Forbes has released its latest list of the 400 richest people in America, and five billionaires with Virginia ties made the cut.
The list is based on a person’s wealth as of September 4, 2026. This includes assets such as private and public companies, real estate, art, automobiles, and jewelry. Funds and donations to charity were deducted from net worths. The combined worth of all 400 people on the list is $8 trillion, up from last year’s $6.6 trillion.
Jacqueline Mars, owner of an estimated one-third of Mars Inc., is No. 21 on the list. Her net worth is $50.3 billion according to Forbes. The company owns more than 100 popular brands including Pedigree, Royal Canin, M&Ms, Snickers, Ben’s Original, and more.
Mars also landed on Forbes‘ Richest People in the World list in March 2026. She tied at No. 38 with her brother, John Mars, co-owners of Mars Inc.
Other Virginians on the list are Robert Pender of Venture Global with a net worth of $14.3 billion, Daniel D’Aniello of Carlyle Group with $5.2 billion, and Winifred J. Marquart, president of the Johnson Family Foundation, with $5.1 billion. Pamela Mars (niece of Jacqueline Mars) of Mars Inc. made the list with 12.6 billion.
Elon Musk, founder of Tesla and Space X, is the wealthiest person in America with a net worth of $908 billion. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos made No. 2 on the list with $378 billion, and former Alphabet CEO Larry Page ranked No. 3 with $278 billion. Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Technologies landed at No. 4 with $263 billion. Sergey Brin, former CEO of Alphabet is No. 5 with $256 billion.
Feature image, Stockbusters/stock.adobe.com
