That was the takeaway from the recently released Forbes 400 list for 2025, which included Pennsylvania’s wealthiest residents. Seven billionaires from Greater Philadelphia made the cut.
Lurie purchased the Philadelphia Eagles in 1994 for $195 million, then a record amount for a franchise. It has proven a good investment, and Lurie is generally regarded as one of the best owners in pro sports. Last year, with a Super Bowl win, was an especially good year. Lurie, of Wynnewood, moved up more than 50 spots in Forbes’ annual rankings, to #191, with a net worth of $7.6 billion.
He’s not the only sports team owner on the list, but the list does reflect the spectrum of ways to megawealth. Let’s take a look locally, though first, to put this all in some crazy context …
Billy Penn added up the net worth of the seven locals who made the list. They are roughly worth a combined $120 billion — which is about equal to the Walton family, which owns Walmart. Or half of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ wealth (an estimated $240 billion) … which is only a little more than half of Elon Musk ($428 billion). Maybe one of the above could step in an provide mass transit to Southeastern Pennsylvania for a year or two, or 20 …
Philadelphia’s other billionaire power players
The region’s richest billionaire remains the secretive Jeffrey Yass, co-founder of the Wall Street trading firm Susquehanna International Group. Yass’s fortune has soared, reaching about $65.7 billion — making him the wealthiest person in Pennsylvania and among the nation’s top 20 richest people (19th, to be exact). Yass, of Haverford, benefited from his company being an early investor in TikTok parent Bytedance.
Other notable Philadelphia-area billionaires include:
- Arthur Dantchik (#62): Yass’s friend since high school (they even roomed together at SUNY-Binghamton in the ’70s) and long-time partner at Susquehanna International Group, Dantchik is estimated to be worth over $16 billion. Like Yass, much of his fortune comes from trading and strategic investments. He lives in Gladwyne.
- Victoria Mars (#114): Part of the Mars candy and pet food dynasty with deep local connections, her net worth is about $10.5 billion. She lives in Philly and has three siblings, who all received equal shares in the company when the dad Forrest Mars Jr. died in 2016.
- Michael Rubin (#129): Founder of Fanatics, based in Conshohocken, and a major name in sports merchandise, collectibles and sports betting, Rubin’s fortune stands at $9.6 billion, a drop of $1 billion from last year’s list. We think he’ll survive. He lives in Bryn Mawr.
- Mitchell Morgan (#244): Founder and CEO of Morgan Properties, Morgan is estimated to be worth $6.1 billion, making him a real estate heavyweight in the region. He lives in Conshohocken.
- John Middleton (#347): Principal owner of the Philadelphia Phillies, Middleton is reported to be worth over $4 billion.
Industries and impact
Philadelphia’s billionaires have built fortunes across a range of sectors: trading and investments (Yass, Dantchik), retail (Rubin), food (Mars), sports ownership (Lurie, Middleton), and real estate (Morgan). Their influence extends far beyond wealth — they are also philanthropists, civic leaders, and crucial players in the region’s ongoing economic evolution.
