The 10 Richest People in Illinois
Some states list their richest residents, with some of the wealthiest still struggling to reach the billion-dollar mark. That’s not the case for Illinois. The state is home to some of the wealthiest people in the country, with a long list of billionaires. In case you’re wondering, Here are the state’s 10 richest people as of 2022.
10. Neil Bluhm Net Worth: $2.8 billion
Celebrity Net worth confirms that Neil Bluhm is Illinois’ tenth richest resident. Mr. Bluhm was born in the late 1930s to a Jewish family. He completed high school and attended College at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Bluhm continued his education at Northwestern University, earning his law degree. He secured a position at the Mayer, Brown & Platt law firm, where he became a distinguished partner.
Neil founded a company called JMB Realty in 1970 with his partner, prospering until the real estate crash of the 1990s. He had already started a second company called Walton Street Capital. His companies manage and develop commercial properties. Neil acquired an art collection estimated to be over $100 million. He sits on the boards of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Whitney Museum of American Art. He started as a law firm partner and expanded his real estate, art, and private equity holdings. As of 2022, Neil Bluhm has an estimated fortune of $2.8 billion.
9. Ty Warner Net Worth: $3 billion
Ty Warner is a native of Chicago, Illinois, born in the city in 1944 and raised there. After graduating high school, he attended St. John’s Military Academy in neighboring Wisconsin, moving to Michigan to attend Kalamazoo College until he found a new passion. Mr. Warner dropped out of College and moved to LA to become an actor. He didn’t achieve the success he had hoped for and returned to Chicago to work for Dakin, a toy manufacturer. His father worked for the company as a salesman. He spent 20 years at the company, rising as the top salesperson. The firm accused him of trying to sell his toys to its clients and fired him. He went on a three-year sabbatical, relocating to Italy to figure out what to do with his life.
Warner had an idea for launching a toy company, where the Beanie Babies firm emerged as a concept. He returned to Chicago and founded the company, making a tidy profit. He earned a fortune from the business but made other investments with the proceeds. Warner became part owner of a golf course and several high-end hotels in a few years. He owns numerous personal and commercial properties. A few of his holdings include the San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, CA, Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara, Four Seasons Hotel New York, The Montecito Country Club, the Las Ventanas al Paraiso Resort in Los Cabos, Mexico, and the Kona Village Resort in Kona, Hawaii. Mr. Warner is never married and has no children, but he is a prolific philanthropist, donating millions to children’s charities.
8. Thomas Pritzker Net Worth:$3.1 Billion
Mr. Thomas Pritzker became an heir to the family fortune. He is a working businessman and philanthropist. Pritzker founded North America Western Asia Holdings LLC. It’s an advisory and investment firm focusing on Iraqui companies. The firm also advises clients who seek to do business in that part of the world. He chairs the board of the Art Institute of Chicago board and serves as the Pritzker Organization’s CEO, managing various assets owned by the family.
Duties include serving as the Executive Chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Pritzker also organizes the Pritzker Neuropsychiatric Disorders Research Consortium. He’s on the board of directors at UCLA. Pritzker sold off many of the Pritzker family’s assets to settle legal claims in a dispute among family members, but he rebounded and continued going about the management business with the remaining assets. He and his sister bought TMS International Corp, specializing in servicing steel mills, and sold it for a tidy $1 billion. He retained his share of the family assets after the 10-year struggle to divide the portions ended, with a fortune currently worth an estimated $3.1 billion.
7. Jay Robert Pritzker $3.4 Billion
Jay Robert Pritzker is a member of the same wealthy family as Thomas Pritzker. The Chicago, Illinois native is a graduate of Duke University and holds a law degree from Northwestern University School of Law. He is the manager of a private equity and venture capital firm called the Pritzker Group. The company buys businesses that are going into decline and brings them back to life. Jay Robert founded the New World venture capital firm in 1995. The company invests in companies that specialize in software and IT. The business has an estimated 50 companies under management. In addition to being a successful businessman and heir, he is a philanthropist who is active in donating to facilities and programs that specialize in educational services.
6. Erik Lefkofsky Net Worth: $4.1 billion
Erik Lefkofsky is an American businessman and billionaire best known for his entrepreneurship. He was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1969. At age 52, his net Worth is an estimated $4.1 billion. He currently resides in Illinois with his spouse Elizabeth and three children. He is a founder of Tempus and a co-founder of Groupon, Mediaocean, InnerWorkings, and Echo Global Logistics. Eric was among the first investors to put his money on Uptake. He is the managing director of the venture capital firm Lightbank, based in Chicago, Illinois. Erik has a keen sense of discerning tech companies with the highest potential to become disruptors in the IT industry.
5. Mark Walter Net Worth: $5 billion
Dodger Blue confirms that smark Walter is one of the richest team owners in the MLB. He is also CEO of Guggenheim Partners with party-ownership of the WNBA’s LA Sparks. Walter owns the Guggenheim partners firm with over $310 billion in assets under management. He was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, but now makes his home in Illinois. He’s made wise investments in other national teams, including stakes in the New York Yankees MLB, the NBA’s Chicago Bulls, the Highlands Ranch FC of the US League Two, the Brooklyn Nets, and LA Lakers of the NBA. His investment group purchased the LA Dodgers in 2012 for $2.2 billion. He resides with his wife and one child in Chicago.
4. Sam Zell Net Worth: $5.4 billion
Sam Zell is a native of Chicago, Illinois. He was born in the city on September 28, 1941. As of 2022, he will be 81 years old on his next birthday. Zell was an industrious teenager who managed a 15-unit apartment building for students to receive a room without rent. By the time he graduated from College, the enterprise had brought in over $150k. Upon completion of his education, Zell was a lawyer by profession. He launched a company called Equity Group Investments in 1968. The company invests in healthcare, logistics, and energy. He quickly earned a reputation as one of the savviest investment advisors in the nation.
He led the buyout of the Tribune Company for $8.2 billion and made a $39 billion sale of office REIT Equity Office to Blackstone before the 2007 market crash. He’s known as the forefather of modern real estate investment trusts. He sits on the boards as chair of five public companies. He is the founder of EQ Office, Capital Trust, Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc., Equity International, and Equity Residential. Sam is also the author of “Am I Being Too Subtle?”Straight Talk From a Business Rebel,” and other publications. Sam is an entrepreneur, author, lawyer, and philanthropist who wears many hats. Mr. Zell lives in Illinois with his spouse Helen. The couple has three children: Matthew, Kellie, and JoAnn. Sam Zell is the 469th richest person in the world today. It’s worth noting he’s a self-made billionaire.
3. Joe Mansueto Net Worth: $5.6 billion
KFVS 12 confirms that Joe Mansueto has a net worth of $5.6 billion as of 2022. He earned his fortune as a self-made investment research mogul. He is a native of Indiana who lives in Chicago, Illinois. Mansueto is the founder of Morningstar Inc. He started the company in 1984 with his savings of $80,000 and worked from home. The company is an investment research and management firm that began on a shoestring, going public in 2005. Mansueto branched his portfolio when he purchased Fast Company and Inc financial magazines. He’s also an investor in Wrapports, the owner of the Chicago Sun-Times. Joe is also an investor in Time Out Chicago magazine. In 2013 he sold his interest in the latter for a tidy profit. He also owns the Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire FC. He is among the most successful entrepreneurs in Illinois as of 2022, but two more residents are even wealthier.
2. Jude Reyes Net Worth: $8.01 billion
Bloomberg reports that Jude Reyes has a net wealth of more than $8 billion as of 2022. Jude was born in 1955 in DC. His father was an electrical engineer. He attended Woodford College, earning his BA degree. He is a co-founder of Reyes Holdings, an investment firm that has a stake in Martin Brower, the supplier for McDonald’s fast-food restaurant. Other holdings include Reinhart Food Service, and the Reyes Beverage Group, the largest beer distributor in the United States.
Jude and his brother Chris own the investment firm. Reyes made a fortune in the food services and beverage distribution industry. He and Chris bring in a yearly revenue of close to $32 billion. They also have a stake in Great Lakes Coca-Cola. Mr. Reyes is married with 3 children. He and his family live in Chicago, Illinois. He currently serves as the co-chairman of Reyes Holdings and on the board of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago as the chairman. Jude is also a director at the Washington Children’s Hospital Foundation and a National Beer Wholesalers Association member. As of 2022, Mr. Jude Reyes is the second richest resident of the state of Illinois.
1. Ken Griffin Net Worth: $29.2 billion
Ken Griffin is the richest person in Illinois as of 2022. He is a native of Florida, born in October of 1968. Ken currently lives in Chicago, Illinois. After high school, he attended Harvard College, graduating with a degree in economics. Griffin launched his career from his college dorm room in 1987 with a telephone, fax machine, and computer. He raised $265,000 from his parents, grandparents, and a few other investors to begin trading. After graduation, Ken went to work for Glenwood Capital’s founder Frank Meyer. He opened a hedge fund under the name Wellington, then changed the name to Citadel. It was from this business that he earned his billions. It’s not all been easy for Griffin. He made fortunes and lost them along with way. His firm sustained a $9 billion loss during the financial crisis of 2007 but rebounded.
Griffin is also an avid art collector with numerous pieces of art valued in the hundreds of millions. He is also a philanthropist, investing over $1 billion into charities, including Harvard’s student aid program, the American Museum of Natural History, Ann & Robert Lurie Children’s Hospital, and the University of Chicago, to name a few. Citadel securities recently moved from Miami, Florida, to its new headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. Ken Griffin is the richest person in Illinois as a self-made billionaire in the hedge funds segment of the financial industry. He is also the 52nd richest person in the world as of 2022. He was listed on the Forbes 400 lists in 34th place in 2020.
