Richest billionaires in Illinois

The first billionaire is generally considered to be John D. Rockefeller in 1916, though some argue it was 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 United States has the most billionaires of any country, Americans are somewhat split on their feelings about the billionaire class. According to data from the Pew Research Center, the nation became somewhat more critical of billionaires between 2020 and 2021.

Although support for individual billionaires like Bill Gates is relatively strong, many Americans view the ultrarich—as a group rather than as individuals—negatively. Meanwhile, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is projected to become the world's first trillionaire by 2026.

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 found the richest billionaires in Illinois, using data from Forbes. Net worth is as of Sept. 18, 2025.

#20. Jennifer Pritzker
- Net worth: $2.5 billion
- Source: Hotels, investments
- Industry: Finance & Investments
- Lives in: Chicago, Illinois

#19. Michael Polsky
- Net worth: $2.5 billion
- Source: Electric power
- Industry: Energy
- Lives in: Chicago, Illinois

#18. Matthew Roszak
- Net worth: $3.1 billion
- Source: Cryptocurrency
- Industry: Finance & Investments
- Lives in: Chicago, Illinois

#17. Oprah Winfrey
- Net worth: $3.2 billion
- Source: TV shows
- Industry: Media & Entertainment
- Lives in: Chicago, Illinois

#16. J.B. Pritzker
- Net worth: $3.9 billion
- Source: Hotels, investments
- Industry: Finance & Investments
- Lives in: Springfield, Illinois

#15. Penny Pritzker
- Net worth: $4.1 billion
- Source: Hotels, investments
- Industry: Finance & Investments
- Lives in: Chicago, Illinois

#14. Byron Trott
- Net worth: $4.3 billion
- Source: Investments
- Industry: Finance & Investments
- Lives in: Winnetka, Illinois

#13. Joseph Grendys
- Net worth: $4.9 billion
- Source: Poultry processing
- Industry: Food & Beverage
- Lives in: Chicago, Illinois

#12. Joe Mansueto
- Net worth: $5.8 billion
- Source: Investment research
- Industry: Finance & Investments
- Lives in: Chicago, Illinois

#11. Thomas Pritzker
- Net worth: $5.8 billion
- Source: Hotels, investments
- Industry: Finance & Investments
- Lives in: Chicago, Illinois

#10. Elizabeth Uihlein
- Net worth: $6.0 billion
- Source: Packaging materials
- Industry: Manufacturing
- Lives in: Lake Forest, Illinois

#9. Richard Uihlein
- Net worth: $6.0 billion
- Source: Packaging materials
- Industry: Manufacturing
- Lives in: Lake Forest, Illinois

#8. Steve Lavin & family
- Net worth: $6.3 billion
- Source: Meat processing
- Industry: Food & Beverage
- Lives in: Chicago, Illinois

#7. Eric Lefkofsky
- Net worth: $6.5 billion
- Source: Groupon, investments
- Industry: Technology
- Lives in: Glencoe, Illinois

#6. Justin Ishbia
- Net worth: $6.4 billion
- Source: Private equity
- Industry: Finance & Investments
- Lives in: Chicago, Illinois

#5. Ty Warner
- Net worth: $6.6 billion
- Source: Plush toys, real estate
- Industry: Real Estate
- Lives in: Oak Brook, Illinois

#4. Mark Walter
- Net worth: $7.3 billion
- Source: Finance, asset management
- Industry: Finance & Investments
- Lives in: Chicago, Illinois

#3. Neil Bluhm
- Net worth: $8.6 billion
- Source: Real estate
- Industry: Real Estate
- Lives in: Chicago, Illinois

#2. Patrick Ryan
- Net worth: $9.6 billion
- Source: Insurance
- Industry: Finance & Investments
- Lives in: Winnetka, Illinois

#1. Lukas Walton
- Net worth: $41.8 billion
- Source: Walmart
- Industry: Fashion & Retail
- Lives in: Chicago, Illinois