17 Massachusetts Billionaires Make Forbes’ 2018 List

Jeff Bezos is at the top of Forbes’ billionaires list for 2018, dethroning fellow Seattle-area billionaire Bill Gates, who has lost the top spot for only the sixth time since 1995. Among the elite club of billionaires on the 32nd annual list, 17 of them have Massachusetts ties.

The 2018 list has 2,208 members from 72 countries. With 585 Americans on the list, the United States leads the way with the most number of billionaires in the world, followed by China with 373 billionaires. The U.S. also had 18 newcomers featured on the 2018 list.

According to Forbes, Bezos is the first centi-billionaire at the top of the list, meaning he has a fortune of over a $100 billion. Forbes explains just how much wealth these billionaires have, being worth a combined $9.1 trillion. The top 20 people on the list alone are worth $1.2 trillion, 13 percent of the total fortune of all billionaires worldwide.

Here are the Massachusetts billionaires who made the Forbes list for 2018:

1. Abigail Johnson, 56, is worth $15.9 billion and is ranked 83 on the list. She is the chair of Fidelity Investments and owns an estimated 24.5 percent stake in the firm.
2. Edward Johnson III, 87, is worth $7.9 billion and is ranked 196 on the list. He was the CEO of Fidelity Investments for 37 years before turning the company over to his daughter, Abigail.
3. Robert Kraft, 76, is worth $6.2 billion and is ranked 281 on the list. Owner of a paper-manufacturing conglomerate and the New England Patriots and is involved in other sports-related ventures.
4. Jim Davis, 74, is worth $5.3 billion and is ranked 365 on the list. He is the chair of New Balance and owns an estimated 95 percent of the company with his family.
5. Edward Johnson IV, 53, is worth $3.6 billion and is ranked 629 on the list. He is the president of Pembroke Real Estate, which is owned by FMR, Fidelity's parent company. He owns a 5.56 percent stake in FMR.
6. Elizabeth Johnson, 54, is worth $3.6 billion and is tied with her brother for 629. Founder of Louisburg Farms, a stable of show-jumping horses based in Wellington, FL and owns a 5.56 percent stake in FMR.
7. Amos Hostetter, Jr., 81, is worth $3.3 billion and is ranked 703 on the list. He invested in a TV company that eventually became Continental Cablevision, selling it for $11 billion in 1996.
8. Valentin Gapontsev, 79, is worth $3 billion and is ranked 791 on the list. Founder of IPG Photonics, which produces high-power fiber-optic lasers for cutting materials and telecommunications.
9. Phillip T. (Terry) Ragon, 68, is worth $2.2 billion and is ranked 1103 on the list. Founder and owner of InterSystems, a software company that enables hospitals and banks to analyze big data.
10. Alan N. Trefler, 61, is worth $1.9 billion and is ranked 1284 on the list. Founder of Pegasystems, a software company that focuses on streamlining business and enhancing customer engagement.
11. Steve Conine, 45, is worth $1.6 billion and is ranked 1477 on the list. Co-founder and co-chairman of online home goods retailer Wayfair.
12. Niraj Shah, 44, is worth $1.6 billion and is tied for 1477 on the list. Co-founder and CEO of online home goods retailer Wayfair.
13. Ted Alfond, 73, is worth $1.5 billion and is ranked 1561 on the list. Heir whose fortune stems from Warren Buffett's purchase of Dexter Shoe Company. He and his siblings share a 4 percent stake in Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool FC.
14. Seth Klarman, 60, is worth $1.5 billion and is ranked 1561 on the list. Runs Boston-based firm Baupost, one of the largest hedge funds with $32 billion under management.
15. Herb Chambers, 76, is worth $1.4 billion and is ranked 1650 on the list. Made his fortune from his auto dealership empire, which sells luxury brands like Bentley and Rolls Royce.
16. Paul Fireman, 74, is worth $1.1 billion and is ranked 1999 on the list. Led shoe company Reebok to success starting in the 1980s and owns the $250 million Liberty National Golf Course.
17. Frank Laukien, 58, is worth $1.1 billion and is ranked 1999 on the list. He is the chairman and CEO of Bruker Corp., a scientific instruments manufacturer headquartered in Billerica.

The top 10 billionaires on the list are:

• Jeff Bezos, 54, worth $112 billion
• Bill Gates, 62, worth $90 billion
• Warren Buffett, 87, worth $84 billion
• Bernard Arnault, 69, worth $72 billion
• Mark Zuckerberg, 33, worth $71 billion
• Amancio Ortega, 81, worth $70 billion
• Carlos Slim Helu, 78, worth $67.1 billion
• Charles Koch, 82, worth $60 billion
• David Koch, 77, worth $60 billion
• Larry Ellison, 73, worth $58.5 billion

The Forbes billionaires list provides a look at wealth using stock prices and exchange rates from Feb. 9, 2018. Forbes values assets like private companies, art, real estate and more. Read more about Forbes methodology here.

See the full list of billionaires here.

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