Charles and David Koch
With an estimated worth of $41 billion, the 79-year-old Charles Koch has accumulated his wealth through a variety of sources. He currently lives in Wichita, Kansas, while his brother, David, age 74, resides in New York City. Both Charles and his almost equally wealthy brother, David, are often referred to as just the Koch brothers. They have not only built an incredible amount of wealth through the years but have stirred political controversy, as well. Charles and David inherited a business from Fred Koch, their father, but have expanded since then. They originally focused on chemicals and oil refining but have since expanded into several other areas, including fertilizers, minerals, ranching, pollution control technologies, polymers, fibers, and commodity trading. Koch Industries is currently the second-largest privately owned corporation in America. Recent business transactions that the Koch brothers have been involved in include an agreement for Koch Industries to acquire Oplink for $445 million. The acquisition of this optical network device company was completed in December 2014.
Charles and David Koch
Jim Walton
Another member of the famous Walton family, Jim Walton is said to be worth approximately $41 billion. At 67, he lives in Bentonville, Arkansas. This particular Walton is the youngest son of Sam Walton, the retailer giant who founded Walmart. Jim Walton is not only associated with the Walmart conglomerate but is also the CEO of Arvest Bank and chairman of Community Publishers Inc. Community Publishers operates newspapers in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri. Jim Walton joined the family business in 1972. His position in the Walmart corporation involved working in real estate dealings. After four years, he then moved on to Walton Enterprises and became its president. After his brother John passed away, Jim took his place on the Walmart board of directors in September 2005. Jim Walton holds the largest amount of shares in the Walmart Corporation.
Jim Walton