The first billionaire ever is thought to be Standard Oil magnate John D. Rockefeller back in 1916, or perhaps Henry Ford in 1925. Fast forward some 100 years to 2021: as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to rage, a record-breaking 660 people became billionaires globally, growing the previous year’s number by 30%.
While the U.S. is home to the most billionaires out of any other country, Americans are somewhat split in their feelings on the billionaire class. According to Pew Research Center data, people in the U.S. became somewhat more critical of billionaires between 2020 and 2021. Although support for individual billionaires like Elon Musk or Bill Gates is relatively strong, many Americans view the ultra-rich—as a group rather than as individuals—negatively. Meanwhile, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is projected to become the world’s first trillionaire by 2026.
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The U.S.’s wealthiest billionaires are mostly concentrated within just a couple of industries: finance and investments, and technology. Other wealthy sectors include food and drink, fashion and retail, and media and entertainment. Stacker compiled a list of the richest billionaires that are residents of Florida, using data from Forbes. Billionaires are ranked by net worth as of July 31. Forbes lists 73 billionaires in Florida.
#20. Isaac Perlmutter
- Net worth: $4.6 billion (#603 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Palm Beach, Florida
- Source of wealth: Marvel comics, Self Made
#19. Sami Mnaymneh
- Net worth: $4.6 billion (#598 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Miami Beach, Florida
- Source of wealth: private equity, Self Made
#18. Igor Olenicoff
- Net worth: $4.7 billion (#579 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Lighthouse Point, Florida
- Source of wealth: real estate, Self Made
#17. Robert Rich Jr
- Net worth: $4.9 billion (#539 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Islamorada, Florida
- Source of wealth: frozen foods
#16. Dirk Ziff
- Net worth: $5.0 billion (#522 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: North Palm Beach, Florida
- Source of wealth: investments
#15. Jeff Greene
- Net worth: $5.1 billion (#506 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Palm Beach, Florida
- Source of wealth: real estate, investments, Self Made
#14. Charles B. Johnson
- Net worth: $5.1 billion (#503 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Palm Beach, Florida
- Source of wealth: money management
#13. Micky Arison
- Net worth: $5.5 billion (#466 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Bal Harbour, Florida
- Source of wealth: Carnival Cruises
#12. Ronald Wanek
- Net worth: $5.5 billion (#458 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Saint Petersburg, Florida
- Source of wealth: furniture, Self Made
#11. Tom Golisano
- Net worth: $5.7 billion (#449 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Naples, Florida
- Source of wealth: payroll services, Self Made
#10. Terrence Pegula
- Net worth: $5.8 billion (#440 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Boca Raton, Florida
- Source of wealth: natural gas, Self Made
#9. Orlando Bravo
- Net worth: $6.3 billion (#386 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Miami Beach, Florida
- Source of wealth: private equity, Self Made
#8. Reinhold Schmieding
- Net worth: $6.5 billion (#378 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Naples, Florida
- Source of wealth: medical devices, Self Made
#7. J. Christopher Reyes
- Net worth: $7.1 billion (#325 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Hobe Sound, Florida
- Source of wealth: food distribution, Self Made
#6. Jude Reyes
- Net worth: $7.1 billion (#325 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Palm Beach, Florida
- Source of wealth: food distribution, Self Made
#5. Paul Tudor Jones II
- Net worth: $7.3 billion (#311 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Palm Beach, Florida
- Source of wealth: hedge funds, Self Made
#4. Shahid Khan
- Net worth: $7.6 billion (#296 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Naples, Florida
- Source of wealth: auto parts, Self Made
#3. Carl Icahn
- Net worth: $16.4 billion (#103 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Indian Creek, Florida
- Source of wealth: investments, Self Made
#2. David Tepper
- Net worth: $16.7 billion (#100 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Palm Beach, Florida
- Source of wealth: hedge funds, Self Made
#1. Thomas Peterffy
- Net worth: $19.4 billion (#84 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Palm Beach, Florida
- Source of wealth: discount brokerage, Self Made
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