The annual Forbes list of the world's billionaires is out — and there are some new Houstonians on the list, along with one who has clawed his way back onto the exclusive rankings.
Rich Kinder, the 69-year old chairman and CEO of Kinder Morgan, remains the highest-ranked Houstonian on the list, at No. 130 in the world, with an estimated net worth of $9.5 billion.
New to the list are George Bishop, the 77-year-old founder of GeoSouthern Energy, who ranks No. 446, with a net worth of $3.5 billion, and Gulf States Toyota CEO Dan Friedkin, 49, who ranks No. 687, with a net worth of $2.5 billion.
With an estimated net worth of 1.9 billion, 85-year-old Houston money manager Fayez Sarofim returned to the Forbes list for the first time since 2008, in part because of his substantial investments in Kinder Morgan. He ranks No. 931.
Those who are holdovers from last year's list include the four siblings of oilman Dan Duncan, who are tied at No. 215 with $6.3 billion each. The net worth of siblings Scott Duncan, 31, Milane Franz, 44, Dannine Avara, 50, and Randa Williams, 52, have each grown more than $1 billion in the last year thanks to a jump in the share price of the family company, Enterprise Products Partners, Forbes reports.
Other returnees include:
- No. 256 — Oilman Jeffrey Hildebrand, 54, $5.5 billion
- No. 503 — Former energy trader John Arnold, 39, $2.9 billion
- No. 731 — Landry's chairman Tilman Fertitta, 56, $2.4 billion (Fertitta zoomed up 151 places from last year's list)
- No. 869 — Houston Texans owner Bob McNair, 77, $2 billion
- No. 1092 —Attorney Joe Jamail Jr. , 88, $1.6 billion
- No. 1356 — Landowner Daniel Harrison III, 66, $1.5 billion
In all, 14 people with Houston ties made the list, not including two oil giants (George Mitchell and Bud Adams) who died in the past year. Mitchell would have ranked No. 869 on the list, with an estimated net worth of $2 billion and Adams would have ranked No. 1465, with a net worth of $1.1 billion.
Leading the list are computer magnate Bill Gates, with an estimated net worth of $76 billion, Mexican financier Carlos Slim Helu, at $72 billion, and Spanish retailer Amancio Orgeta, who owns the Zara stores, at $64 billion.
Randa Williams, left, is No. 215 on the Forbes list of billionaires, along with her three siblings.
