The Walton family, owners of about 45% of Walmart, is the richest family in the world in October 2026, with an estimated fortune of roughly $475 billion. This list ranks the 15 wealthiest business families by estimated net worth, built from company valuations and ownership stakes. Ruling royal families are covered separately in Special mentions, because their wealth cannot be compared in the same way.
Fortunes tied to stock prices moved a lot over the past year: Oracle shares have fallen sharply from their 2025 peak, while Walmart became the first traditional retailer valued above $1 trillion in February 2026.
| Rank | Family | Source of wealth | Estimated net worth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walton | Walmart | $475 billion |
| 2 | Ellison | Oracle | $170 billion |
| 3 | Koch | Koch Industries | $157 billion |
| 4 | Arnault | LVMH | $150 billion |
| 5 | Mars | Mars Inc. | $148 billion |
| 6 | Hermès | Hermès | $130 billion |
| 7 | Ortega | Inditex (Zara) | $122 billion |
| 8 | Adani | Adani Group | $113 billion |
| 9 | Slim | América Móvil, Grupo Carso | $100 billion |
| 10 | Aponte | MSC | $95 billion |
| 11 | Bettencourt Meyers | L’Oréal | $93 billion |
| 12 | Ambani | Reliance Industries | $90 billion |
| 13 | Wertheimer | Chanel | $85 billion |
| 14 | Thomson | Thomson Reuters, Woodbridge | $80 billion |
| 15 | Cargill-MacMillan | Cargill | $60 billion |
1. Walton: about $475 billion
Sam Walton and his brother James “Bud” founded Walmart in 1962. Today the family owns roughly 45% of the company, which crossed a $1 trillion market value in February 2026. Sam’s children and Bud’s descendants hold the stake, and the third generation is involved in the business.
Take the roughly 45% ownership stake, multiply by Walmart’s market capitalization and add the family’s outside investments.
2. Ellison: about $170 billion
Larry Ellison co-founded Oracle in 1977 and still owns a stake of roughly 40% in it. The wealth swings with the share price, which has dropped sharply from its 2025 high. His family trust also backed the merger that created Paramount Skydance, led by his son David Ellison.
We took the Oracle share price times his stake, applied a cautious haircut for the recent drop, and added the media holdings.
3. Koch: about $157 billion
Fred C. Koch helped develop a more efficient oil cracking process in the 1920s, and Koch Industries grew into the second-largest private company in the United States. Charles Koch remains chairman. The company spans refining, chemicals, forest products, fibers and technology.
Koch is private, so peer valuation multiples applied to its revenue and earnings stand in for a market price. Treat this figure as a range.
4. Arnault: about $150 billion
Bernard Arnault built LVMH, home to Louis Vuitton, Dior, Tiffany and Moët Hennessy, starting with the 1984 purchase of the Dior parent company. LVMH is valued in the hundreds of billions of euros, and the family holds close to half of the group and a majority of its voting rights.
The family’s controlling share of LVMH at its 2026 market value does the work here.
5. Mars: about $148 billion
Frank Mars started the candy business in 1911 and launched Snickers in 1930, and his son Forrest built it into a global group. Mars Inc. also owns Pedigree and Whiskas, and completed its $35.9 billion purchase of Kellanova, the maker of Pringles, in December 2025. The family still owns the company.
Peer multiples value the private company, and the Kellanova deal price acts as a cross-check.
6. Hermès: about $130 billion
Descendants of founder Thierry Hermès, spread across several family branches, still control the maker of the Birkin and Kelly bags through a family holding company that owns about two thirds of the group. We estimate the family fortune at roughly $130 billion.
The figure comes from the family’s share of Hermès at its 2026 market value, converted to dollars.
7. Ortega: about $122 billion
Amancio Ortega founded Inditex, the parent of Zara and seven other brands. He controls roughly half or more of it. The company runs more than 7,200 stores and has annual revenue of close to 40 billion euros.
His Inditex stake at the current share price, plus real estate assets, makes up the total.
8. Adani: about $113 billion
Gautam Adani built a conglomerate across ports, energy, airports and infrastructure. Reported estimates of his fortune in 2026 sit anywhere from about $90 billion to over $110 billion, depending on the day’s share prices.
Promoter stakes in the listed Adani companies at 2026 market values give us the number.
9. Slim: about $100 billion
Carlos Slim and his family control América Móvil, Grupo Carso and Grupo Financiero Inbursa. He was valued at roughly $100 billion or more in 2025 and 2026, and we hold the figure at about $100 billion.
Stakes in the listed Slim companies feed this one, though thin recent data makes it a rough estimate.
10. Aponte: about $95 billion
Gianluigi Aponte and his wife Rafaela founded Mediterranean Shipping Company in 1970, now the world’s largest container line, with cruise and logistics arms. In April 2026 ownership passed to the next generation, Diego Aponte and Alexa Aponte Vago, while Gianluigi remains executive chairman.
MSC is private, so peer shipping and logistics multiples stand in for a share price. Estimates for individual family members run lower than our family-wide figure.
11. Bettencourt Meyers: about $93 billion
Françoise Bettencourt Meyers is the granddaughter of L’Oréal’s founder Eugène Schueller. The family owns about a third of the beauty group, one of the largest beauty groups in the world.
The family’s share of L’Oréal at its market value, plus other holdings, supports the figure.
12. Ambani: about $90 billion
Mukesh Ambani chairs Reliance Industries, India’s largest conglomerate, spanning energy, retail and telecoms through Jio. His wealth was put at roughly $86 billion to $92 billion in 2026, depending on Reliance’s share price.
Reliance promoter holdings at 2026 prices point to a range of roughly $86 billion to $100 billion.
13. Wertheimer: about $85 billion
Brothers Alain and Gérard Wertheimer own Chanel through a private holding company. The house reported revenue of around $19.7 billion in 2023.
Chanel is private, so we borrowed the average valuation multiples of listed luxury peers and applied them to its reported revenue and profit.
14. Thomson: about $80 billion
The Thomson family of Canada controls The Woodbridge Company, which holds about two thirds of the news and data company Thomson Reuters. Earlier estimates for the family have been as high as the $80 to $98 billion range.
We valued the Woodbridge stake at the Thomson Reuters share price. The evidence is older than for other entries, so we take the low end.
15. Cargill-MacMillan: about $60 billion
William W. Cargill founded the grain business in 1865, and the family still owns most of what is one of the largest private companies in the United States, with annual revenue of well over $100 billion. A large group of family members are billionaires.
Peer multiples on revenue and earnings give a spread, and published estimates run from about $52 billion to $74 billion, so we land on the midpoint.
Special mentions
Ruling royal families are not ranked above because their wealth is tied to the state and cannot be valued the way a company stake can. Estimates for the Al Nahyan family of Abu Dhabi, the Al Saud family and the Al Thani family of Qatar run to the hundreds of billions of dollars. The Rothschild family, long listed at the top of lists like this, has no verifiable fortune that supports the trillions often quoted.
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FAQ
Who is the richest family in the world in 2026?
The Walton family, owners of about 45% of Walmart, with an estimated $475 billion.
How much is the Walton family worth?
Roughly $475 billion by our estimate, based on their Walmart stake and the company’s market value, which topped $1 trillion in February 2026.
Who joined or moved up the list since the last update?
The Ellison, Ortega, Adani, Hermès and Aponte families now rank in the top 15, while the Chearavanont, Pritzker, Sabanci, Lee, S.C. Johnson and Cox families dropped out.
Why are royal families not ranked?
Royal wealth is tied to the state and is not reported the way company stakes are, so figures cannot be compared fairly.
How are family fortunes estimated?
We multiply ownership stakes by company market values, and use peer valuation multiples for private firms like Koch, Mars and Chanel.
How we estimate net worth
Our estimates are based on public reporting, company valuations, and deal and earnings figures all compiled in an internal valuation model. They are approximate, and figures change over time as new information emerges.
For this list we used ownership stakes in listed companies at 2026 market prices, and peer valuation multiples and deal prices for private companies. Where evidence was thin, we gave a conservative figure.
Last updated: October 2026.
