Palm Beach now home to 68 of the world's billionaires, says our look at 2025 Forbes data

• Examining the latest Forbes data, the Palm Beach Daily News has identified at least 68 billionaires with residential ties to the town of Palm Beach.
• The majority of Palm Beach’s billionaires saw their fortunes soar over the last year, including President Donald Trump.
• Billionaires are on the Palm Beach Daily News list if they own real estate in town, whether it’s a primary home, a vacation house, land or an investment property.

(This story was updated to to accurately reflect the most current information.)

At least 68 billionaires now have strong residential ties to Palm Beach — and their combined wealth tops $620 billion, according to an exclusive Palm Beach Daily News analysis of the latest list of the world’s richest people from Forbes.com. 

The majority of the town’s billionaires — 37 — saw their fortunes soar over the last year, including Palm Beach’s most famous resident. President Donald Trump’s estimated net worth climbed from $2.3 billion on March 8, 2024, to $5.1 billion on March 7 of this year, the annual Forbes list showed.

A dozen of the Palm Beach billionaires watched their wealth drop, while 17 saw their fortunes unchanged from last year’s single-day snapshot. Financial data from 2024 was not available for the two Palm Beach billionaires who made his debut on the global Forbes list — Australia-born financier Michael Dorrell, whose estimated net worth clocked in at $8.5 billion, and real-estate businessman Mitchell Morgan and his family, with a fortune estimated at $5.5 billion. (See the complete list of Palm Beach billionaires below.) 

Dorrell and Morgan — and their billionaire neighbors in Palm Beach — were among the 3,028 people across the globe whose wealth totaled at least $1 billion each, according to the list released April 1. The latest list was the largest ever compiled by Forbes, with 247 more names than last year. 

The combined wealth of those on the global list added up to a record $16.1 trillion. That figure is “2 trillion more than a year ago and more than the GDP of every country in the world besides the U.S. and China. The average fortune now stands at $5.3 billion, up $200 million from 2024,” according to a story accompanying the list, written by Forbes Senior Editor Chase Peterson-Withorn. 

Billionaires landed on the Palm Beach Daily News list if they own real estate in town, whether it’s a primary home, a vacation house, a condominium, vacant land or an investment property. There are likely even more than 68 billionaires who own real estate in Palm Beach, but if so, their identities may be cloaked behind the entities they used to buy their properties. 

Other billionaires on the island may not have met the criteria Forbes uses to determine eligibility, which figures in the value of their stock portfolios and other assets, including private companies, real estate and art collections. 

Once again, Julia Koch and her family lead the Palm Beach list with an estimated net worth of $74.2 billion, up from $64.3 billion a year ago. Her late husband, David Koch of Koch Industries, had for years been identified as Palm Beach’s wealthiest billionaire until his death in 2019. 

Stepping into the No. 2 spot on this year’s Palm Beach list was digital stock-trading pioneer Thomas Peterffy, whose fortune was estimated at $57.3 billion. Last year, Peterffy ranked fourth among Palm Beach billionaires with an estimated net worth of $34 billion.

Rounding out the latest top-five list of Palm Beach billionaires were private-equity specialist Stephen Schwarzman, who saw his wealth rise to $44.4 billion from $38.8 billion; hedge-fund and securities titan Ken Griffin, whose fortune vaulted from $36.4 billion to $42.3 billion; and investments executive Abigail Johnson, whose wealth jumped to $32.7 billion from $29.3 billion. 

Two other Palm Beach billionaires saw major leaps in their wealth, the Palm Beach Daily News list shows. Real estate developer and Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross — whose redevelopment projects are transforming the look of downtown West Palm Beach — saw his fortune jump from $10.1 billion last year to $18.4 billion.

And logistics entrepreneur Bradley Jacobs was assigned a net worth of $12 billion, up from last year’s total of $3.7 billion. 

Dorrell, who made his first appearance this year on the global list, is also a new resident of Palm Beach. He grabbed headlines when a company he controls paid a recorded $150 million last May for Tarpon Island — the town’s only private island — with its renovated-and-expanded mega-mansion. 

Morgan, the other newcomer to the global list, is a Pennsylvania-based apartment developer with a vacation home in Midtown Palm Beach.

On the new global list, Tesla and SpaceX tycoon Elon Musk took the No. 1 spot with an estimated net worth of $342 billion. A high-dollar Trump campaign donor and a frequent guest at the president’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Musk has had a seismic impact on federal agencies with his jobs- and budget-slashing initiatives as head of the new Department of Government Efficiency.

In the No. 2 spot, globally, was Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg with an estimated net worth of $216 billion. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos ($215 billion) was ranked No. 3. 

In the fourth spot on the global list was Oracle Corp’s. Larry Ellison, with a fortune of $192 billion. Ellison has become a notable presence in Palm Beach County. In July, he bought the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa for about $277 million in Manalapan, the wealthy town south of Palm Beach. Ellison also owns the largest residential estate in Manalapan, which he bought in 2022 for $173 million, setting a Florida residential real estate record. 

French fashion and cosmetics mogul Bernard Arnault and his family were ranked No. 5 on the global list with a fortune of $178 billion. Last year, they took the top spot with $233 billion. 

Celebrities ranked by Forbes for the first time on its list of the world’s billionaires included rocker Bruce Springstein, who has ties to Palm Beach County's Wellington equestrian community; Hollywood star and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ($1.1 billion); and comedian Jerry Seinfeld ($1.1 billion).  

Palm Beach’s wealthiest: Local billionaires on the 2025 Forbes ranking of the world’s richest 

Here is the Daily News list of Palm Beach billionaires ranked by Forbes among the world’s richest people. All of the billionaires on this list are American unless otherwise noted. The list includes each billionaire's rank on the global list, in descending order, and compares 2025 net-worth estimates to the ones Forbes published last year at this time. At the end of the list is a note about the methodology Forbes used to compile its rankings.

Julia Koch, 62 (widow of industrialist David Koch), and family, in 21st place on the global list, with $74.2 billion, up from $64.3 billion in 2024. 

Digital stock-trading pioneer Thomas Peterffy, 80, in 27th place, with $57.3 billion, up from $34 billion. 

Private equity titan Stephen Schwarzman, 78, in 31st place, with $44.4 billion, up from $38.8 billion. 

Hedge-fund manager Kenneth C. Griffin, 56, tied in 35th place, with $42.3 billion, up from $36.4 billion.

Investments/finance executive Abigail Johnson, 63, in 55th place, with $32.7 billion, up from $29.3 billion.

Australian mining mogul Gina Rinehart, 71, in 61st place, with $29.3 billion, down from $30.8 billion.

Mortgage loan magnate and NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, 63, in 71st place, with $27.8 billion, up from $26.2 billion.

Health care mogul Thomas Frist Jr., 86, and family (including Palm Beach homeowner and businessman Thomas Frist III), tied in 73rd place, with $27 billion, up from $26.2 billion

Hedge-fund manager and the NFL's Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper, 67, tied in 95th place, with $21.3 billion, up from $20.6 billion.

Real estate developer and Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, 84, in 111th place, with $18.4 billion, up from $10.1 billion.

Financier Henry Kravis, 81, tied in 176th place, with $13.3 billion, up from $11.7 billion.

Logistics entrepreneur Bradley Jacobs, 68, tied in 199th place, with $12 billion, up from $3.7 billion. 

Businessman and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, 83, tied in 208th place, with $11.8 billion, up from $11.1 billion.

Discount brokerage pioneer Charles Schwab, 87, tied in 230th place, with $10.8 billion, up from $9.8 billion.

Investments mogul Robert F. Smith, 62, tied in 230th place, with $10.8 billion, up from $9.2 billion.

Cosmetics heir Leonard Lauder, 92, tied in 271st place, with $10.1 billion, down from $15.1 billion.

Medical equipment heiress Ronda Stryker, 70, tied in 347th place, with $8.6 billion, up from $8.2 billion. 

Australia-born financier Michael Dorrell, 51, tied in 353rd place, with $8.5 billion (new to the Forbes list in 2025).

Hedge-fund manager Paul Tudor Jones II, 70, tied in 380th place, with $8.1 billion, unchanged from 2024.

Real estate investor Jeff Greene, 70, tied in 390th place, with $7.9 billion, up from $7.5 billion.

Real estate mogul Neil Bluhm, 87, tied in 453rd place, with $7.2 billion, up from $6.3 billion. 

Money manager Ron Baron, 81, tied in 535th place, with $6.5 billion, up from $5.1 billion.

Hedge-fund manager Chase Coleman III, 49, tied in 581st place, with $6 billion, up from $5.7 billion.

Real estate mogul Mitchell Morgan, 70, and family, tied in 639th place, with $5.5 billion (new to the Forbes list in 2025).

Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, 73, and family, tied in 673rd place, with $5.3 billion, up from $4.6 billion.

Real estate investor and President Donald Trump, 78, tied in 700th place, with $5.1 billion, up from $2.3 billion.

Marvel Entertainment tycoon Isaac Perlmutter, 82, tied in 734th place, with $4.9 billion, up from $4.4 billion. 

Money manager Charles B. Johnson, 92, tied in 751st place, with $4.8 billion, down from $5.3 billion.

Cosmetics executive Ronald Lauder, 81, tied in 767th place, with $4.7 billion, up from $4.6 billion.

Investments tycoon, inventor and optometrist Dr. Herbert Wertheim, 84, tied in 767th place, with $4.7 billion, down from $4.9 billion.

Media and automotive heiress Katharine “Kathy” Rayner, 80, tied in 823rd place, with $4.4 billion, up from $4 billion. 

Media and automotive heiress Margaretta Taylor, 82, tied in 823rd place, with $4.4 billion, up from $4 billion. 

Philadelphia Phillies co-owner and tobacco heir John Middleton, 70, tied in 887th place, with $4.1 billion, up from $3.7 billion.

Private-equity specialist William Conway Jr., 75, tied in 929th place, with $3.9 billion, up from $3.8 billion.

Hedge-fund manager John Paulson, 69, tied in 948th place, with $3.8 billion, up from $3.5 billion. 

Casino and resort mogul Steve Wynn, 83, tied in 979th place, with $3.7 billion, up from $3.4 billion.

Johnson & Johnson heir and New York Jets owner Robert Wood “Woody” Johnson IV and family, 77, tied in 1,045th place, with $3.5 billion, up from $3.3 billion.

Investor C. Dean Metropolous, 78, tied in 1,072nd place, with $3.4 billion, up from $2.9 billion.

Private-equity specialist Scott Shleifer, 47, tied in 1,172nd place, with $3.1 billion, up from $2.5 billion. 

Hedge-fund manager Glenn Dubin, 67, tied in 1,265th place, with $2.9 billion, unchanged from 2024.

Private-equity specialist Doug Ostrover, 62, tied in 1,265th place, with $2.9 billion, up from $2.8 billion.

Private-equity mogul Barry Sternlicht, 64, tied in 1,305th place, with $2.8 billion, down from $3.8 billion.

Canadian sports-franchise owner and businessman Larry Tanenbaum, 79, tied in 1,305th place, with $2.8 billion, up from $2.5 billion.

Canadian liquor magnate Charles Bronfman, 93, tied in 1,462nd place, with $2.5 billion, unchanged from 2024. 

Real estate magnate Dwight C. Schar, 83, tied in 1,462nd place, with $2.5 billion, down from $2.6 billion.

SlimFast founder S. Daniel Abraham, 100, tied in 1,513th place, with $2.4 billion, unchanged from 2024.

Food and beverage distributor Duke Reyes, 68, tied in 1,513th place, with $2.4 billion, up from $1.9 billion.

Fashion designer Tom Ford, 63, tied in 1,626th place, with $2.2 billion, unchanged from 2024.

Homebuilder Paul Saville, 69, tied in 1,626th place, with $2.2 billion, unchanged from 2024.

Hedge-fund manager James G. Dinan, 65, tied in 1,688th place, with $2.1 billion, unchanged from 2024.

Insurance magnate and New York Giants co-owner Jonathan Tisch, 71, tied in 1,688th place, with $2.1 billion, unchanged from 2024.

Industrialist, investor and education entrepreneur William “Bill” Koch, 84, tied in 1,763rd place, with $2 billion, unchanged from 2024.

Money manager Mario Gabelli, 82, tied in 1,850th place, with $1.9 billion, up from $1.8 billion. 

Car dealer Terry Taylor, 74, tied in 1,850th place, with $1.9 billion, unchanged from 2024.

Cosmetics executive Jane Lauder, 52, tied in 1,947th place, with $1.8 billion, down from $3.3 billion.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Manchester United co-owner Avram Glazer, 64, tied in 2,019th place, with $1.7 billion, unchanged from 2024.

Industrial equipment heir Mitchell Jacobson, 74, tied in 2,019th place, with $1.7 billion, down from $1.8 billion.

Real estate mogul Charles Cohen, 73, tied in 2,110th place, with $1.6 billion, down from $3 billion. 

Investor Nelson Peltz, 82, tied in 2,110th place, with $1.6 billion, down from $1.7 billion. 

Canadian financier Gerald Schwartz, 83, tied in 2,233rd place, with $1.5 billion, unchanged from 2024.

Reebok founder Paul Fireman, 81, tied in 2,479th place, with $1.3 billion, unchanged from 2024.

Fashion and retail entrepreneur Aerin Lauder, 54, tied in 2,479th place, with $1.3 billion, down from $2.1 billion. 

Cosmetics executive William Lauder, 64, tied in 2,479th place, with $1.3 billion, down from $2.3 billion. 

Private-equity specialist J. Christopher Flowers, 67, tied in 2,623rd place, with $1.2 billion, unchanged from 2024.

Technology investor Harvey Jones, 72, tied in 2,623rd place, with $1.2 billion, up from $1 billion.

Real estate asset manager Jane Goldman, 69, tied in 2,790th place, with $1.1 billion, unchanged from 2024.

Real estate asset manager Diane Goldman Kemper, 79, tied in 2,790th place, with $1.1 billion, unchanged from 2024.

Real estate tycoon Richard Kurtz, 84, tied in 2,933rd place, with $1 billion, unchanged from 2024.

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Methodology: Forbes based the list on data collected on March 7, 2025. Forbes.com updates the list in real time, based on a variety of factors contributing to the billionaires' net worth, including stocks and other assets, including private companies, real estate and art. As a result, the list provides a single-day snapshot of the billionaires' wealth. See the complete list at Forbes.com.

Did we miss a billionaire with strong residential ties to the town of Palm Beach who is on the 2025 Forbes World’s Billionaires list? If so, emaildhofheinz@pbdailynews.com. 

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This is a developing history. Check back for any updates. 

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Darrell Hofheinz is a USA TODAY Network of Florida journalist who writes about Palm Beach real estate in his weekly “Beyond the Hedges” column. He welcomes tips about real estate news on the island. Emaildhofheinz@pbdailynews.com, call (561) 820-3831 or tweet @PBDN_Hofheinz