MISSOURI – There are nearly 2,800 billionaires on the planet who account for approximately $14.2 trillion of the world’s total wealth. That’s according to Forbes, which recently released its list of the world’s billionaires.
Eleven people on this list have ties to Missouri through birth, education, current residence, or their business dealings in the Show Me State. We have them listed below in the order they appear on the list, along with their net worth and source of wealth.
Forbes determined and calculated the net worth of individuals based on stock prices and exchange rates as of March 8.
2692. Sam Altman – $1B
Born in Chicago but grew up in St. Louis
Attended John Burroughs School and later dropped out of Stanford University after two years
Co-founded OpenAI in 2015 and currently serves as the company’s CEO
Owes his wealth to stakes in Airbnb, Reddit, Stripe, and the nuclear fusion firm Helion
2152. Paul Novelly & family – $1.4B
The oil and petroleum magnate owns Apex Oil, World Point Terminals, and AIC, as well as a large stake in FutureFuel
Stepped down as CEO of St. Louis-based Apex Oil and turned the company over to his son, Paul Novelly II
1945. David Hoffmann – $1.6B
Grew up in Washington, Missouri, as the son of a milk truck driver
Founded and runs DHR International, an executive recruiting firm
Owns commercial properties in Florida and real estate in Missouri, Illinois, and Colorado
1764. Jim McKelvey – $1.8B
Born and raised in St. Louis
Attended Ladue Horton Watkins High School and graduated from Washington University in St. Louis
Co-founded Block Inc. (formerly Square Inc.) with friend Jack Dorsey in 2009 and sits on its board of directors
Founded Invisibly in 2016
Previously served as chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1143. Robert G. Clark – $2.9B
Grew up in Bridgeton and attended Parkway Central High School
Founded Clayco in 1984, an architectural, design, engineering and construction firm headquartered in the St. Louis region
896. Rodger O. Riney & family – $3.6B
Attended the University of Missouri
Founded the discount brokerage firm Scottrade in 1980, which was acquired by TD Ameritrade in 2017
661. Jim Kavanaugh – $4.7B
Co-founded World Wide Technology in 1990 with David Steward and currently serves as its CEO
Graduated from SLU in 1986
Minority investor in St. Louis City SC
624. Jack Dorsey – $4.9B
The St. Louis native co-founded Twitter in 2006 and served as its CEO from October 2015 to November 2021
Co-founded Block Inc. (formerly Square Inc.) with friend Jim McKelvey in 2009
Serves on the board of directors for Bluesky Social, a Twitter/X-styled social media company
364. Pauline MacMillan Keinath – $7.3B
Heiress to the Cargill fortune, the privately-owned food conglomerate
Great-granddaughter of the company’s founder, W.W. Cargill
She owns an estimated 13% stake in the company
Resides in St. Louis with her family
344. David Steward – $7.6B
Co-founded World Wide Technology in 1990 with Jim Kavanaugh and currently serves as its chairman
Attended school in Clinton, Missouri, and graduated from Central Missouri State University in 1973
249. Johnny Morris – $9.5B
The Springfield, Missouri, native graduated Drury University
He launched Bass Pro Shops in 1972 and serves as its CEO and chairman
In 2017, he bought out his primary competition, Cabela’s.
Owns boat manufacturer White River Marine Group