These 24 MA Billionaires Are Among Richest In U.S.: Forbes

The coronavirus has wreaked havoc on the U.S. economy, yet billionaires in Massachusetts and across the globe are significantly wealthier than they were a year ago, according to this year’s recently released Forbes World's Billionaires List.

The number of billionaires on Forbes’ 35th annual list jumped to an unprecedented 2,755 people, 660 more than a year ago. Altogether, they are worth $13.1 trillion, up from $8 trillion in 2020.

Among those on the list, 86 percent are richer today than they were a year ago. No one on the Massachusetts list lost any money, according to Forbes.

The numbers will likely spark outrage, writes Forbes Chief Content Officer Randall Lane. “There’s no getting around a collective $5 trillion wealth surge during a pandemic, when most of the world felt scared, sick, besieged,” he wrote in a comprehensive essay titled “Operation Wealth Speed."

However, "the underlying trends offer a road map to greater prosperity for all,” he continued. "Like anything else salvaged from a once-a-century plague, we just need to be brave enough to harness it."

A total of 24 billionaires on this year’s list hail from Massachusetts. Abigail Johnson continues to far and away top the leaderboard, reporting more than two times the wealth of her father, the second-richest person in the state.

Abigail Johnson, who owns and runs Fidelity Investments and Fidelity International, is worth nearly $21 billion. Edward Johnson III also runs the company and is worth $10.3 billion, while his son, Edward Johnson IV, and other daughter, Elizabeth Johnson, are each worth $4.8 billion.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft ($6.9 billion,) New Balance owner Jim Davis ($6.9 billion) and auto mogul Herb Chambers ($2.1 billion) are among the other notable names on the list.

Here are the Massachusetts billionaires on the list:

• 85. Abigail Johnson, $20.9 billion, money management
• 219. Edward Johnson III, $10.3 billion, money management
• 380. (tied) Jim Davis & family, $6.9 billion, New Balance; Robert Kraft, $6.9 billion, New England Patriots
• 589. (tied) Edward Johnson IV, $4.8 billion, money management; Elizabeth Johnson, $4.8 billion, money management, Alan Trefler , $4.8 billion, software
• 665. Stèphane Bancel, $4.3 billion, biotech
• 775. Amos Hostetter, Jr., $3.8 billion, cable television
• 831. (tied) Steven Conine, $3.6 billion, online retail; Niraj Shah, $3.6 billion, online retail
• 925. Jim Koch, $3.3 billion, beer
• 1111. Valentin Gapontsev & family, $2.8 billion, lasers
• 1362. (tied) Bill Alfond, $2.8 billion, shoes; Ted Alfond, $2.8 billion, shoes
• 1444. (tied) Phillip T. (Terry) Ragon, $2.2 billion, health IT; Timothy Springer, biotech
• 1517. (tied) Herb Chamber, $2.1 billion, car dealerships; Frank Laukien, $2.1 billion, scientific equipment
• 1664. (tied) Noubar Afeyan, $1.9 billion, biotech; Patrizio Vinciarelli, $1.9 billion, electronic components
• 1931. Robert Langer, $1.6 billion, biotech
• 2035. Seth Klarman, $1.5 billion, investments
• 2524. Paul Fireman, $1.1 billion, Reebok.

To compile this year’s list, Forbes used a snapshot of its real-time billionaires rankings by analyzing stock prices and exchange rates for March 5.

A record 493 people made their debut on this year’s list. Another 250 who’d fallen off in the past made a reappearance, according to Forbes. This year’s list includes a record 328 female billionaires, up from 241 in 2020.

Soon-to-be-former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos retained the top spot on this year’s list for the fourth consecutive year. Bezos, who founded the e-commerce giant out of his garage in Seattle, Washington, will step down as CEO at the end of this year.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk soared to the No. 2 spot, up from No. 31 on last year’s ranking. Bernard Arnault of LVMH remains at No. 3, followed by Bill Gates at No. 4. Rounding out this year’s top five is Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg.

See the full 2021 Forbes Billionaires List.