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Forbes released their list of richest Americans for 2026. 18 of them are from Illinois

nbcchicago.com · 9h · first reportShare

A new Forbes report found that 18 of America’s 400 richest people are from Illinois. The report, released Tuesday, is Forbes 45 annual ranking of the wealthiest Americans for 2026. The minimum net worth to make the list, editors wrote, increased to $4.4 billion — marking a $600 million increase from last year’s cutoff. In a release announcing the report, Forbes Assistant Managing Editor Chase Peterson-Withorn said America was in a “golden era for billionaire wealth creation.” “We’re seeing new billionaires from AI and tech, but also massive amounts of new wealth being made in industries like concrete, construction and car accessories, proving there are still plenty of paths into these very selective ranks despite the high bar to entry,” Peterson-Withorn said. Editors formed the list using interviews, Securities and Exchange Commission documents, court filings, probate records and news articles. Account assets of all types were taken into account — including stakes in private and public