Who was america's first billionaire?

America's first billionaire was John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil, who reached the billion-dollar mark around 1916, with his wealth primarily from the oil industry and other holdings like banks and railroads. He's widely considered the wealthiest American in history, with his net worth at his death in 1937 equivalent to about 1.5% of the U.S. GDP.

Who was the first billionaire in the US?

The first American billionaire was John D. Rockefeller, the oil magnate who founded Standard Oil Company, becoming the world's first billionaire around 1916 as his wealth from Standard Oil surged past the billion-dollar mark, a monumental fortune making him a dominant figure in American industry and philanthropy.
 

Was John D. Rockefeller richer than Elon Musk?

Rockefeller, whose wealth, at its peak in 1937, was equal to 1.5% of the country's GDP. His estimated net worth would be around $499 billion today, when adjusted for inflation. Elon Musk's current wealth, however, is understood to have now eclipsed that of Rockefeller's.

Who will be the 1st trillionaire?

While no one is a trillionaire yet, Elon Musk is widely considered the frontrunner, with recent reports and market analyses projecting he could reach this status soon, especially after Tesla shareholders approved a massive performance-based stock package in late 2025. Other potential candidates from the tech/AI sector, like Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and others involved in Artificial Intelligence, are also often mentioned as possibilities in the coming years, driven by technology growth.
 

Who is the no. 1 richest man on earth?

As of early January 2026, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, is consistently ranked as the world's richest person, with his net worth estimated to be in the hundreds of billions (e.g., $726 billion by Forbes) due to his holdings in technology and space ventures. Following Musk are other tech giants like Larry Page (Google) and Jeff Bezos (Amazon), though rankings fluctuate with market performance.
 

Rockefeller: The World’s First Billionaire

Is Taylor Swift or Kim Kardashian richer?

As of late 2025, Kim Kardashian is generally reported to be richer than Taylor Swift, with Forbes placing Kardashian's net worth around $1.9 billion compared to Swift's $1.6 billion, largely due to the massive success of Kardashian's SKIMS brand. Both are billionaires, but Kardashian's business ventures, particularly SKIMS, have recently propelled her fortune ahead of Swift's earnings from her record-breaking music career. 

Who is the #1 richest family in the world?

The Walton family, founders of Walmart, are consistently ranked as the world's richest family, with their fortune estimated over $500 billion in late 2025, largely from their massive retail empire. Other top contenders include Middle Eastern royal families like the Al Nahyan (Abu Dhabi) and Al Thani (Qatar), and industrial dynasties like the Koch family, though the Waltons lead by a significant margin in recent reports. 

What was Bill Graham's net worth when he died?

At the time of his death in 2018, evangelist Billy Graham's net worth was estimated to be around $25 million, a figure attributed to royalties, real estate, and earnings from his decades-long ministry, though much of his wealth was directed toward his associated non-profits like the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and Samaritan's Purse, according to money.com and Fox Business.
 

Who owned 90% of the oil industry?

In 1882, Standard Oil Trust created a network of Standard Oil companies throughout the country, led by a board of trustees, where Rockefeller owned over one third of the certificates. By the late 1880s, Standard Oil controlled 90% of American refineries.

Who owns 90% of America's wealth?

The top 10% own 87.2%, and the bottom half owned 1.1%. Corporate equities and real estate facilitated the accumulation of wealth for baby boomers. In 2024, the Silent Generation and baby boomers represented 25% of the population, but held 65% of all wealth in the US.

Who's richer, Taylor Swift or Oprah?

Oprah, Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian Top List Of Richest Female Celebrities. Forbes' latest list of America's Richest Women Celebrities features Oprah Winfrey at the top with a net worth of $3.1 billion, followed by Kim Kardashian at $1.7 billion and Taylor Swift at $1.6 billion.

Where does Trump rank in wealth?

(In 2018, this was 766th in the world, 248th in the U.S. In 2019, this was 715th in the world, 259th in the U.S.) Bloomberg Billionaires Index listed Trump's net worth as $2.48 billion on May 31, 2018, and Wealth-X listed it as at least $3.8 billion on July 16, 2018.

Who is the richest person of all time?

Musa himself further promoted the appearance of having vast, inexhaustible wealth by spreading rumors that gold grew like a plant in his kingdom. Encyclopedia Britannica states that he is "widely considered to be the wealthiest person in history".

Who was richer, the Vanderbilts or the Rockefellers?

The Vanderbilt and Rockefeller families offer contrasting lessons in wealth: Cornelius Vanderbilt built a vast fortune in shipping and railroads, but his family's wealth rapidly dissipated due to lavish spending and poor estate planning, becoming a cautionary tale. John D. Rockefeller, through Standard Oil, amassed an even larger fortune, which his family preserved and grew for generations through shrewd trusts, family offices, and strategic philanthropy, creating lasting legacy and significant ongoing wealth.
 

Who is the 27 year old self-made billionaire?

ON October 7, Intercontinental Exchange (the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange) invested $2 billion into Polymarket, pushing up the prediction market platform's valuation to $9 billion. That made Polymarket's 27-year-old founder, Shayne Coplan, the world's youngest self-made billionaire.

Who is the wealthiest pastor?

While rankings fluctuate, Bishop David Oyedepo (Nigeria) is frequently cited by Forbes and others as the world's wealthiest pastor, with a net worth over $150 million, leading Living Faith Church with significant assets like private jets and multiple properties. Other prominent wealthy figures include televangelists like Kenneth Copeland, known for prosperity gospel preaching, and Joel Osteen, who earns substantial income from book sales despite drawing no salary from his large church. 

What was Martin Luther King's net worth?

At the time of his death, his net worth was less than $6,000. Dr. King's own children would fight multiple public and contentious legal battles over his Estate. The most publicized battle was over Dr.

How much did Billy Graham's casket cost?

The casket cost about $200 to make and was built by inmate Richard "Grasshopper" Liggett and others whose names are burned into the wood of both Ruth and Billy Graham's casket.

Is any family a trillionaire?

Yes, the House of Saud (Saudi Royal Family) is widely considered the world's first trillionaire family, with wealth derived from Saudi Arabia's vast oil reserves and state-owned assets like Saudi Aramco, though exact figures fluctuate and are hard to pin down, while other dynasties like the Al Nahyans (Abu Dhabi) and the Walton family (Walmart) are also among the ultra-wealthy, with the top families collectively controlling over $1 trillion in assets. 

Who is the youngest self-made billionaire?

The title for the youngest self-made billionaire changes frequently, but most recently, Merkor founders (three 22-year-olds) briefly held the title in late 2025, unseating Shayne Coplan (27, Polymarket), who briefly unseated Alexandr Wang (28, Scale AI), who had previously held the title around age 25 in 2022/2023 before a dip and rebound in 2024. Currently, Luana Lopes Lara (29) became the youngest self-made woman billionaire in late 2025.
 

Who is the richest woman?

The richest woman in the world is generally considered to be Alice Walton, heiress to the Walmart fortune, with an estimated net worth around $101-$117 billion in mid-to-late 2025, followed by L'Oréal heiress Françoise Bettencourt Meyers and Julia Koch (Koch Industries). Walton's wealth comes from her significant stake in Walmart, while Bettencourt Meyers' fortune stems from L'Oréal, and Koch's from Koch Industries. 

Is Arnold Schwarzenegger a billionaire?

Yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger is officially a billionaire, with Forbes estimating his net worth at around $1.1 to $1.2 billion, thanks to his successful acting career (earning about $500 million pre-tax) and, crucially, savvy investments in real estate, private equity, and stocks, following advice from Warren Buffett.
 

Who is the richest female singer ever?

Based on Forbes, American singer Taylor Swift is the wealthiest female musician, with a net worth of US$1.6 billion as of 2024.

Who's richer, Oprah or Taylor?

No, Oprah Winfrey is significantly richer than Taylor Swift, with Oprah's net worth estimated around $3.1 to $4 billion (as of late 2025), while Taylor Swift's wealth, boosted by The Eras Tour, reached billionaire status around $1.6 billion, making her the richest female musician but still trailing Oprah's vast media empire.