The richest person in Illinois revealed by Forbes – NBC Chicago

Last week, Forbes released its annual list of the richest individuals in every state, and the defending champion from Illinois tops the rankings for the second year in a row.

According to ForbesChicago native Lucas Walton once again became the richest person in the state, raising his net worth to nearly $28 billion.

Walton is Grandson of Walmart founder Sam Walton. His father, John Walton, died in a plane crash in 2005, and Lucas inherited a third of his fortune, according to Forbes.

Last year, Walton’s net worth increased by 32%, rising from $21.2 billion to $28 billion.

Lucas Walton works as an investor in various environmental initiatives, including serving on the board of the Walton Family Foundation, according to its website.

The foundation supports a variety of initiatives, with a primary focus on helping provide educational opportunities for students, protecting the world’s waterways from pollution, and promoting the economic interests of the state of Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta, according to the foundation’s website.

Walton It also runs the Builders Initiativewhich invests in nonprofits, companies and other organizations working to encourage sustainable practices in an effort to combat climate change.

Walton was encouraged to study sustainable practices after he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer at the age of three. His mother credits an “all-natural diet” with helping him recover from the disease, inspiring him to work to protect the natural world. According to him Biography on the Walton Family Foundation website.

His uncle Jim Walton is the richest person in Arkansas, with an estimated fortune of $78.4 billion.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is the richest person in Florida, with a net worth of $194 billion. Tesla founder Elon Musk is the richest person in Texas with a fortune of $195 billion, while Bill Gates is now once again the richest person in Washington with a fortune of $128 billion.

Citadel founder Ken Griffin, who held the title of richest person in Illinois until he moved to Florida in 2023, trails Bezos in the Sunshine State rankings after the Amazon founder moved there in recent years.