Forbes billionaires list 2024: Here are the 7 Bay Area residents who made the cut
TAMPA, Fla. - Forbes has released its annual list of billionaires and some of those named may be your neighbors.
According to Forbes, there are now 2,781 billionaires in the world, which is a 141 jump from last year and 26 more than the record set in 2021.
Bernard Arnault, who lives in Paris, France, is ranked No. 1 by Forbes with a net worth of $233B. He oversees the LVMH empire of 75 fashion and cosmetics brands, including Louis Vuitton and Sephora.
Closer to home, seven Bay Area residents made the billionaire’s list.
- St. Petersburg resident Ronald Waneck, the founder of Ashley Furniture, which touts itself as the largest home furniture manufacturer in the world, came in at 572 on the list and is worth $5.3B.
- Robert Duggan, of Clearwater, came in at number 809 on the list. He is an entrepreneur worth $3.9B. According to Forbes, Duggan’s son died from brain cancer, and he became passionate about Pharmacyclic's cancer-fighting drugs. He first invested in the company in 2004. Pharmacyclics' cancer drug Imbruvica made him a billionaire in 2013.
- Tampa’s Edward DeBartolo Jr., whose net worth is $3.3B, is ranked 991. He is a real estate magnate who founded and heads up DeBartolo Holdings. He owned the San Francisco 49ers during the 80s and 90s, when the team won five Super Bowls. In 1998, DeBartolo pleaded guilty to not reporting a bribe from a Louisiana government official. President Trump pardoned DeBartolo in 2020.
- Todd Christopher, of Clearwater, founded hair care products company Vogue International in 1987 after dropping out of high school. He is ranked 1033 and is worth $3.2B. He sold a stake to the Carlyle Group in 2014. Two years later, they sold the company to Johnson & Johnson for $3.3 billion.
- St. Petersburg resident Todd Waneck, son of Ashley Furniture founder Ronald Waneck, is worth $3.2B and is tied with Christopher for the 1033 spot. He is the CEO of Ashley Furniture and his dad remains chairman.
- Sarasota’s Kenneth Feld, who owns live entertainment company Feld Entertainment, the parent company of Disney on Ice, Monster Jam, and other shows, is ranked 1238 with a net worth of $2.7B.
- Thomas James, of St. Petersburg, tied Feld for the 1238 spot. He also has a net worth of $2.7B. He inherited and grew his fortune through the financial services business Raymond James, which was started by his father, Robert, in 1962.
Click here to see the Forbes World's Billionaires List.
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