Richest billionaires in North Carolina
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 North Carolina, using data from Forbes. Net worth is as of Sept. 18, 2025.
#10. Ric Elias
- Net worth: $1.0 billion
- Source: Media
- Industry: Media & Entertainment
- Lives in: Charlotte, North Carolina
#9. Frank Holding Jr
- Net worth: $1.3 billion
- Source: Banking
- Industry: Finance & Investments
- Lives in: Raleigh, North Carolina
#8. Claire Bristow
- Net worth: $1.4 billion
- Source: banking
- Industry: Finance & Investments
- Lives in: Raleigh, North Carolina
#7. Carson Brice
- Net worth: $1.4 billion
- Source: Banking
- Industry: Finance & Investments
- Lives in: Raleigh, North Carolina
#6. Olivia Holding
- Net worth: $1.5 billion
- Source: Banking
- Industry: Finance & Investments
- Lives in: Raleigh, North Carolina
#5. Dennis Gillings
- Net worth: $2.1 billion
- Source: Clinical trials
- Industry: Healthcare
- Lives in: Durham, North Carolina
#4. Roy Carroll II
- Net worth: $2.6 billion
- Source: Real estate
- Industry: Real Estate
- Lives in: Greensboro, North Carolina
#3. Tim Sweeney
- Net worth: $5.1 billion
- Source: Video games
- Industry: Media & Entertainment
- Lives in: Cary, North Carolina
#2. John Sall
- Net worth: $7.8 billion
- Source: Software
- Industry: Technology
- Lives in: Cary, North Carolina
#1. James Goodnight
- Net worth: $16.0 billion
- Source: Software
- Industry: Technology
- Lives in: Cary, North Carolina
