This Is The Richest Person In Illinois, New Analysis Says

ILLINOIS — Lukas Walton has bragging rights as the richest person in Illinois, according to a recent ranking from Forbes.

Nearly all states have at least one billionaire, according to The Richest Person In Every State list put together by Forbes. The only ones that don’t are Alaska, Delaware, and West Virginia.

Walton, a retail titan and the grandson of Walmart founder Sam Walton with an estimated net worth of $22.9 billion (as of June 12). Walton, 36, lives in Chicago.

According to Forbes, nearly a third of the billionaires topped their states for the first time.

The competition to make the list is the fiercest in four states, where than 60 percent of the 775 billionaires who live in the United States reside: California with 179 billionaires, New York with 130, Florida with 92, and Texas with 73.

Because of ties, 54 people made the list. Their average age is 73, with Walmart heir Walton, and Maryland-based Annette Lerner, 93, the widow of Washington Nationals owner Ted Lerner, who died in February, bookending the list.

Walton inherited a fortune from his father, John, who died in a plane crash in 2005. According to Forbes, Walton inherited about one-third of his father’s estate while his mother, Christy, inherited one-sixth.

About two-thirds of these billionaires, as well as centimillionaires (people whose net worth is more than $100 million) are self-made, and the rest inherited their fortunes, according to Forbes. More than half made their money in four industries: finance and investments, fashion and retail, food and beverage, and technology.