Forbes lists Lukas Walton as richest person in Illinois

Forbes Magazine released its annual list of the richest individuals in each state, and Illinois’ title-holder is on top of the ranking for the second consecutive year.

According to Forbes, Chicago’s Lukas Walton is still the richest person in the state, raising his net worth to $28 billion.

Walton is the grandson of Walmart founder Sam Walton. His father John Walton died in a 2005 plane crash, with Lukas inheriting one-third of his fortune, according to Forbes.

In the last year, Walton’s net worth has increased by 32%, rising from $21 billion to $28 billion.

His uncle Jim Walton is the richest person in Arkansas, with an estimated fortune of $78.4 billion.  

Lukas Walton works as an investor in various environmental initiatives, doing so largely through the Walton family’s charity. He has donated $150 million to the Walton Family Foundation, according to Forbes.

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 now once again the richest person in Washington with a fortune of $128 billion.

Citadel founder Ken Griffin, who held the title of Illinois’ wealthiest person until he moved to Florida in 2023, is behind Bezos in the Sunshine State’s rankings after the Amazon founder relocated there in recent years.

Kentucky's richest person is listed as Lexington's Tamara Gustavson at $7.8 billion. Tennessee is headed by the John Frist family at $26 billion.



(Photo: Walton Family Foundation)