior League of Dallas Community Service Fund. Tickets start at $150 and are available here.

Dallas Autumn Ball, November 11
This high-energy, black-tie dance party is traditionally the must-attend gala of fall for young Dallasites. DAB welcomes young professionals donning their glitzy best to Hotel ZaZa for a fun night benefiting local education-focused nonprofits. Guests will arrive at the ninth annual event ready to walk the red carpet, then enjoy a VIP cocktail hour, heavy hors d'oeuvres, premium cocktails, and dancing the night away. Tickets are $125 ($200 for VIP) and available here.

Dallas Millennial Gala 2018 Guests dance the night away at Dallas Millennial Gala. Photo by Octavio Arzola

Dallas Millennial Gala, November 19
The sixth annual Dallas Millennial Gala has a high-fashion twist. Themed “Shape the Runway,” it will include a fashion show directed by this year’s gala chair, Daniel Mofor, along with looks by Sai Sankoh. The night also will feature a cocktail hour, keynote speaker, charity auction, presentation, and reception - all at the Frontiers of Flight Museum. The black-tie gala gives 30 percent of ticket revenue and 100 percent of donations back to organizations that equip diverse individuals to excel in the global economy, they say. Tickets start at $160 and are available here.

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the rich get richer

28 Dallas billionaires make new Forbes list of world's richest people

Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

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According to Forbes, there has “never been a better time to be a billionaire” than in 2026, and the publication's newest World’s Billionaires List has revealed the 28 Dallas billionaires that have risen among the wealthiest worldwide.

Koch Inc. stakeholder Elaine Marshall and her family are the richest Dallas residents, ranking No. 71 on the global list with an estimated net worth of $30.9 billion. Her net worth has grown by $2.6 billion since last year.

Oil magnate Lyndal Stephens Greth and her family are the second richest Dallasites in 2026, ranking only six spots behind Marshall with an estimated net worth of $30 billion. Greth was the former chair of major oil production company Endeavor Energy Resources, which she sold to Diamondback Energy in 2024.

Out of the 390 billionaire newbies that made their debut onto the list this year, these two call Dallas-Fort Worth home: financial services investor Thomas Dundon, and oil and gas investor and data center businessman Toby Neugebauer and his family.

Dundon made his debut on the 2026 list with a $2.3 billion net worth. Dundon founded subprime auto lender Drive Financial in 1997, sold the company to global banker Santander in 2015, and came away with $700 million out of the deal, Forbes said in his profile. He currently serves as the chairman and managing partner of Dallas-based private investment firm Dundon Capital Partners. Most recently, Dundon sold his minority stake in the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes, and is in the process of buying NBA team the Portland Trail Blazers.

According to Forbes, Neugebauer was the CEO and executive chairman of the short-lived controversial "anti-woke" fintech startup GloriFi, which filed for bankruptcy in 2023. Neugebauer has since been embroiled in what Bloomberg Law described as a "complex legal back and forth" with the investors "related to the control and eventual closure of the banking and financial services company he founded." But his $2 billion current net worth was enough to land him in a multi-person tie for the No. 2052 spot on the list.

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

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and family: ranked No. 128 with an estimated net worth of $20.3 billion, up from $16.6 billion in 2025
Banking and real estate mogul Andy Beal: No. 238, $12.6 billion, up from $12 billion
Money manager Ken Fisher: No. 226, $13.2 billion, up from $11.2 billion
Hotel and investment guru Robert Rowling: No. 402, $8.8 billion, up from $8.5 billion
Oil and gas tycoon Kelcy Warren: No. 477, $7.8 billion, up from $7.1 billion
Oil and real estate titan Ray Lee Hunt: No. 623, $6.6 billion, down from $6.8 billion
Real estate bigwig H. Ross Perot Jr.: No. 649, $6.5 billion, up from $4.6 billion
Media magnate Mark Cuban: No. 694, $6 billion, up from $5.7 billion
Margot Birmingham Perot, widow of tech and real estate entrepreneur H. Ross Perot Sr.: No. 720, $5.8 billion, up from $5.3 billion
Oil and gas honcho Trevor Rees-Jones: No. 694, $6 billion, up from $5.2 billion
Private equity firm co-founder Carl Thoma: No. 730, $5.7 billion, up from $4.4 billion
Oil and gas magnate Ray Davis: No. 1108, $3.9 billion, up from $3.6 billion
Biotech entrepreneur Ben Lamm: No. 1108, $3.9 billion, up from $3.7 billion
H-E-B executive Stephen Butt & family: No. 1325, $3.2 billion, up from $3.1 billion
Real estate mogul Fernando De Leon: No. 1376, $3.1 billion, up from $2.8 billion
Banking businessman Gerald Ford: No. 1376, $3.1 billion, up from $2.7 billion
Media entrepreneur Todd Wagner: No. 1834, $2.3 billion, up from $1.9 billion
Kansas City Chiefs owners Clark Hunt and family, Daniel Hunt and family, and Sharron Hunt and family: tied for No. 2052, $2 billion, up from $1.6 billion
Telecommunications founder Kenny Troutt: No. 2386, $1.7 billion, flat since 2024
Online auction CEO A. Jayson Adair: No. 2481, $1.6 billion, down from $2 billion
RealPage founder Stephen Winn: No. 2600, $1.5 billion, flat since 2024
Oil tycoon and film producer Timothy Headington: No. 3017, $1.2 billion, flat since 2024

Missing from the 2026 list is tech entrepreneur Darwin Deason, who died in December 2025. Deason, 85, founded Dallas-based information technology company Affiliated Computer Services in 1988 and later sold it to Xerox in 2010.

Elsewhere in Dallas-Fort Worth, Walmart heiress Alice Walton has maintained her elite status as the world’s richest woman for the third year in a row. Walton knocked French L’Oreal heiress Françoise Bettencourt Meyers down to second place in 2024, and has remained at the top ever since. Walton is the 14th richest person on the planet, moving up one spot on the list from last year.

Walton’s current net worth is estimated at $134 billion, an eye-catching $33 billion higher than her 2025 net worth of $101 billion. She is the first American woman worth $100 billion, and one of only 20 “centi-billionaires” worldwide claiming 12-figure fortunes, also known as the "$100 Billion Club."

Elsewhere in Texas, Austin billionaire Elon Musk was declared the world's richest person for the second consecutive year, and Forbes said his “grip on the top spot is as strong as it’s ever been.”

“Musk became the first person to hit $500 billion in wealth, in October,” Forbes said. “Then $600 billion and $700 billion, within four days in December. Then $800 billion, in February.”

The Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI founder’s current net worth has skyrocketed to $839 billion — a shocking $497 billion more than his 2025 net worth.

forbes billionaires dallas society