Last week, Forbes magazine released its annual list of the richest individuals in each state, and title holder Illinois topped the rankings for the second year in a row.
Chicago’s Lukas Walton is once again the richest person in the state, bringing his net worth to just under $28 billion, according to Forbes.
Walton is the grandson of Walmart founder Sam Walton. His father John Walton died in a plane crash in 2005, and Lukas inherited a third of his fortune, according to Forbes.
Over the past year, Walton’s net worth increased 32%, from $21.2 billion to $28 billion.
Lukas Walton works as an investor in various environmental initiatives, including serving on the board of directors of the Walton Family Foundation, according to his website.
The foundation supports a variety of initiatives, primarily focusing on providing educational opportunities for students, protecting the world’s waterways from pollution and promoting the economic interests of Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta, according to the site Foundation website.
Walton also manages the Builders Initiative, which invests in nonprofits, businesses and other organizations working to encourage sustainable practices in an effort to combat climate change.
Walton was encouraged to study sustainable practices after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer at age 3. His mother credits an “all-natural diet” with helping him recover from illness, inspiring him to work to protect the natural world. , according to his biography on the Walton Family Foundation website.
His uncle Jim Walton is the richest person in Arkansas, with an estimated fortune of $78.4 billion.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is the richest person in Florida, with a net worth of $194 billion. Tesla founder Elon Musk is the richest person in Texas with a fortune of $195 billion, while Bill Gates is again the richest person in Washington with a fortune of $128 billion.
Citadel founder Ken Griffin, who held the title of richest person in Illinois until moving to Florida in 2023, is behind Bezos in the Sunshine State rankings after the Amazon founder moved there these last years.
NBC Chicago
