Net Worth: $2.8 Billion
Industry: Waste Management/Entertainment
Notable Member(s): Wayne Huizenga
Claim to Fame: Blockbuster Video
The Huizenga’s are another family that’s made an impact in several different industries. Wayne Huizenga, for example, actually first became successful in waste management. He started a small trash pickup service that grew into 100 larger companies in just 5 years. But, that’s not how you’d recognize the name…
In 1987, Huizenga bought the company that would make him a legend – Blockbuster Video. Blockbuster may not be around much at all any more today, but it was extremely popular before streaming services coined the market. His investment in that video company ended up making him a billionaire. But he didn’t stop there! Huizenga got his foot in the door in another market when he founded AutoNation, a retail store for car parts that’s grown into an empire on its own with over 300 stores across the country. Huizenga is also responsible for the popular hotel chain Extended Stay America and owned a part of the Miami Dolphins. Unfortunately, Wayne passed away back in 2018, but his children and grandchildren continue to expand the family fortune.
The Kardashian-Jenners
Net Worth: $2 Billion
Industry: Entertainment
Notable Member(s): Kim Kardashian
Claim to Fame: Hourglass Figures and Instagram Popularity
Kylie Jenner was listed as one of the world’s youngest billionaires, raking in over $100 million alone from her beauty line. A majority of the Kardashian family wealth comes from their popular long-running reality show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
Of course, the sisters also often sign endorsement deals with various brands, due to the fact they all have an insane number of followers on social media. Word is that Kendall gets paid millions of dollars for a single sponsored post. These days, Kris usually helps to negotiate these deals for the kids and takes a percentage for being the “momager.” Kim is worth an estimated $350 million or more, while Kris is at about $60, and Kourtney, around $35 million. Altogether, the family is looking at a net worth of right around $2 billion, and contrary to what some may believe, the daughters did not just inherit their fortune – they all work in one way or another.
The Beveridges
Net Worth: $2.5 Billion
Industry: Alcohol Notable
Member(s): Bert Butler "Tito" Beveridge II
Claim to Fame: Tito's Vodka
We’ll give you 3 guesses as to how exactly the Beveridge family made their fortune. Bert Butler, whose friends called him “Tito,” used to make different types of alcohol for his friends and family and give them as gifts. In 1997, that all changed when he slapped his name on a bottle of vodka and landed a major distribution deal.
Tito’s Handmade Vodka, which is made using yellow corn, rather than wheat or potatoes, was an instant favorite among consumers. He entered his creation in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2001 where it won a double gold medal. Tito attributes a large part of his success in winning that contest. Now, the vodka that was once made in Tito’s garage sells nearly 4 million cases every year. The company prides itself on staying true in its natural flavor – and on the fact, they often raise money for charities like Paws for Veterans. They’ve come to be known as the “Vodka for Dog People.”
The Greenbergs
Net Worth: $1.8 Billion
Industry: Finance
Notable Member(s): Maurice Greenberg
Claim to Fame: AIG
The Greenberg family has had their fair share of drama and scandals, which may be how you first heard of them, but there’s no denying that they’ve got ridiculous amounts of money. Maurice Greenberg was put in charge of the American International Group, which was originally founded by Cornelius Vander Starr.
Greenberg only worked with AIG for a few years before announcing Martin J. Sullivan would replace him. He held several other major positions over the years, including being a member of both the Trilateral Commission and the Council on Foreign Relations. These days, he’s working as the Chief Executive Officer of C.V Starr, a financial company founded by the same man that launched AIG. Robert Greenberg added to the family fortune by founding Skechers, one of the biggest shoe brands currently on the market. The Greenberg’s have a net worth of nearly $2 billion and climbing.
The Hastings
Net Worth: $2.3 Billion
Industry: Media and Technology
Notable Member(s): Reed Hastings
Claim to Fame: Netflix
You may not recognize the name Reed Hastings, but you’re definitely familiar with a little company that he runs, called Netflix. Hastings co-founded the streaming service back in 1997 when it was DVD-only. In 2007, they started streaming directly to computers.
Hastings was pretty active in the political scene in California for a while, when he became interested in improving the educational system. He donated $1 million to an educational network to help them open a new charter school in his home town. Then, in 2014, he fought to end his town’s era of elected school board officials. Very recently, Hastings sold nearly 58,000 shares of Netflix for almost $350.00 per share. That means that he closed a deal for around $20 million! The company has an average growth of about 13 percent per year – and we all know Netflix isn’t going anywhere anytime soon!