One of Houston's best known names has appeared on the latest Forbes list of America's Richest Families. The Cullen family lands at No. 163 on the list, with a $1.5 billion net worth among an estimated 50 descendants of legendary wildcatter Hugh Roy Cullen.
The family is one of the city's most philanthropic, with numerous charitable gifts to the University of Houston, Texas Medical Center, arts groups and other nonprofit organizations.
Nineteen of the 200 families on the list are from Texas.
Even though the magazine notes that much of the family's investments are in the coal industry, which has gone down in value by 75 percent since the beginning of 2014, it is the Cullens' first appearance on a Forbes richest list since 1996.
The richest family in Houston, and No. 10 in the United States, is the Duncan family, with a net worth of $22.4 billion divided among four family members. Family patriarch Dan Duncan made a fortune in pipelines before his death in 2010 and passed on his considerable wealth to his heirs.
The Hunt family is the richest family in Dallas, with an estimated net worth of $14.2 billion divided among 33 family members. The Hunts are No. 15 on the national list; their source of wealth is oil.
Nineteen of the 200 families on the list are from Texas, and while much of the wealth is derived from oil and gas exploration, Texans on the richest list made their fortunes in such disparate industries as supermarkets, fast food, auto dealerships and sporting goods.
Other Houstonians on the list are:
No. 39 Chao family, with a net worth of $7.2 billion divided among three family members (chemicals)
No. 70 Friedkin family, with a net worth of $4.1 billion divided among two family members (Toyota distributor)
No. 109 Gochman family, with a net worth of $2.5 billion divided among an estimated three family members (Academy sporting goods)
No. 139 Mitchell family, with a net worth of $1.8 billion divided among an estimated 11 family members (oil)
No. 139 Walter family, with a net worth of $1.8 billion divided among an estimated two family members (oil & gas)
Others in the Dallas-Fort Worth area include:
No. 26 Marshall family, with a net worth of $9 billion divided among three family members (source of wealth: diversified)
No. 29 Bass family, with a net worth of $7.2 billion divided among four family members (oil, investments)
No. 56 Perot family, with a net worth of $5.4 billion divided among two family members (investments)
No. 56 Simmons family, with a net worth of $5.4 billion divided among three family members (finance)
No. 149 Rogers family, with a net worth of $1.7 billion divided among an estimated two family members (Mary Kay Cosmetics)
No. 174 Westerman family, with a net worth of $1.4 billion divided among seven family members (oil)
No. 193 Colburn family, with a net worth of $1.2 billion divided among an estimated four family members (electric equipment distributor)
In San Antonio, the Butt family, owners of H-E-B, came in at No. 24 on the list, with a net worth of $10.4 billion divided among five family members, while the Dobson family, owners of Whataburger, are ranked No. 104, with a net worth of $2.6 billion among three family members.
In Midland, the Fasken family, whose source of wealth is oil, has a net worth of $3.1 billion among four family members and is ranked No. 93 on the list. In Uvalde, the Briscoe family, whose source of wealth is ranch land, has a net worth of $1.3 billion among an estimated eight family members, for a ranking of No. 179.
Thomas Friedkin.
