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These Westchester natives, residents, and connections have made this year’s Forbes billionaires list!
Forbes just released their definitive 2020 ranking of the world’s richest humans. Amid pandemic and economic downturn, more than 2,000 people still qualified for the “billionaires” list. (Though 51% are less rich than they were in 2019.)
While it’s still a little early for the official “Forbes 400,” we thought we’d take a look at how last year’s top contenders from the 400 were fairing so far in this year’s international rankings.
#1 – Jeff Bezos
Topping the list again this year — and perpetually — is Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. Aside from courting and then rebuffing a proposal for Amazon’s “HQ2” East Coast hub, does Westchester really have a connection to the richest man in the world? Yes, it turns out: Jeff’s brother, former Robin Hood VP and volunteer firefighter Mark Bezos lives with his family in Scarsdale, where his wife grew up. Come by for family dinner more often, Jeff.
Net worth: $113 billion, even after signing over $36 billion to ex-wife Mackenzie. (She’s #22 on the list now.)
#7 – Mark Zuckerberg
Yes, the Facebook mega-mogul is a native of Westchester — born in White Plains and raised in Dobbs Ferry. Bet you don’t remember that from The Social Network.
Net worth: $54.7 billion.
#16 – Michael Bloomberg
With three Westchester homes (two in North Salem and one in Armonk), the former Mayor of NYC is down around $3 billion from last year. Guess he shouldn’t have dropped so much on that presidential bid, huh?
Net worth: $48 billion.
#162 – George Soros
The politically active 89-year-old hedge fund magnate lives in Katonah. After a career in which he donated nearly $32 billion to charities and left-leaning political candidates, Soros made headlines a different way in 2018, when rightwing extremist Cesar Sayoc Jr. mailed improvised letter bombs to Soros, Hillary Clinton, former President Obama, Joe Biden, and more.
Net worth: $8.3 billion.
Read More: Explosive Devices Mailed to Hillary Clinton and George Soros’ Westchester Addresses
#200 – Dr. David Shaw
A former professor of computer science at Columbia University, Shaw maintains a home in Hastings-on-Hudson.
Net worth: $7.3 billion, up a full billion from last year.
#253 – David Siegel
Co-founder of an investments firm, the Bronx-born Siegel resides in Scarsdale.
Net worth: $6.1 billion, up more than 10% from last year.
#280 – Ralph Lauren
The world-famous designer, now 80, rounds out Westchester’s representation in the international list from his home in Bedford.
Net worth: $5.8 billion.
#648 – Daniel Och
Founder, chairman, and former CEO of hedge fund group Och-Ziff Capital Management, Och is a Scarsdale resident. He tied with Donald Trump in last year’s Forbes 400.
Net worth: $3.1 billion
#680 – Thomas Secunda
This Bloomberg LP co-founder lives in Croton-on-Hudson.
Net worth: $3 billion, up 10%!
#1001 – Donald Trump
Since last year the president’s holdings have been reevaluated down from $3.1 billion. The 73-year-old is actually a former New Yorker and newly minted Floridian, but you’ll still see his name all over Westchester, including a state park (currently in disuse) and the Trump Tower building in New Rochelle.
Net worth: $2.1 billion
#1063 – David “Sandy” Gottesman
The 93-year-old is a Harvard Business School grad who bought into Berkshire Hathaway early. He lives in Rye.
Net worth: $2 billion.
