For well over a century, some of the wealthiest people in the United States and the world have called California home. From newspaper tycoons of years past to tech founders of the present, the Golden State has been the land of opportunity and lavishness.
Forbes has once again compiled a list of the richest people in America to find the wealthiest person in all 50 states. In all but three states (Alaska, Delaware, and West Virginia), that title belongs to a billionaire. In five states, a new resident has overtaken the wealthiest citizen crown from last year’s title-winner.
In total, these 50 wealthy Americans are worth a record $2 trillion combined, according to Forbes.
Unsurprisingly, the wealthiest of them all is Elon Musk. While the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX has been spending time in Washington, D.C. recently, it’s Texas that gets to claim Musk and his $388 billion estimated net worth. That’s up from the estimated $195 billion net worth Forbes reported in last year’s list.
In California, the distinction of wealthiest resident goes to Facebook founder and Palo Alto resident Mark Zuckerberg, whose 2025 net worth is estimated to be $189 billion, around $12 billion more than in 2024, according to Forbes.
“Mark Zuckerberg claims the top spot in California not because of a move but because of a surge in his fortune, as shares of Meta nearly tripled in value over the past year following mass layoffs at the company and ongoing investments into AI and the metaverse,” Forbes notes in its report.
The interactive table below shows the wealthiest person in each state as of April 2025, according to Forbes’ analysis.
Those who lost their spot on the list this year include Bill Gates, whose net worth dropped after Forbes adjusted its estimate of how much his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, received in their divorce settlement.
In Arkansas, Rob Walton and his family edged out his brother, Jim, both Walmart heirs, to stand as the wealthiest in the state.
John Menard, Jr. of Wisconsin and home improvement chain Menard’s fame, lost his spot to Diane Hendricks, one of just 10 women to be included on Forbes’ latest list. Among the women on the list, Virginia’s Jacqueline Mars, heir of the Mars candy company, has the highest estimated net worth at $39 billion. Close behind is Fidelity CEO Abigail Johnson of Massachusetts with an estimated net worth of $31.5 billion.
You can view Forbes’ full list here.
It’s Alaska where the title of the wealthiest resident may be easiest to attain. Leonard Hyde and Jonathan Rubini of JL Properties remain tied as the richest residents — both have an estimated worth of $400 million.
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