Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates kept his top spot on the Forbes list of 400 richest Americans; presidential hopeful Donald Trump saw his overall wealth decline, dropping his ranking 35 places; and no members of the Walton family made the top 10 this year.
But the Waltons did hold the 11th, 12th and 13th spots.
The magazine reported Tuesday that America's richest folks continued to get richer, with the total worth of this year's list at a record $2.4 trillion. The average net worth of the 400 richest Americans was $6 billion, also a new high, and up $200 million from last year.
Three Walton siblings, the sons and daughter of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, saw their wealth increase this year, but each shifted slightly in the rankings. Lukas Walton, 30, of Jackson, Wyo., the child of the late John Walton -- Sam Walton's son -- appeared on the list for the first time after unsealed documents detailed his inheritance.
Little Rock financier Warren Stephens' net worth declined slightly, and he dropped in rank on the list. Johnelle Hunt, widow of J.B. Hunt Transport Services founder J.B. Hunt, of Fayetteville saw her ranking decrease but her net worth go up.
John Tyson, chairman of Springdale-based Tyson Foods Inc., entered the list this year for the first time, ranked at No. 321.
Kathy Deck, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Arkansas' Sam M. Walton College of Business in Fayetteville, said Tuesday that while having so many people on the list with ties to Arkansas is good for the state's image, what's really important is what they do with the money locally.
She pointed to Arkansas Children's Hospital Northwest as one of the projects funded in part by donations by those on the Forbes list who have links to the region.
"All of them have been involved," she noted.
J.B. Hunt Transport Services donated $5 million; Wal-Mart and the Walmart Foundation chipped in $8 million; and Tyson Foods and the Tyson family gave $15 million, the largest gift so far.
The $167 million hospital is being built in Springdale and is expected to be complete in 2018. Deck called the hospital a vital piece of infrastructure for continued economic growth in the region.
Rising stock prices in the technology sector shifted some rankings in this year's top 10. Gates held the No. 1 spot with $81 billion, up from $76 billion last year. This year's list marks the 23rd consecutive time Gates has ranked No. 1.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos saw his net worth grow by $20 billion to $67 billion, and he nudged out Warren Buffet for second place on the list. With a net worth of $65.5 billion, Buffet ranked No. 3 after holding second place for 15 years. He is chairman of multinational conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway.
Facebook boss Mark Zuckerburg moved up to No. 4 with $55.5 billion, his highest ranking to date. Bezos and Zuckerburg made the top 10 for the first time last year.
It took a minimum of $1.7 billion to get on the list this year, the same total as a year earlier. The list had 114 people with less wealth than they had last year and 187 worth more money than they were a year ago. Forbes reported that 153 of the nation's billionaires didn't have enough money to make the cut this year.
Trump, running for president in part on the strength of his business know-how, had a net worth of $3.7 billion, down $800 million from last year. The magazine said Trump's holdings, tied heavily to a cooling real estate market in New York, along with new information discovered by Forbes, resulted in his drop from 121st to 156th on the list.
The list has 22 new faces this year, and 26 dropped off. The youngest person is Evan Spiegel, 26, co-founder of messaging company Snapchat, who came in at No. 335 with $2.1 billion. He entered the list last year at No. 327.
Jim Walton of Bentonville, chairman and CEO of Arvest Bank Group and a son of Sam Walton, dropped two spots to No. 11 but saw his net worth increase of $35.6 billion. Last year, he ranked No. 9 with a net worth of $33.7 billion.
S. Robson "Rob" Walton of Bentonville, the oldest son in the family, moved up one spot to No. 12, with his net worth increasing to $35.5 billion. The year before, he ranked No. 13 with a net worth of $31.7 billion. Rob Walton stepped down as Wal-Mart's chairman in 2015.
Alice Walton of Fort Worth, Sam Walton's only daughter and the founder of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, ranks No. 13 with $35.4 billion, swapping places with her brother Rob. She remains the richest woman on the Forbes 400. A year ago, she ranked No. 12 with a net worth of $32 billion.
Lukas Walton ranked No. 37 with a net worth of $11.1 billion. At 30, he is the third-youngest person on the list.
Forbes had previously lumped Lukas Walton's wealth in with that of his mother, Christy Walton, widow of John Walton. With the release of documents, the magazine opted to separate the two and adjust its findings. Forbes recalculated the wealth of Christy Walton at $5.6 billion, ranking her at No. 87.
Ann Walton Kroenke of Columbia, Mo., ranked No. 80 with $6.2 billion, up from No. 121 last year, after acquiring two sports franchises from her husband, Stan Kroenke. She is the daughter of Sam Walton's brother, James "Bud" Walton. Stan Kroenke, who owns the Los Angeles Rams, ranked No. 58 with $7.4 billion, up from No. 63 on last year's list.
Nancy Walton Laurie of Henderson, Nev., another daughter of Bud Walton, ranked No. 124 with $4.5 billion, up from No. 138 last year with $4 billion.
Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys and a member of the 1964 national championship football team for the Arkansas Razorbacks, ranked No. 94 with $5.2 billion, keeping the same spot on the list as last year and increasing his net worth from $5 billion. The Dallas Cowboys are worth $4.2 billion. The Cowboys are the most valuable sports team in the world, according to Forbes.
Stephens, the CEO of Little Rock-based investment bank Stephens Inc., ranked No. 290 with $2.4 billion, down from No. 268 last year with a net worth of $2.5 billion. He sold several newspapers last year, including the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Entrepreneur and developer Johnelle Hunt ranked No. 309 on the list with $2.3 billion. Last year, she ranked No. 307, with a net worth of $2.2 billion.
John Tyson, grandson of Tyson Foods founder John W. Tyson, entered the list at No. 321 with a net worth of $2.2 billion. The meat company has seen its sales soar and share price rise in recent years, particularly after its 2014 acquisition of Hillshire Brands.
The Forbes rankings are based on the billionaires' wealth Sept. 16, when the placements on the list and net worth of those listed are finalized. The magazine looks at a variety of assets, including holdings in public and private companies, real estate, art, yachts and car collections. It also factors in debt.
A Section on 10/05/2016