The 16 industries that have made America's richest people, from tech to trucking

Elon Musk, Rupert Murdoch, and Diane Hendricks are the richest people in America in their respective industries. Johannes Neudecker/picture alliance via Getty Images; Emma McIntyre/WireImage; PATRICK T. Finance and tech have minted the most billionaires in the US. However, less obvious industries have also led to some of the US's biggest fortunes. The common denominator of massive wealth is being a founder (or, of course, an heir). Finance and technology usually spring to mind when thinking of the world's most lucrative industries. And that's for good reason. They have been the source of wealth for nearly half of America's 400 richest people, as ranked and categorized by Forbes. However, billion-dollar fortunes have been made in other sectors, too, ranging from trucking to pest control. Business Insider has compiled data from the 2026 Forbes 400 list, which is an estimated snapshot of the 400 richest people in America as of September 4. Forbes estimated each member's net worth using a variety of sources, including interviews, asset valuations, and deductions for debt, charitable contributions, and fund donations. The following ranking is based on the 16 industries into which Forbes categorized each individual. Business Insider calculated how many individuals went into each category to find which industries have minted the most of America's richest people. It also compiled the richest person within each industry. Some of the members featured an "& family" tag, which means wealth held by a founder or heir's immediate family. The totals, therefore, count Forbes entries, not necessarily individual people. Here are the industries that featured the most on the Forbes 400 list, from most to least prevalent. 1. Finance & investments — 108 Richest: Warren Buffett — $144 billion The finance and investments industry has been the biggest maker of fortunes. Most of the wealthiest individuals in this category are founders of hedge funds, mortgage lenders, VC, and investment firms. Some are heirs to founders, such as the grandchildren of Fidelity founder Edward Johnson II. 2. Technology — 91 members Elon Musk will retain tons of control over the new public company. Johannes Neudecker/picture alliance via Getty Images Richest: Elon Musk — $908 billion Technology has been a massive maker of fortunes; the nine richest in this category are wealthier than Warren Buffett. Many are founders of big-name tech companies, as well as software and computer hardware firms. The AI boom has brought several newcomers to the list, including OpenAI cofounder and president Greg Brockman. 3. Food & beverage — 35 members Aurora Rose/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images Richest: (Tie) Jacqueline and John Mars — $50.3 billion From Chick-fil-A to Tito's Vodka, there are plenty of household-name brands in this category. Others made their fortunes in the non-consumer parts of the food and beverage industry. These include J. Christopher Reyes and Jude Reyes, who cochair the food and beverage distribution firm Reyes Holdings, or Harry Stine, who made his fortune licensing soybean and corn genetics. 4. Fashion & retail — 26 Richest: Rob Walton & family — $132 billion Like food and beverage, household names dominate the fashion & retail category. Walmart alone is listed as the source of wealth of eight people in this industry. Other sources of retail wealth are less obvious. Jimmy and Bill Haslam's fortunes largely derive from the truck stop chain Pilot Flying J, which their father founded. 5. Energy — 23 members Lyndal Stephens Greth Angela Piazza/The Dallas Morning News via Getty Images Richest: Lyndal Stephens Greth & family — $30 billion Oil tycoons and their families make up the bulk of this list. And it's not just those with stakes or roles in companies involved in production, but also pipelines and refineries. 6. Real estate — 18 members Stephen Ross Taylor Hill/WireImage Richest: Stephen Ross — $21.5 billion America's wealthiest real-estate magnates built their fortunes through all kinds of properties. Jeff Greene, for example, made billions investing in credit default swaps tied to subprime mortgage-backed securities before the financial crisis. With an estimated net worth of $7 billion and much of his wealth tied to real estate, President Donald Trump is also included in this category. 7. Media & entertainment — 17 members Rupert Murdoch and his wife, Elena Zhukova. Emma McIntyre/WireImage Richest: Rupert Murdoch & family — $25 billion Legacy media, such as cable and satellite television, continue to dominate this category. However, some billionaires built their fortunes through other kinds of media, including Gabe Newell, who cofounded video game developer Valve. Movies have minted others, such as award-winning director Steven Spielberg and "Star Wars" creator George Lucas. 8. Sports — 16 members Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Richest: Stanley Kroenke — $27.6 billion For many people in the sports category, team ownership is more of a second act, rather than the original source of their wealth. For example, before they bought teams, Arthur Blank cofounded Home Depot, Stephen Bisciotti made his fortune in talent management, and Arturo Moreno made his money from billboard advertising. There are some exceptions, such as Michael Jordan, whose basketball career was the origin of his wealth. 9. Healthcare — 15 members Thomas F. Frist III, son of HCA Healthcare cofounder Thomas F. Frist Jr. and a major shareholder in the company. Richest: Thomas Frist, Jr. & family — $33.6 billion Aside from the category's richest entry, Thomas Frist Jr. and family, whose wealth comes from hospitals, most of the others made or inherited their fortunes in pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and medical equipment. One, Patrick Soon-Shiong, developed the chemotherapy drug Abraxane. 10. Manufacturing — 15 members Steven Rales Amy Sussman/WireImage Richest: Steven Rales — $8.7 billion Manufacturing spans a variety of industries, from packaging materials to defense. Some big fortunes come from everyday products you might not expect. Cleaning products alone account for four people on the list, all of whom are heirs to SC Johnson, whose products include Windex and Glade. 11. Service — 11 members Micky Arison Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images Richest: Micky Arison & family — $11.5 billion Aircraft leasing, cruises, and self-storage are just some examples of services that have turned people into billionaires. Lucrative service companies aren't necessarily the most glamorous. Gary Rollins, for example, is executive chairman emeritus of pest control firm Rollins, which was founded by his father. 12. Automotive — 8 members Ernest Garcia III (left), cofounder and CEO of Carvana, and his father, Ernest Garcia II, the biggest shareholder. NYSE Richest: Ernest Garcia, II — $24.3 billion In the US, automotive fortunes are less about manufacturing cars and more about selling, servicing, and moving them. Forbes 400 member Dan Friedkin, for example, owns Gulf States Toyota, while Shahid Khan owns auto parts supplier Flex-N-Gate. 13. Diversified — 8 members Julia Koch (right), and two of her children, Mary Julia Koch and David Koch Jr. Jared Siskin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images Richest: Julia Koch & family — $84.6 billion Diversified means fortunes that don't neatly come from one industry. Members of the Koch family, which has stakes in the conglomerate Koch, dominate this segment. 14. Logistics — 4 members Brad Jacobs, CEO and chair of distributor and installer of building products, QXO, Richest: Brad Jacobs — $13.3 billion The businesses that move products through the supply chain are among the most essential to day-to-day life, and can be worth billions. For example, Johnelle Hunt, who cofounded transportation and logistics firm J.B. Hunt Transport Services, is worth $6.6 billion. 15. Construction & engineering — 3 members Diane Hendricks is the owner and chair of ABC Supply. PATRICK T. Richest: Diane Hendricks — $23.6 billion All three members of the Forbes 400 in the construction and engineering industry are self-made billionaires. Diane Hendricks cofounded building-supply distributor ABC Supply with her late husband, Ken Hendricks. Mike Hollingshead founded concrete maker Smyrna Ready Mix, while Robert Clark founded construction firm Clayco. 16. Gambling & casinos — 2 members Miriam Adelson and her family own over half of the casino firm Las Vegas Sands. Richest: Miriam Adelson & family — $33.5 billion With just two members categorized in the Forbes 400, gambling and casinos are the smallest category. Miriam Adelson's late husband, Sheldon Adelson, was the founder of casino company Las Vegas Sands, while Jon Yarbrough founded casino producer Video Gaming Technologies. Phil Ruffin, who Forbes categorized as diversified, made his wealth from a mix of casinos and real estate. Read the original article on Business Insider

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