Top 10 Wealthiest Families in the World
No matter what your financial standing tracking the wealthy–whether through admiration or resentment, is likely to be more enjoyable and less stressful than pursuing a mortgage and shopping for the best online broker or analyzing economics and finance.
The appeal of wealthy families reflects an attitude that glorifies wealth and idolizes the wealthy. The highest echelon of business leaders is regarded as celebrities of a specific kind, who are scrutinized for their abilities to be actors, athletes, and even politicians.
The success of a family-owned business can have a universal appeal. A few of us will be billionaires, but everyone benefits from a family. Furthermore, family-owned business models reflect values of authenticity, family, tradition, heritage lineage, and high quality. Wealthy families signify royalties, mainly if the wealth is transgenerational.
To simplify the process for simplicity, we have limited our list of wealthiest families to those that first made their fortunes from business, even if a few descendants of the wealth have yet to be employed in the company.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- With $224.5 billion, The Waltons are the most wealthy household in the entire world due to their massive stake in Walmart, the world’s largest company in terms of revenue.
- A fourth-generation member of the Mars family, the second-richest family following the Waltons, is now the CEO of the eponymously-named Mars candy company.
- Though estimated to be around $105 billion in value, the actual Worth of the House of Saud is challenging to determine accurately due to how large the family of Saud is.
- Focusing on families only, this list cannot include the most wealthy people on the planet, which includes Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk.
Walton Family
- Estimated Value of Wealth: $224.5 billion 1
- Company: Walmart
The Waltons are the most affluent family of all time. The family is at their highest value point. The family’s wealth is estimated to be around $65 billion by 2022. Jim, Alice, and Rob Walton are each worth approximately $65 billion. They are ranked as No. 16, 19, 18, and 16 respectively on Forbes”Billionaire List. 2
Walmart is a giant retailer. It was founded in 1962 by Sam Walton in Arkansas 1962; Walmart is now the largest corporation in the world by 2021’s revenue, having $524 billion and 2.3 million U.S. associates. 3 4
If Walmart employees constituted each city in their home, the result would become five times the largest American town. Walmart has more than 10,000 retail stores around the world and has over 4,720 stores across the U.S. as of December 2022. 5 6
The most well-known is its large-box stores in suburban and rural America; Walmart is celebrated for its affordable products but is criticized for its labor policies. 7 Unlike Target, its main competitor, The company could not bring its high-end consumer-oriented culture into New York City. Target.
Mars Family
- Estimated Value of Wealth: $160 billion 1
- Company: Mars
Mars can be described as the Walmart of candy, a multi-generational family business that’s widely used and extremely loved. The company is known more for its production of M&Ms as opposed to its famous Mars bar. 2017 saw the world’s biggest candy maker diversify its product line by acquiring VCA, the pet-care company purchased for $9.1 billion. 8
Brothers Jacqueline and John Mars, whose grandfather, Frank Mars, founded the company, have a total net worth in the region of $31.7 billion. They are tied with the number. 41 on Forbes, the Forbes listing of the world’s billionaires. The company is currently operated by their children, who are the 4th generation Mars relatives. 2 9
Koch Family
- Estimated Value of Wealth:$128.8 billion 1
- Company: Koch Industries
Charles Koch owes his staggering fortune to the oil company that his father started; however, today, he is likely to be more famous to the public for his political activities, digging through his pockets to put his stamp on it. He has been financing candidates and think tanks of the libertarian left, funding professorships at universities, and lobbying for policy positions, all of which are geared towards advancing an agenda of conservatives. 10 11
Charles was a partner with brother David until his death in 2019. Charles is estimated to be worth $60 billion. He is tied for the 21st spot alongside David’s wife, Julia Koch, and family on the Forbes billionaires list. 12 2
Al Saud Family
- Estimated Value of Wealth: $105 billion 1
- Company: Saudi Royal Family
The House of Saud, the Saudi royal family, has a royal tradition that spans nearly 100 years. The family’s wealth of $105 billion estimated, is a result of many years of receiving payments made by the Royal Diwan, the king’s executive office. 1
Relations to Saudi Aramco One of the most profitable corporations and a giant of the petroleum industry will ensure there is no doubt that it is the Saudi royal family can continue to accumulate wealth. It is hard to quantify the riches that is Saudi Aramco, the House of Saud, in part because the family has more than 1500 extended relatives, many of whom have established businesses and won federal contracts, as well as many more. 1
Hermes Family
- Estimated Worth: $94.6 billion 1
- Company: Hermes
French fashion house and luxury retailer Hermes has been awe-inspiring to people worldwide with its distinctive neckties, scarfs, perfumes, and famous Kelly and Birkin bags. In the nineteenth century, Thierry Hermes designed riding clothing for the aristocracy. 1
Today, the company wears basketball stars like LeBron James. 13 Combining old-fashioned and modern technologies, Hermes Apple Watches sell at $1,299 and higher prices. 14 Axel Dumas is Hermes’ executive director, and Pierre-Alexis Dumas is an artistic vice president. 15
Ambani Family
- Estimated Worth: $84.6 billion 1
- Company: Reliance Industries
Indian Industrial company Reliance Industries, the only Asian company in our list, may be among the less well-known companies to the average reader. 1
However, the company’s CEO, Mukesh Ambani, who, with his late father, founded the company now ranked 10th on the Forbes billionaires’ list, is in charge of refining petroleum, petrochemicals, oil textiles, and gas. His brother Anil oversees telecommunications, entertainment, asset management, and power generation. 16 2
Wertheimer Family
- Estimated Value of Wealth:$79 billion 1
- Company: Chanel
French fashion house Chanel is famous for its iconic “little black dress,” the No.5 perfume, and the late creator Karl Lagerfeld, who died on Feb. 19. 19, 2019. 17 18
Brothers Alain and Gerhard Wertheimer now co-own the company their grandfather invested in alongside their founder Gabrielle Coco Chanel. They are both listed at 43rd on the Forbes Billionaires list, with an estimated net worth of $31.2 billion. 1 2
Cargill, MacMillan Family
- Estimated Worth:$65.2 billion 1
- Company: Cargill
Cargill is among the biggest and most profitable agricultural enterprises around the globe. It was founded by William W. Cargill, who established the commodities business by opening an agricultural storage facility in Iowa around 1865. 1
The company is owned by the two descendants of William W. Cargill and his son-in-law, John H. MacMillan, which is why the two names belong to the family of the business. 1
Thomson Family
- Estimated Worth: $53.9 billion 1
- Company: Thomson Reuters
The Thomson family gets its wealth from Thomson Reuters, the media company. Thomson Reuters was founded in the 1930s, when Roy Thomson started a radio station in Ontario, Canada, and then moved to newspaper publishing. 1
The grandson of Roy Thomson, David Thomson, is the chairman of Thomson Reuters. Thomson ranks 26th on the Forbes Billionaires list, with $49.2 billion. 19 2
Hoffmann, Oeri Family
- Estimated Value of Wealth: $45.1 billion 1
- Company: Roche
Roche is a Swiss pharmaceutical company founded by Fritz Hoffmann-La Roche in 1896. Its revenue is driven by its chemotherapy drugs, which led to 2021’s total of $68.7 billion. 1
The descendants from La Roche control 9% of the company’s assets. 1
What Is the Richest Family on Earth?
According to Bloomberg, the Walton family is worth $224.5 billion in projected wealth by 2022. The Walton family ranks as the wealthiest family in the world. 1
Which 10 Families Are the Wealthiest?
The ten families with the wealthiest households in 2022, according to the estimated value, are:
- The Walton family has $224.5 billion.
- The Mars family of $160 billion
- The Koch family has $128.8 billion.
- Al Saud family with $105 billion. Al Saud family with $105 billion.
- The Hermes family of $94.6 billion
- The Ambani family has $84.6 billion
- The Wertheimer family has a wealth of $79 billion.
- It is the Cargill, MacMillan family with $65.2 billion
- The Thomson family of Thomson with $53.9 billion.
- Hoffman, Oeri family with $45.1 billion. Hoffman, Oeri family with $45.1 billion 1
Who Are the Wealthiest People in the World?
The top three wealthiest individuals on earth during Dec. 6. 2022, are Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk. LVMH chairperson Bernard Arnault Chairman of Adani Group Gautam Adani.
How Rich Are the Britsh Royal Family?
Although the British royalty is indeed an incredible source of interest for many people and the Windsor have amassed a wealth of assets, jewels, and works of art throughout the decades in the era of their rule, we may never know how much money the family has accumulated. The assessment of the wealth of the British royal family is a challenge due to the variety of its possessions and the historical significance of the holdings, and the long-standing tradition of secrecy regarding the financial information of the family.
The Bottom Line
This list can seem like a naked celebration of wealth in a time of increasing global inequality and a shrinking middle class. It could also be a way of promoting reckless consumption at a moment when our future as a society itself is in doubt. Furthermore, the emphasis on families means that the list needs to be more inclusive of the three wealthiest people in the world.
