Famous Last Names of American Wealth

Last names are usually reserved for identifying others, but they can signify history, ethnicity, culture, status, and lineage. Some last names are known more than others, especially when they’re incredibly wealthy.

America has one of the most considerable numbers of affluent people, repeatedly appearing on the top of lists that report global wealth. It’s interesting to see these last name attached to such large sums of money. Here are nine famous last names of wealthy Americans.  

Gates

When the name Gates is mentioned, it is compared more to wealth than the person associated. If not for Bill Gates, the world of computer technology would have been very different.

He co-founded one of the largest software companies called Microsoft, where he amassed the majority of his wealth. He is also involved in other businesses and has a charitable organization, where he has donated a quarter of his net worth. With a $110 billion net worth, he is the second richest person in America as of 2020.

Koch

The Koch name is well-known in American industries. Koch actually stands for the cook in German. The Koch family has been involved in many ventures, from crude oil to fiber and paper.

The Koch brothers, Charles and David, own the majority of Koch industries, which is an MNC that is diversified into many ventures. The Koch family is worth about $99 billion, putting them at second on the list of the richest families in America.

Buffett

The people who invest for a living know about the name Buffett. The name is known to be derived from the place Burford, Oxfordshire.

Warren Buffett has gained massive wealth by investing in various ventures. He owns Berkshire Hathaway, one of the largest multinational companies in America, which owns many high-profile companies like Dairy Queen and GEICO.

He has been so successful at investing that he has made around $80 billion, which makes him the third richest man in America.

Walton

The Walton family has built the most extensive retail empire in America. Collectively, the Walton name is worth over $200 billion, because of the success of Wal-Mart, established in 1962 and America’s biggest chain of supermarkets and departmental stores.

Wal-Mart earns over $500 billion in revenue and has made the Walton’s the wealthiest family in the U.S.A. They have also expressed interest in other sectors as sources of income and have been running it is a family business.

Bloomberg

Bloomberg is an important name in the media and finance industry. Michael Bloomberg started his company Bloomberg L.P., which offers software for equity trading and data analytics.

Bloomberg L.P also includes media companies like Bloomberg News, Bloomberg Radio, Bloomberg Businessweek, and many more. The company generates around $10 billion in revenue. Michael has amassed a net worth of around $60 billion, and also, he has been the mayor of New York, which makes him a very influential person.

Rockefeller

The Rockefeller’s were the example of what wealth is and what it can do. The family made most of their wealth in the oil business and was one of the influential names in the U.S.A. They were the first people to earn $1 billion, and it is estimated in 2017 through various sources that after inflation, they could be worth over $300 billion.

They do hold many different assets in New York across generations, like the famous Rockefeller Center, Lincoln Center, Museum of Modern Art, etc.

Ford

Many people know Ford as a car company, but the name is also a symbol of prosperity. Henry Ford made his fortune by being the face behind the Ford Motor Company. The company manufactured cars, pickup trucks, and tractors.

Ford was known for creating new ways of improving efficiency, and it is taught in almost all management schools. His methods improved profits and lowered cost, which made him incredibly rich, and after adjusting for inflation, his net worth is around $200 billion.

Mars

The Mars name is not just wealthy, but anyone with a sweet tooth also knows it. The Mars family has been making candy since the 1900s. They are the largest confectionery company in America and make several famous candies like Mars, M&Ms, Milky Way, etc.

The Mars siblings inherited this company, and it generates around $27 billion every year. The Mars family has achieved high levels of wealth and status, and their estimated net worth is around $90 billion.

Bezos

Bezos is a name that has dominated the online marketplace. Jeff Bezos is the wealthiest man in America and is responsible for the company Amazon.

Amazon holds a place in many sectors like online shopping, web services, movies, music, and technology. Amazon has propelled Bezos into a name that everyone knows and respects. Because of the company, Jeff has an estimated net worth of around $155 billion.