These Michigan Billionaires Are Among Richest In U.S.: Forbes

The coronavirus has wreaked havoc on the U.S. economy, yet billionaires in Michigan and across the globe are significantly wealthier than they were a year ago, according to this year’s recently released Forbes World's Billionaires List.

The number of billionaires on Forbes’ 35th annual list jumped to an unprecedented 2,755 people, 660 more than a year ago. Altogether, they are worth $13.1 trillion, up from $8 trillion in 2020.

Among those on the list, 86 percent are richer today than they were a year ago.

To put things in perspective, Daniel Gilbert, the owner and co-founder of Quicken Loans and the wealthiest man in Michigan, according to Forbes, has a net worth of $51.9 billion. That's enough to purchase nearly 1.8 million Ford trucks going at around $28,900.

The numbers will likely spark outrage, writes Forbes Chief Content Officer Randall Lane. “There’s no getting around a collective $5 trillion wealth surge during a pandemic, when most of the world felt scared, sick, besieged,” he wrote in a comprehensive essay titled “Operation Wealth Speed."

However, “the underlying trends offer a road map to greater prosperity for all,” he continued. “Like anything else salvaged from a once-a-century plague, we just need to be brave enough to harness it.”

A total of nine billionaires on this year’s list hail from Michigan. Gilbert, 59, is at the top.

Other Michigan billionaires on the list include:

• Hank & Doug Meijer, supermarkets, $12.6B
• Mat Ishbia, mortgage lender, $9.7B
• Ronda Stryker, medical equipment, $6.5B
• Marian Ilitch, Little Caesars, $3.7B
• Roger Penske, cars, $2.1B
• William Young, plastics, $2B
• Donald Foss, auto loans, $1.6B
• Alan Zekelman, steel, $1.2B

To compile this year’s list, Forbes used a snapshot of its real-time billionaires rankings by analyzing stock prices and exchange rates for March 5.

A record 493 people made their debut on this year’s list. Another 250 who’d fallen off in the past made a reappearance, according to Forbes. This year’s list includes a record 328 female billionaires, up from 241 in 2020.

Soon-to-be-former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos retained the top spot on this year’s list for the fourth consecutive year. Bezos, who founded the e-commerce giant out of his garage in Seattle, Washington, will step down as CEO at the end of this year.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk soared to the No. 2 spot, up from No. 31 on last year’s ranking. Bernard Arnault of LVMH remains at No. 3, followed by Bill Gates at No. 4. Rounding out this year’s top five is Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg.

See the full 2021 Forbes Billionaires List.