The Du Pont Family – $14.3 Billion
Believe it or not, the Du Pont family’s riches date back more than 200 years. Not only that, but their fortune is actually shared among an estimated 3,500 family members. Chemical giant DuPont was founded back in 1802 as a gunpowder manufacturer. Later on, the company expanded into dynamite, paints, plastics, dyes, and materials.
What’s more, the company actually invented nylon, Kevlar, and Teflon. While family members no longer run the company, they still hold a substantial chunk of its shares. Furthermore, back in 2015, the company announced that it would merge with Dow Chemical and split into three independent companies. However, the merge still awaits the government’s antitrust review.