Our region’s got some of the wealthiest counties in the country, so when Forbes put out its annual list of the 400 Wealthiest Americans in September, we weren’t surprised to find that five of them reside in our humble state (with other homes across the globe, no doubt). Of the five, four are in Northern Virginia. From self-made billionaires to old-money heiresses, here are your neighbors with the most dough.
Jacqueline Mars
Ranking: No. 19
Net worth: $37 billion
Lives in: The Plains
The ultra-private Mars family is the epitome of the expression “Money talks. Wealth whispers.” Jacqueline, granddaughter of Mars Inc. founder Frank C. Mars, is the richest of them all — and the wealthiest person in Virginia. She’s retired and supports local organizations with her philanthropy, serving on the board of directors for the Washington National Opera and the National Sporting Library & Museum, among others. The mother of three is a trustee of the U.S. Equestrian Team and is passionate about land conservation.
Pamela Mars-Wright
Ranking: No. 69
Net worth: $9.3 billion
Lives in: Alexandria
A niece of Jacqueline, Pamela is the great-granddaughter of Frank C. Mars. Mars-Wright holds about an 8 percent stake in Mars Inc. that she inherited from her father. She’s held various roles within the company, including as a vice president for the pet care division of Mars (which includes brands like Whiskas and Pedigree) and chairman of the board of directors. She brings her business expertise to current roles on the supervisory board of Heineken and the board of advisers of the Moffitt Cancer Center. She and her husband, Lonnie, have three children.
Daniel D’Aniello
Ranking: No. 317
Net worth: $3.5 billion
Lives in: Arlington
Pennsylvania-born Daniel D’Aniello bagged groceries as a kid to help his single mother pay the bills. A scholarship to Syracuse University set him on a path to upward mobility. He earned his fortune as one of the founders of the private equity firm the Carlyle Group. Husband to Gayle and father of two, D’Aniello stepped down as chairman of the group in 2018. He serves as chairman of the board of trustees of center-right think tank the American Enterprise Institute. A Vietnam veteran, he donated $20 million to Syracuse’s National Veterans Resource Center, and he also gives to the archdioceses of Washington and Arlington.
William Conway Jr.
Ranking: No. 351
Net worth: $3.1 billion
Lives in: McLean
Another brilliant financial mind behind the behemoth Carlyle Group, co-founder and co-CEO Conway is a Massachusetts-born businessman with one son. Conway is easily the most publicly philanthropic of our four billionaires. He and his wife, Joanne, give through their Bedford Falls Foundation. Conway has been outspoken about wanting to focus his giving on education and job creation; one notable gift is $40 million to Catholic University for the Conway School of Nursing.
This story originally ran in our February issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
