It is true that making wealth is not an easy job, but keeping it is even harder. The hardest is keeping the hard-earned fortune through generations as we have seen family businesses come and go over the years. However, a few have stood the test of time and have transcended generations, outliving their founders; some dating back to a far as six generations behind. Some of these companies have survived due to hard work, while others have stay longer due to customer loyalty for the brand.
Wealthiest families in the US (2016)
Koch family
Walmart Family
- The Walton family: For a second year running, this is the richest family in the United States. The family made of six heirs own 54 percent of the Walmart fortune which is estimated at $149 billion.
- The Koch Family: They come in second; David and Charles who are two out of the four Koch brothers are active in politics and are in charge of the running of the business Koch Industries. The Koch Industries is the second largest company in the United States. They are valued at $86 billion.
- The Mars family: They come in third as the owners of the leading candy making company in the world. The company is famous for making of M&Ms and Milky Way. They are estimated to be worth $80 billion. The company was founded in 1911 when Frank Mars began a candy business in his Kitchen in Tacoma.
- The Cargill-MacMillan: This family has 14 billionaires, which is the highest in the world. The family owns 88 percent of Cargill Inc., which is the largest private company in America. They are valued at $45 billion.
- The Cox family: The family fortune can be traced back to 1898. The founder James M. Cox bought the Dayton Evening News. Over the years the company has expanded to TV, radio among others. They are valued at $34.5 billion.
The top ten list includes the Hearst family, the Pritzker family, the S.C. Johnson family, (Edward) Johnson family, and Duncan family in that order.
