Meet Illinois' richest person, revealed in new Forbes Magazine ranking
Last week, Forbes Magazine has 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 again the richest person in the state, raising his net worth to just shy of $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 $21.2 billion to $28 billion.
Lukas Walton works as an investor in various environmental initiatives, including serving on the board of directors for the Walton Family Foundation, according to its website.
The foundation supports a variety of initiatives, focusing mainly on helping provide educational opportunities for students, protecting the world’s waterways from pollution, and advancing the economic interests of Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta, according to the foundation’s website.
Walton also operates the Builders Initiative, which invests in non-profits, businesses and other organizations working to encourage sustainable practices in an effort to combat climate change.
Walton was encouraged to study sustainable practices after he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer at the age of 3. His mother credits an “all-natural diet” in helping him recover from the illness, inspiring him to work toward protecting 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 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.
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