Richest billionaires in manufacturing

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.

Manufacturing billionaires control companies that produce the goods that keep economies running. From industrial machinery to household products, their empires reflect the backbone role manufacturing plays in global commerce.

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

#20. William Young
- Net worth: $2.6 billion
- Source: Plastics
- Lives in: Ypsilanti, Michigan

#19. Bill Austin
- Net worth: $2.9 billion
- Source: Hearing aids
- Lives in: Brownsville, Texas

#18. Albert Chao & family
- Net worth: $3.0 billion
- Source: Chemicals, building products
- Lives in: Houston, Texas

#17. James Chao & family
- Net worth: $3.0 billion
- Source: Chemicals, building products
- Lives in: Houston, Texas

#16. Dorothy Chao Jenkins & family
- Net worth: $3.0 billion
- Source: Chemicals, building products
- Lives in: Lakeland, Florida

#15. Todd Wanek
- Net worth: $3.6 billion
- Source: Furniture
- Lives in: St. Petersburg, Florida

#14. Mitchell Rales
- Net worth: $3.8 billion
- Source: Manufacturing, investments
- Lives in: Potomac, Maryland

#13. S. Curtis Johnson
- Net worth: $4.5 billion
- Source: Cleaning products
- Lives in: Racine, Wisconsin

#12. H. Fisk Johnson
- Net worth: $4.6 billion
- Source: Cleaning products
- Lives in: Racine, Wisconsin

#11. Winifred J. Marquart
- Net worth: $4.6 billion
- Source: Cleaning products
- Lives in: Virginia Beach, Virginia

#10. Helen Johnson-Leipold
- Net worth: $4.7 billion
- Source: Cleaning products
- Lives in: Racine, Wisconsin

#9. Fatih Ozmen
- Net worth: $4.7 billion
- Source: Aerospace
- Lives in: Reno, Nevada

#8. Eren Ozmen
- Net worth: $4.9 billion
- Source: Aerospace
- Lives in: Reno, Nevada

#7. Jim Davis & family
- Net worth: $5.3 billion
- Source: New Balance
- Lives in: Newton, Massachusetts

#6. Neal Blue & family
- Net worth: $5.5 billion
- Source: Defense
- Lives in: San Diego, California

#5. Archie Aldis Emmerson & family
- Net worth: $5.8 billion
- Source: Timberland, lumber mills
- Lives in: Redding, California

#4. Ronald Wanek
- Net worth: $5.9 billion
- Source: Furniture
- Lives in: Saint Petersburg, Florida

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

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

#1. Steven Rales
- Net worth: $7.8 billion
- Source: Manufacturing, investments
- Lives in: Santa Barbara, California