From Tech Titans to Trucking Tycoons: The 16 Industries That Built America’s Wealthiest Fortunes

Finance and technology often come to mind when considering the most profitable sectors. This assumption holds merit, as these fields have generated wealth for nearly half of America’s 400 wealthiest individuals, according to Forbes’ rankings and classifications. However, billionaire fortunes have also emerged from unexpected industries, ranging from trucking to pest control. Business Insider has compiled data from the 2026 Forbes 400 list, which provides an estimated snapshot of the 400 richest people in America as of September 4. Forbes estimated each member’s net worth using various 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. Themoneytimes calculated how many individuals fell into each category to identify which industries have produced the most of America’s wealthiest people. It also compiled the richest person within each industry. Some members featured an “& family” tag, indicating 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 appeared most frequently on the Forbes 400 list, ranked from most to least prevalent. 1. Finance & investments — 108 members Richest: Warren Buffett — $144 billion The finance and investments industry has been the biggest creator of wealth. 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 Richest: Elon Musk — $908 billion Technology has been a massive creator of wealth; 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 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 members 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.