10 Houston billionaires make Forbes' list of richest Americans in 2025

The Rich List

Pictured: Nancy and Richard Kinder, the richest Houstonian, according to the Forbes 400. Photo by Michelle Watson/Catchlight Group

America's wealthiest billionaires are $1.2 trillion richer in 2025, bringing their collective worth to a staggering $6.6 trillion. And Houston's own Richard Kinder has become the richest billionaire in the city, according to the new Forbes 400.

The Kinder Morgan chairman is the 11th richest Texas resident and ranks as the 108th richest American. Kinder also dethroned Tilman Fertitta to claim the title as the wealthiest Houstonian.

The annual Forbes 400 list is a definitive ranking of the wealthiest Americans, using interviews, financial data, and documentation provided by billionaires and their companies.

Kinder's wealth

The publication estimates Kinder's net worth at $10.6 billion, up from $8.1 billion last year. He also appears among Forbes' separate list of the richest billionaires in the world.

"It’s been a year unlike any we’ve seen in the four decades we’ve tracked America’s billionaire class,” said Forbes senior editor Chase Peterson-Withorn in a press release. "The super-rich at the very top are richer than ever — and between the White House and the booming stock market, they’re as powerful as they’ve ever been."

Kinder, 80, co-founded oil and gas pipeline firm Kinder Morgan in 1997, which is now known as one of the largest American energy infrastructure companies. He stepped down as CEO in 2015, though he still chairs the board of directors.

Kinder and his wife, Nancy, also founded Houston-based nonprofit the Kinder Foundation in 1997. The organization provides "major gifts to public causes with the intention of helping people realize healthy and rewarding lives," according to its website.

In May 2025, the Kinders pledged $150 million to Texas Children's Hospital and MD Anderson to create the Kinder Children's Cancer Center.

"Our philanthropic efforts center on supporting transformational projects in Houston, and this initiative exemplifies that mission in every way," said Kinder in a press release. "We were deeply impressed by the extraordinary leadership and unwavering commitment of both UT MD Anderson and Texas Children’s to pursue a bold, collaborative model of care. It is a rare and powerful moment when two leading organizations come together to create something entirely new – something capable of reshaping the future of pediatric cancer care."

The richest Houstonians

In all, 43 Texas billionaires made it on the 2025 Forbes 400 list, and 10 are based in the Houston metro.

Hospitality honcho Fertitta, 68, is the second-richest billionaire in Houston, and his net worth has jumped from $10.1 billion last year to $11 billion in 2025. He owns the Golden Nugget Casinos, the Houston Rockets, Texas-based restaurant and entertainment company Landry's, and also serves as the U.S. Ambassador to Italy.

"Serving as President Trump's ambassador to Italy 'is a real job,' says Fertitta, who personally oversaw the renovation of Villa Taverna, the ambassador's residence in Rome," Forbes wrote in his profile.

Fertitta most recently put his ritzy 250-foot-long superyacht on the market for about $192 million, with Forbes saying he "has a bigger one on order."

Here's how the rest of Houston's billionaires fared on this year's list:

Oil tycoon Jeffery Hildebrand ties for No. 123 nationally with an estimated net worth of $10 billion. Last year: $7.6 billion.
Toyota mega-dealer Dan Friedkin ranks 128th nationally with an estimated net worth of $9.7 billion. Last year: $7.6 billion.
Houston pipeline heir Randa Duncan Williams ranks 130th with an estimated net worth of $9.5 billion. Fellow pipeline heirs Dannine Avara and Milane Frantz tie for 135th nationally. Each has an estimated net worth of $9.4 billion. Scott Duncan ranks No. 141 with a $9.2 billion estimated net worth.
Houston Texans owner Janice McNair ranks 201st nationally with an estimated net worth of $7.3 billion. Last year: $6.2 billion.
Energy exploration chief exec George Bishop of The Woodlands ranks No. 325 with an estimated net worth of $4.7 billion. Last year: $5 billion.

Richest billionaires elsewhere in Texas

The richest person in America in 2025 is none other than Austin-based Elon Musk. Musk, 54, saw his net worth skyrocket to $428 billion this year, or $184 billion more than his 2024 net worth. He claimed the No. 1 spot for the fourth time.

Walmart heiress Alice Walton of Fort Worth was dubbed the wealthiest woman in America for 2025. Walton, 75, simultaneously holds the title as the richest woman in the world. Forbes estimates Walton's net worth at $106 billion (up from $89.2 billion last year) and proclaims her as the first female centibillionaire (a person with a 12-digit fortune) in America. Now that's wealth.

"Tariffs. Inflation. Slowing employment. None of it has hit the fortunes of America’s billionaires," Forbes said. "A decade ago, when it took $1.7 billion to make The Forbes 400, a net worth of $3.8 billion was comfortably within the top half of the ranking — now that lofty sum is the minimum required."

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This article originally appeared on CultureMap.com.

Tilman Fertitta's net worth is estimated at over $10 billion. Photo by J. Thomas Ford

Tilman Fertitta tops new Forbes list of Houston's richest billionaires

big money

A dozen of Houston's illustrious billionaires have made the cut on the newForbes 400, a list of the 400 richest people in the United States for 2024.

Houston hospitality king and Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta is the 12th richest Texan and the 99th richest person in the United States, according to Forbes' list, released October 1.

Forbes estimates Fertitta's net worth in 2024 as $10.1 billion, which has steadily climbed from his 2023 net worth of $8.1 billion. Fertitta, 67, purchased the Houston Rockets in October 2017 for $2.2 billion. The billionaire also owns Texas-based hospitality and entertainment corporation Landry's. In 2019, Fertitta embarked on a new venture as an author.

"Fertitta released his first book titled Shut Up And Listen! in September [2019], detailing his experiences in the dining and entertainment industries," Forbes wrote in Fertitta's profile.

The Forbes 400list is a definitive ranking of the wealthiest Americans, using interviews, financial data, and documentation provided by billionaires and their companies.

According to the report, America's elite class is now worth $5.4 trillion collectively, which is a $1 trillion jump since 2023.

“The Forbes 400 is richer than ever, and it’s harder than ever to be one of the 400 richest people in America," said Forbes senior editor Chase Peterson-Withorn in a press release.

In all, 43 Texas billionaires made the list.

Unsurprisingly, Austin resident Elon Musk ranks No. 1 nationally for the third time, with a net worth of $244 billion. Despite ranking at the top of the list this year, Musk's net worth has actually dropped by $7 billion since 2023.

New to the 2024 list are Houston-based Westlake Corporation co-owners Albert Chao, James Chao, and their respective families. According to their Forbes profiles, the Chaos own nearly 25 percent of Westlake Corporation, which produces low-density polyethylene that is used for food packaging and other products.

"His father, T.T. Chao, moved the family from Taiwan to the U.S. and founded Westlake in 1986," Albert Chao's profile says. "Albert and brother James Chao are credited with helping launch the company. Albert was CEO from 2004 to July 2024, when he became executive chairman. James was chairman from 2004 to July 2024, when he became senior chairman."

Here's how the rest of Houston's billionaires fared on this year's list:

Oil and gas chairman Richard Kinderranks No. 112 nationally with an estimated worth of $9.3 billion.
Houston pipeline heir Randa Duncan Williams ties for No. 126 with an estimated net worth of $8.6 billion. Fellow pipeline heirs Dannine Avara and Milane Frantztie for 130th nationally. Each has an estimated net worth of $8.5 billion. Scott Duncan ranks No. 137 with an $8.3 billion estimated net worth.
Toyota mega-dealer Dan Friedkin and Houston oil tycoon Jeffery Hildebrand tie for 156th nationally with an estimated net worth of $7.6 billion.
Houston Texans owner Janice McNair ties for No. 210 nationally with an estimated net worth of $6.2 billion.
Energy exploration chief exec George Bishop of The Woodlands ranks No. 266 with an estimated net worth of $5 billion.

Missing from the 2024 list is local hedge fund honcho John Arnold, who ranked No. 345 nationally in 2023 but now ranks No. 991 in 2024 with an estimated net worth of $3.3 billion. As of October 1, Forbes estimates Arnold's net worth at $2.9 billion.

Find all the Texans on the new Forbes 400 list here.

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This article originally ran on CultureMap.

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10+ can't-miss Houston business and innovation events for October

where to be

Editor's note: Houston's October calendar is packed with informative and impactful events—plus a few fun ones, too. From the fourth annual Tejano Tech Summit to the first-ever Ion Family Tech Festival, here's what not to miss and how to register. Please note: this article may be updated to include additional event listings.

Oct. 3 — Houston Methodist Joy in Medicine Initiative Symposium

The Houston Methodist Joy in Medicine Initiative Symposium will explore the power of connection in enhancing professional fulfillment for clinicians and healthcare teams, this year under the theme “The Power of We.” Hear from Dr. Shlomit Schall, Houston Methodist Physician Organization president and CEO and chief physician executive, and Dr. J. Bryan Sexton, director of the Duke Center for Advancement and Well-being Science. Stick around for a networking happy hour.

This event is Friday, Oct. 3, from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the InterContinental Houston. Find more information here.

Oct. 6-10 — Surgical Technology & Robotic Surgery Summit (STaRS)

Surgeons, engineers, researchers and innovators can explore the latest advancements in surgical robotics, imaging and AI-integrated technologies at this year’s Surgical Technology & Robotic Surgery Summit. They can also take in the inaugural Surgical Technology & Robotic Surgery Innovator Competition. The summit will feature live demonstrations, interactive panels and cutting-edge research.

This event begins Monday, Oct. 6, at MITIE at The Bookout Center. Find more information here.

Oct. 7 — SUPERGirlsInSTEM Summit: The Intersection of AI & Workforce

The SUPERGirls SHINE Foundation presents its SUPERGirlsInSTEM Summit, where attendees can take part in open discussions, networking and workshops while learning about AI skills that can advance college studies and entry into the workforce.

This event is Tuesday, Oct. 7, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Ion. Find more information here.

Oct. 7 — Future of Health Care: Thought Leader Series

Hear from Rice University President Reginald DesRoches, and Kristen Doyle, CEO of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, at the Greater Houston Partnership’s Future of Health Care: Thought Leader Series. The expert panel will discuss key topics, including the proposed Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT), Rice's Momentous strategic plan and "critical role of public health systems and cross-sector partnerships in advancing access, equity, and workforce readiness."

This event is Tuesday, Oct. 7, from 9-10:15 a.m. at The Partnership Tower. Find more information here.

Oct 7-9 — Tejano Tech Summit Week

LSA Global will present its fourth annual Tejano Tech Summit Week. The week will feature happy hours, networking opportunities and a founders dinner, along with talks from Mariela Salas, co-founder and partner of Alma Fund; Latina in Tech Houston, Blue People, The Magnolia Fund and others.

This event starts on Tuesday, Oct. 7, with most events taking place at the Ion. Find more information here.

Oct. 8 — Digital Health Institute Launch event

Celebrate the launch of the Houston Methodist-Rice Digital Health Institute, which aims to translate “innovative ideas into scalable solutions” with a focus on engineering, digital health and artificial intelligence. The event will feature presentations from Houston Methodist clinical researchers and Rice University faculty, a startup and industry panel and a venture capital investment panel.

This event is Wednesday, Oct. 8, from 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. at Rice University's Duncan Hall - McMurtry Hall. Find more information here.

Oct. 8 — Founders Live Houston

Founders Live Houston returns this month with its happy hour pitch event. The global competition will select five Texas founders to present 99-second pitches and participate in a four-minute audience Q&A. Voters decide the winner.

This event is Thursday, Oct. 8, from 6-8 p.m. at the Ion. Find more information here.

Oct. 14 — NASA Stories at the Ion

Dina Contella, deputy manager of NASA’s International Space Station Program, will speak at this month's NASA Stories event. Contella will share insights from her career overseeing International Space Station operations, shaping Artemis missions and guiding real-time decisions in Mission Control.

This event is Tuesday, Oct. 14, from 8:30-10:30 a.m. at the Ion. Find more information here.

Oct. 16 — Impact Hub Houston Celebrates 7 Years in Community + Open Project Night

Celebrate seven years of Impact Hub Houston with a hands-on learning experience focused on hosting. The organization will share the tools, practices and hosting frameworks that have helped it build community and support local changemakers since it launched in 2018. Afterward, participate in Impact Hub's signature Open Project Night, where developers can come together to work on solutions for some of Houston’s most pressing issues.

These events are on Thursday, Oct. 16, at the Ion. The anniversary party is from 2-5 p.m. and Open Project Night begins at 5:30 p.m. Find more information here and here.

Oct. 16 — Future of Global Energy presented by Shell

Industry leaders, academia, and government will "explore the forces shaping the future of energy" at the Greater Houston Partnership's fifth annual Future of Global Energy Conference. Andy Karsner, chief strategist for energy and innovation at X, Alphabet’s Moonshot Factory, and a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Energy, will present the keynote address. Speakers from companies Fervo Energy, S&P Global, Bechtel and others will also be featured on panels and in fireside chats. The event will culminate in Houston's first National Labs Day, where attendees can engage with leaders and technology specialists from Argonne National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory and other institutions.

This event is Thursday, Oct. 16, from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Find more information here.

Oct. 23 — NASA Tech Talks

Every fourth Thursday of the month, NASA experts, including longtime engineer Montgomery Goforth, present on technology development challenges NASA’s Johnson Space Center and the larger aerospace community are facing and how they can be leveraged by Houston’s innovation community. Stick around after for drinks and networking at Second Draught.

This event is Thursday, Oct. 23, from 6-7 p.m. at the Ion. Find more information here.

Oct. 25 — Ion Family Tech Festival

The Ion and partners will present the first-ever Ion Family Tech Fest this month, where families can participate in hands-on STEAM experiences.

This event is Saturday, Oct. 25, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Ion. Find more information here.

Abbott highlights Texas AI boom, with Houston projects on the horizon

AI investments are booming in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott says. And Houston is poised to benefit from this surge.

At a recent Texas Economic Development Corp. gathering in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Abbott said AI projects on the horizon in the Lone Star State would be bigger than the $500 billion multistate Project Stargate, according to the Dallas Business Journal. So far, Stargate includes three AI data centers in Texas.

Stargate, a new partnership among OpenAI, Oracle, Softbank, and the federal government, is building AI infrastructure around the country. The project’s first data center is in Abilene, and the center’s second phase is underway. Once the second phase is finished, the 875-acre site will host eight buildings totaling about 4 million square feet with a power capacity of 1.2 gigawatts. An additional 600 megawatts of capacity might be added later.

On Sept. 23, Stargate announced the development of another five AI data centers in the U.S., including a new facility in Shackelford County, Texas, near Abilene. That facility is likely a roughly $25 billion, 1.4-gigawatt AI data center that Vantage Data Centers is building on a 1,200-acre site in Shackelford County.

Another will be in Milam County, between Waco and Austin. In conjunction with Stargate, OpenAI plans to occupy the more than $3 billion center, which will be situated on a nearly 600-acre site, the Austin Business Journal reported. OpenAI has teamed up with Softbank-backed SB Energy Global to build the facility.

Abbott said several unannounced AI projects in Texas — namely, data centers — will be larger than Stargate.

“Bottom line is ... when you look at diversification, the hottest thing going on right now is artificial intelligence,” Abbott said.

The Houston area almost certainly stands to attract some of the projects teased by the governor.

In Houston, Taiwanese tech manufacturer Foxconn already is investing $450 million to make AI servers at the 100-acre Fairbanks Logistics Park, which Foxconn recently purchased for a reported $142 million. The park features four industrial buildings totaling one million square feet. It appears Foxconn will manufacture the servers for Apple and Nvidia, both of which have announced they’ll open server factories in Houston.

The Foxconn, Apple, and Nvidia initiatives are high-profile examples of Houston’s ascent in the AI economy. A report released in July by the Brookings Institution identified Houston as one of the country’s 28 “star” hubs for AI.

The Greater Houston Partnership says the Houston area is undergoing an "AI-driven data revolution."

“As Houston rapidly evolves into a hub for AI, cloud computing, and data infrastructure, the city is experiencing a surge in data center investments driven by its unique position at the intersection of energy, technology, and innovation,” the partnership says.

Ion expansion, Eli Lilly factory, and more Houston innovation news to know

Trending News

Editor's note: We're looking back at the top Houston innovation news for the second half of September. Catch up on the latest from the Ion District, Oxy, Eli Lilly, and more. Here are the five most-read InnovationMap stories from September 15-30:

1. Houston's Ion District to expand with new research and tech space, The Arc

The Arc will feature office and lab space, a gym, an amenity lounge, conference and meeting spaces, outdoor plazas and more. Rendering by Neoscape. Courtesy HKS.

Houston's Ion District is set to expand with the addition of a nearly 200,000-square-foot research and technology facility, The Arc at the Ion District. Rice Real Estate Company and Lincoln Property Company are expected to break ground on the state-of-the-art facility in Q2 2026 with a completion target set for Q1 2028.

Rice University, the new facility's lead tenant, will occupy almost 30,000 square feet of office and lab space in The Arc, which will share a plaza with the Ion and is intended to "extend the district’s success as a hub for innovative ideas and collaboration." Continue reading.

2. Eli Lilly to build $6.5B pharmaceutical factory at Generation Park

Eli Lilly is expected to bring a $6.5 billion manufacturing facility to Houston by 2030. Rendering courtesy Greater Houston Partnership.

Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Co. plans to build a $6.5 billion manufacturing plant at Houston’s Generation Park. More than 300 locations in the U.S. competed for the factory.

The Houston site will be the first major pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Texas, according to the Greater Houston Partnership. Lilly said it plans to hire 615 full-time workers for the 236-acre plant, including engineers, scientists and lab technicians. The company will collaborate with local colleges and universities to help build its talent pipeline. Continue reading.

3. Oxy's $1.3B Texas carbon capture facility on track to launch this year

Vicki Hollub, president and CEO of Occidental, said the company's Stratos DAC project is on track to begin capturing CO2 later this year. Photo via 1pointfive.com

Houston-based Occidental Petroleum is gearing up to start removing CO2 from the atmosphere at its $1.3 billion direct air capture (DAC) project in the Midland-Odessa area.

Vicki Hollub, president and CEO of Occidental, said the Stratos project — being developed by carbon capture and sequestration subsidiary 1PointFive — is on track to begin capturing CO2 later this year. Continue reading.

4. Houston autonomous trucking co. completes first test run without human intervention

Bot Auto completed its first test run without human assistance in Houston. Photo courtesy Bot Auto.

Houston-based Bot Auto, an autonomous trucking company, has completed its first test run without human assistance. Bot Auto conducted the test in Houston.

“The truck operated seamlessly within its defined operational domain with no one in the cab or remote assistance, navigating real-world traffic conditions,” the company said . “The run was executed at sunset, successfully navigating day and night operations.” Continue reading.

5. Houston team develops low-cost device to treat infants with life-threatening birth defect

SimpleSilo, created at Rice360, offers a low-cost, easy-to-source solution for infants born with gastroschisis. Photo courtesy Rice University

A team of engineers and pediatric surgeons led by Rice University’s Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies has developed a cost-effective treatment for infants born with gastroschisis, a congenital condition in which intestines and other organs are developed outside of the body.

The condition can be life-threatening in economically disadvantaged regions without access to equipment.

The Rice-developed device, known as SimpleSilo, is “simple, low-cost and locally manufacturable,” according to the university. It consists of a saline bag, oxygen tubing and a commercially available heat sealer, while mimicking the function of commercial silo bags, which are used in high-income countries to protect exposed organs and gently return them into the abdominal cavity gradually. Continue reading.

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