It is believed that John D. Rockefeller, the Standard Oil magnate in 1916, or possibly Henry Ford in 1925, were the world’s first billionaires. Fast forward to 2021, amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a new record was set as the number of billionaires globally surged by 30%, reaching an all-time high of 660.

Although the United States has the largest number of billionaires, public opinion about the billionaire class has become increasingly polarized among Americans, according to the Pew Research Center’s latest data.

Although individual billionaires such as Bill Gates enjoy considerable support, the ultra-rich are generally viewed unfavorably by many Americans as a group. Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, is projected to become the world’s first trillionaire by 2026.

Most of the wealthiest billionaires in the U.S. are concentrated in the finance and technology sectors, with other prosperous industries including food and drink, fashion and retail, and media and entertainment. Stacker has compiled a list of the richest billionaires who call Illinois their home, based on their net worth as of March 24, which includes 23 billionaires.

#20. Jennifer Pritzker
– Net worth: $1.9 billion (#1,531 wealthiest in the world)
– Residence: Chicago
– Source of wealth: hotels, investments

#19. Jerry Reinsdorf
– Net worth: $2.2 billion (#1,341 wealthiest in the world)
– Residence: Chicago
– Source of wealth: sports teams, self made

#18. Justin Ishbia
– Net worth: $2.5 billion (#1,205 wealthiest in the world)
– Residence: Chicago
– Source of wealth: private equity

#17. Byron Trott
– Net worth: $2.6 billion (#1,133 wealthiest in the world)
– Residence: Winnetka
– Source of wealth: investments, self made

#16. Steven Sarowitz
– Net worth: $2.7 billion (#1,119 wealthiest in the world)
– Residence: Highland Park
– Source of wealth: payroll software, self made

#15. Penny Pritzker
– Net worth: $3.1 billion (#920 wealthiest in the world)
– Residence: Chicago
– Source of wealth: hotels, investments

#14. Sheldon Lavin
– Net worth: $3.1 billion (#910 wealthiest in the world)
– Residence: Highland Park
– Source of wealth: meat processing, self made

#13. J.B. Pritzker
– Net worth: $3.6 billion (#774 wealthiest in the world)
– Residence: Springfield
– Source of wealth: hotels, investments

#12. Joseph Grendys
– Net worth: $3.8 billion (#732 wealthiest in the world)
– Residence: Chicago
– Source of wealth: poultry processing, self made

#10. Elizabeth Uihlein (tie)
– Net worth: $3.8 billion (#724 wealthiest in the world)
– Residence: Lake Forest
– Source of wealth: packaging materials, self made

#10. Richard Uihlein (tie)
– Net worth: $3.8 billion (#724 wealthiest in the world)
– Residence: Lake Forest
– Source of wealth: packaging materials, self made

#9. Eric Lefkofsky
– Net worth: $4.2 billion (#650 wealthiest in the world)
– Residence: Glencoe
– Source of wealth: Groupon, investments, self made

#8. Joe Mansueto
– Net worth: $4.4 billion (#614 wealthiest in the world)
– Residence: Chicago
– Source of wealth: investment research, self made

#7. Thomas Pritzker
– Net worth: $5.2 billion (#509 wealthiest in the world)
– Residence: Chicago
– Source of wealth: hotels, investments

#6. Sam Zell
– Net worth: $5.2 billion (#501 wealthiest in the world)
– Residence: Chicago
– Source of wealth: real estate, private equity, self made

#5. Mark Walter
– Net worth: $5.3 billion (#490 wealthiest in the world)
– Residence: Chicago
– Source of wealth: finance, asset management, self made

#4. Ty Warner
– Net worth: $5.4 billion (#482 wealthiest in the world)
– Residence: Oak Brook
– Source of wealth: plush toys, real estate, self made

#3. Neil Bluhm
– Net worth: $5.9 billion (#423 wealthiest in the world)
– Residence: Chicago
– Source of wealth: real estate, self made

#2. Patrick Ryan
– Net worth: $8.2 billion (#248 wealthiest in the world)
– Residence: Winnetka
– Source of wealth: insurance, self made

#1. Lukas Walton
– Net worth: $21.7 billion (#72 wealthiest in the world)
– Residence: Chicago
– Source of wealth: Walmart

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