Richest billionaires in Washington

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 Washington, using data from Forbes. Net worth is as of Sept. 18, 2025.

#17. David Hindawi
- Net worth: $1.0 billion
- Source: Software
- Industry: Technology
- Lives in: Seattle, Washington

#16. Orion Hindawi
- Net worth: $1.1 billion
- Source: Software
- Industry: Technology
- Lives in: Seattle, Washington

#15. Satya Nadella
- Net worth: $1.1 billion
- Source: Microsoft
- Industry: N/A
- Lives in: Bellevue, Washington

#14. Christian Chabot
- Net worth: $1.2 billion
- Source: Software
- Industry: Technology
- Lives in: Seattle, Washington

#13. James Jannard
- Net worth: $1.2 billion
- Source: Sunglasses
- Industry: Fashion & Retail
- Lives in: San Juan Islands, Washington

#12. Bob Muglia
- Net worth: $1.3 billion
- Source: software
- Industry: Technology
- Lives in: Mercer Island, Washington

#11. Richard Barton
- Net worth: $1.4 billion
- Source: Zillow
- Industry: Real Estate
- Lives in: Seattle, Washington

#10. Christopher Stolte
- Net worth: $1.4 billion
- Source: software
- Industry: Technology
- Lives in: Seattle, Washington

#9. Craig McCaw
- Net worth: $2.1 billion
- Source: Telecom
- Industry: Telecom
- Lives in: Hunts Point, Washington

#8. John Stanton
- Net worth: $2.4 billion
- Source: wireless
- Industry: Telecom
- Lives in: Bellevue, Washington

#7. Howard Schultz
- Net worth: $3.3 billion
- Source: Starbucks
- Industry: Food & Beverage
- Lives in: Seattle, Washington

#6. Charles Simonyi
- Net worth: $8.4 billion
- Source: Microsoft
- Industry: Technology
- Lives in: Medina, Washington

#5. Gabe Newell
- Net worth: $11.0 billion
- Source: Video games
- Industry: Media & Entertainment
- Lives in: Seattle, Washington

#4. Melinda French Gates
- Net worth: $29.3 billion
- Source: Microsoft
- Industry: Technology
- Lives in: Seattle, Washington

#3. MacKenzie Scott
- Net worth: $34.3 billion
- Source: Amazon
- Industry: Technology
- Lives in: Seattle, Washington

#2. Bill Gates
- Net worth: $105.9 billion
- Source: Microsoft
- Industry: Technology
- Lives in: Medina, Washington

#1. Steve Ballmer
- Net worth: $154.2 billion
- Source: Microsoft
- Industry: Technology
- Lives in: Hunts Point, Washington