Richest billionaires in Pennsylvania
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 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.
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 who are residents of Pennsylvania, using data from Forbes. Billionaires are ranked by net worth as of Feb. 23. Forbes lists 18 billionaires in Pennsylvania.
#18. Richard Yuengling Jr
- Net worth: $1.0 billion (#2,460 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Pottsville
- Source of wealth: beer
#17. Richard Hayne
- Net worth: $1.2 billion (#2,235 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Philadelphia
- Source of wealth: Urban Outfitters, self made
#16. Brian Roberts
- Net worth: $1.4 billion (#2,001 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Philadelphia
- Source of wealth: Comcast
#15. Alfred West Jr
- Net worth: $1.4 billion (#2,000 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Paoli
- Source of wealth: money management, self made
#14. Maggie Hardy Knox
- Net worth: $1.4 billion (#1,997 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Belle Vernon
- Source of wealth: building materials
#13. Alan Miller & family
- Net worth: $1.4 billion (#1,978 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Lower Merion
- Source of wealth: healthcare services, self made
#12. David Paul
- Net worth: $1.5 billion (#1,829 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Audubon
- Source of wealth: medical devices, self made
#11. Jared Isaacman
- Net worth: $1.8 billion (#1,582 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Easton
- Source of wealth: payment processing, self made
#10. Edward Stack
- Net worth: $1.9 billion (#1,517 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Sewickley
- Source of wealth: Dick's Sporting Goods, self made
#9. Thomas Tull
- Net worth: $2.8 billion (#1,073 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Pittsburgh
- Source of wealth: movies, investments, self made
#8. John Middleton
- Net worth: $3.4 billion (#852 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Bryn Mawr
- Source of wealth: tobacco
#7. Mary Alice Dorrance Malone
- Net worth: $4.1 billion (#679 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Coatesville
- Source of wealth: Campbell Soup
#6. Jeffrey Lurie & family
- Net worth: $4.4 billion (#621 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Wynnewood
- Source of wealth: Philadelphia Eagles
#5. Thomas Hagen
- Net worth: $4.5 billion (#616 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Erie
- Source of wealth: insurance
#4. Arthur Dantchik
- Net worth: $7.5 billion (#299 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Gladwyne
- Source of wealth: trading, investments, self made
#3. Victoria Mars
- Net worth: $9.6 billion (#193 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Philadelphia
- Source of wealth: candy, pet food
#2. Michael Rubin
- Net worth: $11.3 billion (#156 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Bryn Mawr
- Source of wealth: online retail, self made
#1. Jeff Yass
- Net worth: $30.0 billion (#43 wealthiest in the world)
- Residence: Haverford
- Source of wealth: trading, investments, self made