Forbes' latest annual ranking of the 400 richest Americans includes several billionaires with Oklahoma ties and omits an oilman who did not go off the list quietly.
Several Oklahomans made the magazine's list again this year. Continental Resources CEO Harold Hamm, who moved his oil and gas company from Enid to Oklahoma City last year, is the top Oklahoman - ranked at 33rd with $12.4 billion.
George Kaiser, who heads up Tulsa-based Kaiser-Francis Oil Corp. and is chairman of BOK Financial Corp., is listed at 40th with a fortune estimated at $10 billion.
Another Tulsan, Lynn Schusterman, is ranked 122nd at $3.8 billion. The Schusterman family sold privately held oil and gas producer Samson Resources Corp. to KKR & Co. for $7 billion in 2011.
The man whose private equity investment company bought Samson is a native Tulsan who is also on the Forbes list. KKR's co-CEO Henry Kravis is ranked 95th with $4.7 billion.
David Green of Oklahoma City, whose family owns Hobby Lobby and Mardel's, is at No. 90 with a $5 billion fortune. Oklahoma City's Tom and Judy Love, of the Love's convenience store chain, are jointly ranked 132nd at $3.6 billion.
Thirty-four people fell off the Forbes 400 list this year, six by death and some by sheer bad luck in the markets, One notable drop-off with strong state ties is Oklahoma State University megadonor and Holdenville native T. Boone Pickens, whose wealth was eroded by generosity and some bad investments but added up to a still tidy sum of $950 million.
Pickens, who has donated $500 million to OSU for athletic and academic facilities, also has admitted losing many millions after buying into wind energy infrastructure.
His omission from the list even prompted a Twitter exchange with ESPN sports business reporter Rovell. Rovell tweeted Monday that "Forbes says that OKlahoma State booster @boonepickens is no longer a billionaire."
Pickens responded about three hours later. "@darrenrovell Don't worry, at $950 million, I'm doing fine. Funny, my $1 billion charitable giving exceeds my net worth."
While most of the top names and rankings didn't change from a year ago, the majority of the elite club's members saw their fortunes grow over the past year, helped by strong stock and real estate markets.
"Basically, the mega rich are mega richer," said Forbes Senior Editor Kerry Dolan.
Dolan noted that list's minimum net income increased to a pre-financial crisis level of $1.3 billion, up from $1.1 billion in 2012, with 61 American billionaires not making the cut.
"In some ways, it's harder to get on the list than it ever has been," she said.
Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates remains America's richest man, taking the top spot on the list for the 20th straight year, with a net worth of $72 billion, up from $66 billion a year ago.
Investor Warren Buffett, the head of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., posted another distant second-place finish with $58.5 billion, but increased his net worth from $46 billion. Buffett's company also owns BH Media Group, which purchased the Tulsa World in March.
Oracle Corp. co-founder Larry Ellison stayed third with $41 billion and was the only member of the top 10 whose net worth was unchanged from a year ago.
Brothers Charles and David Koch, co-owners of Koch Industries Inc., stay tied for fourth with $36 billion each, up from $31 billion in 2012.
Wal-Mart heirs Christy Walton, Jim Walton, Alice Walton and S. Robson Walton took the next four spots, with holdings ranging from $33.3 billion to $35.4 billion, all increasing from year-ago levels. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the founder of the eponymous financial information company, rounds out the top 10 with $31 billion, up from $25 billion.
According to Forbes, 273 members of the list are self-made billionaires, while 71 inherited their wealth and another 56 inherited at least some of it but are still growing it.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg returned to the list's top 20 after dropping out the year before. His net worth of $19 billion earned him the No. 20 spot.
On the flip side, the oldest person on the list is 98-year-old David Rockefeller Sr. at No. 193 with a net worth of $2.8 billion.
A total of 48 women made the list.
The Associated Press and World Business Editor Rod Walton contributed to this story.
Oklahoman or Oklahoma ties in the Forbes 400 list
| Overall Rank |
Wealth |
State connection |
| 2. Warren Buffett |
$58.5 billion |
BH Media Group owns Tulsa World |
| 33. Harold Hamm |
$12.4 billion |
Oklahoma City-based Continental Resources |
| 40. George Kaiser |
$10 billion |
Kaiser-Francis Oil Corp., BOK Financial Corp. |
| 90. David Green |
$5 billion |
Hobby Lobby, Mardel's |
| 95. Henry Kravis |
$4.7 billion |
Native Tulsan, co-CEO KKR & Co. |
| 122. Lynn Schusterman |
$3.8 billion |
Family formerly owned Samson Resources Corp. |
| 132. Tom and Judy Love |
$3.6 billion |
Love's Travel Stops and Country Stores |
Original Print Headline: State billionaires make Forbes list
See the entire list
Browse Forbes’ ranking of the
400 richest Americans.
Finance
Two stocks rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange.
A potential federal shutdown looming, President Barack Obama on Monday warned congressional Republicans they could trigger national "economic chaos" if they demand a delay of his health care law as the price for supporting continued spending for federal operations.
