Business & Tech

Who Are The Richest People In Tampa Bay?

Three Tampa Bay residents made Forbes' annual list of the richest people in America.

TAMPA BAY, FL -- Three Tampa Bay billionaires made this year's Forbes list of the 400 richest people in America.

The list, released Wednesday, Oct. 3, is a much-anticipated annual feature in the business magazine.

Not surprisingly, this year's list includes some well-known billionaires.

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Jeff Bezos, who founded Amazon in his garage in 1994, is the first person on the list with a net worth of more than $150 billion.

Bill Gates' net worth is 97 billion but Gates also ranks as the most generous billionaire. He's given away nearly $36 billion.

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With a net worth of $2.3 billion, Evan Spiegel, founder of Snap, is the youngest billionaire. He was just 26 years old when Snap began trading in March 2017.

The richest woman on the list is the only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton. Alice Walton's net worth is nearly 45 billion.

Making the list from Tampa Bay is real estate developer and former owner of the San Francisco 49ers Edward DeBartolo Jr. of Tampa who is ranked 280 out of 400 with a net worth of $2.9 billion. DeBartolo also received high marks for philanthropy. He's given 3 percent of his net worth to charity including the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. The family is hosting this weekend's Tuxes & Tails signature fundraiser for the society and has pledged funds to build a new animal shelter.

He's followed by Todd Christopher of Clearwater, who ranks 368 on the list with a net worth of $2.2 billion. A high school dropout, Christopher is the founder of the Vogue International line of hair care products.

The third Tampa Bay billionaire calls St. Petersburg home. Ronald Wanek is the owner of Ashley Furniture company, now the world's largest home furniture manufacturer and retailer. He's ranked 383 on the list with a net worth of $2.1 billion.

Image via Getty Images

Edward DeBartolo Jr.

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