Richest billionaires in service

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.

Service industry billionaires prove fortunes can be made without producing goods. From staffing and consulting to hospitality and business solutions, they've turned expertise and people-focused operations into global enterprises.

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

#19. Don Ahern
- Net worth: $1.0 billion
- Source: Equipment rental
- Lives in: Las Vegas, Nevada

#18. Darwin Deason
- Net worth: $1.3 billion
- Source: Software
- Lives in: Dallas, Texas

#17. John Morgan
- Net worth: $1.5 billion
- Source: personal injury law
- Lives in: Lake Mary, Florida

#16. Peter Sperling
- Net worth: $1.7 billion
- Source: Education
- Lives in: Phoenix, Arizona

#15. Mitchell Jacobson
- Net worth: $1.7 billion
- Source: Industrial equipment
- Lives in: Locust Valley, New York

#14. Linda Pritzker
- Net worth: $2.0 billion
- Source: Hotels, investments
- Lives in: Missoula, Montana

#13. Glen Taylor
- Net worth: $3.2 billion
- Source: Printing
- Lives in: Mankato, Minnesota

#12. Jim Davis
- Net worth: $4.0 billion
- Source: Staffing & recruiting
- Lives in: Cockeysville, Maryland

#11. Maggie Hardy
- Net worth: $4.3 billion
- Source: Building materials
- Lives in: Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania

#10. Anthony Pritzker
- Net worth: $4.4 billion
- Source: Hotels, investments
- Lives in: Los Angeles, California

#9. Steven Udvar-Hazy
- Net worth: $4.5 billion
- Source: Aircraft leasing
- Lives in: Westlake, Texas

#8. Jean (Gigi) Pritzker
- Net worth: $5.0 billion
- Source: Hotels, investments
- Lives in: Los Angeles, California

#7. Jeremy Jacobs Sr & family
- Net worth: $5.4 billion
- Source: Food service
- Lives in: East Aurora, New York

#6. Rakesh Gangwal
- Net worth: $5.9 billion
- Source: Airline
- Lives in: Miami, Florida

#5. Tom Golisano
- Net worth: $6.1 billion
- Source: Payroll services
- Lives in: Naples, Florida

#4. Gary Rollins & family
- Net worth: $7.3 billion
- Source: Pest control
- Lives in: Atlanta, Georgia

#3. Tamara Gustavson
- Net worth: $8.3 billion
- Source: Self storage
- Lives in: Lexington, Kentucky

#2. Robert Rowling
- Net worth: $8.5 billion
- Source: Hotels, investments
- Lives in: Dallas, Texas

#1. Micky Arison
- Net worth: $10.0 billion
- Source: Carnival Cruises
- Lives in: Bal Harbour, Florida