Richest billionaires in food and beverage

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.

Food and beverage fortunes are built on products people consume daily, from soft drinks and snack foods to packaged goods and restaurant chains. The billionaires in this space have turned tastes and cravings into global empires.

Stacker compiled the richest billionaires in food and beverage using data from Forbes. Data is as of September 23, 2025.

#20. Marian Ilitch & family
- Net worth: $6.9 billion
- Source: Little Caesars Pizza
- Lives in: Bingham Farms, Michigan

#19. Andrew Cherng
- Net worth: $7.4 billion
- Source: Fast food
- Lives in: Las Vegas, Nevada

#18. Peggy Cherng
- Net worth: $7.4 billion
- Source: Fast food
- Lives in: Las Vegas, Nevada

#17. Pauline MacMillan Keinath
- Net worth: $8.1 billion
- Source: Cargill
- Lives in: St. Louis, Missouri

#16. Lynsi Snyder
- Net worth: $8.7 billion
- Source: In-N-Out Burger
- Lives in: Glendora, California

#15. Elisabeth DeLuca & family
- Net worth: $9.0 billion
- Source: Subway
- Lives in: Pompano Beach, Florida

#14. Harry Stine & family
- Net worth: $9.9 billion
- Source: Agriculture
- Lives in: Adel, Iowa

#13. Victoria Mars
- Net worth: $10.3 billion
- Source: Candy, pet food
- Lives in: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

#12. Valerie Mars
- Net worth: $10.3 billion
- Source: Candy, pet food
- Lives in: New York, New York

#11. Pamela Mars
- Net worth: $10.3 billion
- Source: Candy, pet food
- Lives in: Alexandria, Virginia

#10. Marijke Mars
- Net worth: $10.3 billion
- Source: Candy, pet food
- Lives in: Los Angeles, California

#9. Tilman Fertitta
- Net worth: $10.6 billion
- Source: Entertainment, Houston Rockets
- Lives in: Houston, Texas

#8. J. Christopher Reyes
- Net worth: $13.1 billion
- Source: Food distribution
- Lives in: Hobe Sound, Florida

#7. Jude Reyes
- Net worth: $13.1 billion
- Source: Food distribution
- Lives in: Palm Beach, Florida

#6. Dan Cathy
- Net worth: $13.1 billion
- Source: Chick-fil-A
- Lives in: Atlanta, Georgia

#5. Bubba Cathy
- Net worth: $13.1 billion
- Source: Chick-fil-A
- Lives in: Atlanta, Georgia

#4. Trudy Cathy White
- Net worth: $13.1 billion
- Source: Chick-fil-A
- Lives in: Hampton, Georgia

#3. Todd Graves
- Net worth: $17.2 billion
- Source: Fast food
- Lives in: Baton Rouge, Louisiana

#2. John Mars
- Net worth: $41.1 billion
- Source: Candy, pet food
- Lives in: Jackson, Wyoming

#1. Jacqueline Mars
- Net worth: $41.1 billion
- Source: Candy, pet food
- Lives in: The Plains, Virginia