COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Three Ohioans ranked among Forbes’ 2025 list of the richest people in the United States, including Les Wexner, who climbed several spots compared with last year’s report.
The American business magazine Forbes released its annual list of the 400 wealthiest Americans on Sept. 9, and those included in the ranking are worth a combined record of $6.6 trillion, which is more than $1 trillion greater than last year’s list.
The same three Ohioans who made the 2025 list were also the only ones from the state included in last year’s ranking – and their wealth has continued to grow.
Les Wexner, 88, of New Albany, and his family, placed at No. 137 on the list, with a net worth of $9.3 billion. Wexner jumped nine spots from last year’s report, in which the family ranked at No. 146 with a net worth of $7.9 billion.
Wexner founded L Brands — a global retail empire that formerly owned Victoria’s Secret — and served as CEO for more than five decades. Wexner announced in 2020 that he would step down and sell a majority stake in Victoria’s Secret for $525 million to a private equity firm. He purchased Victoria’s Secret for $1 million in 1982.
Wexner has come under fire in recent years for his connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, his former financial manager. The pair had a financial and personal relationship from the mid-1980s until Wexner reportedly severed ties in 2007, after discovering Epstein had misappropriated money from Wexner’s family. Wexner has not been legally implicated in Epstein’s crimes, but some victims have suggested he had involvement.
The second-richest person in Ohio is Denise York, 74, of Youngstown, who placed at No. 163. Forbes found York and her family, who own over 90% of the San Francisco 49ers, are worth $8.4 billion. The York family’s wealth also grew, as they ranked at No. 184 in 2024, with a net worth of $6.7 billion.
The final Ohioan to make the list is Mike Brown, 90, of Cincinnati, who placed at No. 301, with a net worth of $5 billion. In 2024, Brown marked the only newcomer from the state on the list. He sat at No. 338, while boasting a net worth of $3.9 billion.
For the fourth year in a row, the richest person in America is Elon Musk, 54, with a net worth of $428 billion. Musk has co-founded seven companies, including rocket producer SpaceX and artificial intelligence startup xAI. He was also an early investor in electric car maker Tesla.
Musk was followed on the list by 81-year-old Larry Ellison ($276 billion), the co-founder of the software company Oracle Corporation, and 41-year-old Mark Zuckerberg ($253 billion), the co-founder of Facebook.
