5. (Edward) Johnson family ($39 billion)
Edward C. Johnson II founded the mutual fund outfit Fidelity. His son Edward “Ned” Johnson III and his grandchildren own 49 percent of the company. Ned is the chairman and CEO; and his daughter is the president of the company. Fidelity manages assets worth $1.7 trillion.
4. Cargill-MacMillan family ($43 billion)
The Cargill family owns around 88 percent of Cargill, the largest private company in the US. All six family members are billionaires.
3. Mars family ($60 billion)
Jacqueline, John and Forrest Mars Jr. own Mars, the largest candy company in the world. All the three siblings are on the board. However, they are not actively involved in the company’s day-to-day operations.
2. Koch family ($89 billion)
William and Frederick sold out their family business for $700 million in 1983. This left Charles and David in charge of expanding Koch Industries. The company’s roots date back to their father’s Midwestern refining business.
1. Walton family ($152 billion)
Walton family owns 51 percent of Wal-Mart, the world’s richest retailer. This behemoth’s revenue is a whopping $476 billion. The family has tight grip on the company. The company was started by Sam Walton and James Walton in 1962. They started in Rogers, a small Arkansas town.
The above-mentioned wealthy American families are worth more than $500 billion.
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