Katharine Rayner
Net Worth: $6.4 billion Source: Cox Enterprises Cox Enterprises, Inc., is a privately held global conglomerate, which holds a number of subsidiary companies – Cox Communications, Cox Media Group and Cox Automotive. With 55,000 employees and a total revenue of $21 billion, it’s definitely successful. Its wide-reaching business covers Asia, Australia, Europe and Latin America.
Katharine Rayner is the heir to the fortune, by way of her maternal grandfather, who founded Cox Enterprises. One of three, she shares her fortune with her siblings Margaretta and James. She currently holds a 16% stake in the company, which is owing to her late mother, who held a 49% stake and divided it between her children. Currently residing in East Hampton New York, Rayner was living with her husband Billy (a painter and author) up until last year when he very sadly passed away. We’re sure she’s got family to surround her, and to enjoy the wealth together!
Douglas Durst
Net Worth: $600 million Source: Seymour Durst The 74-year-old Douglas Durst is the heir to the Durst fortune, which was built from real estate. Born into a Jewish family in 1944, his father was real estate investor and developer Seymour Durst. Did you know Durst was the inventor of the National Debt Clock? Just reminding us all how much we all owe to the government. Gee, thanks – what a swell guy! In saying that, the story of the Durst family’s rise to fortune is a good one. Durst’s paternal grandfather, Joseph Durst was a penniless immigrant tailor from Austria Hungary. After moving to America, he invested and became a very successful real estate manager and developer, founding the Durst Organisation in 1915.
Years and years compounded the family’s wealth, and Douglas took over the “family business” in 1992 after his father Seymour retired. But whilst he’s mega-rich, he’s also respected for emphasising density and sustainability in his projects. He, in fact, presided over the development of the 48-story 4 Times Square, the 38-story Helena at 601 West 57th Street, the 57-story Epic on West 31st Street and in 2008, the 58-story Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park. So next time you’re in NYC and looking for something to do (gee you’d have to be super bored), check ‘em out!
Lisa Jobs
Net Worth: $18.8 billion Source: Apple, Inc. Apple. Without even thinking about it, you’re not even thinking about the fruit, you’re thinking about a logo of an apple with a bite taken out of it. You’re thinking about the latest iPhone, or you’re thinking about the shiny new Mac computer you can’t wait to get your hands on! Ah, marketing. Anywho, next up is the daughter of the man behind Apple, Steve Jobs. After passing away just a little while ago, the fortune has made its way to his daughter, Lisa Jobs. The Portland, Oregon native studied at Harvard and is the daughter of the former CEO and his first wife, Chrisann Brennan, whom was his high school sweetheart. During their rollercoaster five-year relationship, Brennan was pregnant. Jobs for a while claimed he was not the father, even after taking a paternity test, which showed he was indeed her father! Gee.. good with technology, not so good with handling kids.
Sure, he didn’t handle the whole “you have a daughter” situation ideally, but after the media caught wind of the story, well, they made a meal out of him. It’s reported that he lost his TIME Person of the Year spot because of his actions. This clearly spurred him into action, reconciling with his daughter and of course, leaving her a sizeable inheritance. We’re not sure she got the lot (over $18 billion), but she’s surely got a couple hundred million!
Charles Butt
Net Worth: $10.7 billion Source: H-E-B Supermarket Chain The now 81-year-old Charles Clarence Butt (don’t think of Sir Mix-a-Lot, don’t think of Sir Mix-a-Lot), is well, the most eligible bachelor for his age. Heir to the H-E-B Supermarket chain which is well-liked in the South, the business turns over a cool $20 billion per year. The popular supermarket chain is also popular as an employer, with his wonderful management tactics having him rated (as per AdvisoryCloud’s rankings) as the #5 Top CEO on its Top CEO List for 2013.
Charles was the son of Howard Edward Butt Sr., and Mary Elizabeth Holdsworth, and in turn, the grandson of Florence Butt, who founded the chain in 1905. He graduated from UPenn’s Wharton School before going on to later earn an MBA from Harvard Business School. In 1971 he was primed and ready to take the reins of the business, becoming chairman and CEO of the H.E. Butt Grocery Company. As well as being a billionaire, Butt is a philanthropist and was recognized by the Mexican government for his charity work and business help in their country. As such, he was given the Aguila Azteca medal for his involvement. Additionally, Butt has signed Warren Buffett’s famous Giving Pledge and has written that he will release his wealth to help children and teachers. What a guy!
Nicole Mellon
Net Worth: $1 billion Source: Matthew Mellon Nicole Mellon was married to Matthew Mellon, whom, despite his wealthy family and ties, made his fortune in a quicker, more lucrative way than most: cryptocurrency. The great, great, great grandson of Thomas Mellon (founder of Mellon Bank in Pittsburgh), he became the patriarch of one of America’s richest dynasties. At 21 he inherited a series of trusts worth $25 million and lived a fast and hard life. He met his first wife, Tamara Mellon (yes for you Jimmy Choo wearers, she’s a co-founder of the famous brand!) at A.A in 1998. Move over Tinder… Mellon, who was named Finance Chairman by State Chairman Ed Cox in 2011, made an investment of $2-million in the cryptocurrency XRP, which transformed into a staggering $1-billion fortune. Talk about a great investment!
Mellon wed Nicole Hanley and had two children with her, Olympia and Force. The couple and their children lived together in New York City up until their divorce in 2016. Their marriage quickly deteriorated and in a very public way, which was visible, unlike many other high-profile relationships. Apparently one of the main reasons for their breakup was the family’s enormous cost output. Later on it was reported that Mellon was still a huge spender, renting a home in LA for $150,000 US a MONTH. In April 2018, devastatingly, Matthew died in Cancun, Mexico. He was reported to have passed in a hotel room, suffering a fatal heart attack after ingesting ayahuasca, an Amazonian hallucinogenic drink. This was just a day before he was supposed to check into a clinic to help ward off his addiction to prescription opioid OxyContin. Sad. As a result of his death, Nicole inherited his billion-dollar fortune, and makes our list, despite the dark way of receiving the massive amount.