Forbes: These 4 Philadelphians are Worth $8.6 Billion
Forbes just released its annual Forbes 400 list, which is also known as The Richest People In America. Four Philadelphia-area residents made the cut. And no, Comcast head Brian Roberts isn’t rich enough, though it’s worth noting that Roberts only missed the list — which bottoms out at $1.3 billion — by a few hundred million.
It’s also worth noting that Forbes only includes American citizens on the Forbes 400 list, which is why West Chester’s Hansjoerg Wyss isn’t on it. Don’t recognize the name? The Swiss citizen, who got rich selling medical devices, is alone worth $8.7 billion, more than the four Philadelphians on the Forbes 400 list combined. I wonder if Mayor Nutter has asked him for some schools cash.
Below, the four richest Philadelphians from the Forbes 400 list, from richest to, er, poorest. Meanwhile, Philadelphia magazine real estate blog Property has pictures of their homes.
#1: Mary Alice Dorrance Malone
Malone is the granddaughter of the founder of Campbell’s Soup, the world’s largest soup company. She’s also the largest individual shareholder, so every time you buy a can of chicken noodle or a carton of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish (they own that, too, along with V-8, Swanson and Pace salsas), you make her a little bit richer. According to the Forbes 400 data, Malone has increased her wealth by a cool $1 billion since March 2009. How is your portfolio performing?
Forbes 400 Ranking: 161
Net Worth: $3.1 billion
Lives In: Coatesville, PA
Local Trivia: Malone’s former friend tried to extort her to the tune of $250,000/year for life. The “friend” threatened to write a tell-all biography. I wonder what there is to tell…
#2: Michael Rubin
Ladies, this Main Line divorcee and Villanova dropout is also a self-made billionaire, and a newcomer to the Forbes 400. He made his fast cash in the online retail sector, selling his company GSI Commerce to eBay for $2.1 billion a few years back. These days, in addition to being a minority owner of the 76ers, he owns online commerce entities Fanatics, ShopRunner, and Rue LaLa, all under parent company Kynetic.
Forbes 400 Ranking: 243
Net Worth: $2.3 billion
Lives In: Bryn Mawr, PA
Local Trivia: Rubin was once on the CBS show Undercover Boss. Clip below.
#3: Richard Hayne
The Urban Outfitters CEO has made a literal fortune selling all sorts of goofy stuff and pissing off everyone from the Navajos to the Irish in the process. His company, which started out as a West Philadelphia clothing store in 1970, now boasts nearly 500 retail locations and includes brands like Anthropologie, Free People and Terrain. According to Forbes, Hayne has increased his wealth by about $700 million over the last year.
Forbes 400 Ranking: 314
Net Worth: $1.8 billion
Lives In: Philadelphia, PA
Local Trivia: Hayne’s first wife was White Dog Cafe founder and esteemed locavore Judy Wicks.
#4: Richard Yuengling
Now, before you go sending in angry letters, I realize that Pottsville (where Yuengling lives) is not exactly down the road. But his Yuengling beer was once considered by most to be a Philadelphia brand. I remember walking into countless bars in Philly in the early 90s and simply asking for “a Lager”. Everyone knew what you meant. While the beer may have fallen out of favor in suddenly beer-snobby Philadelphia, apparently a lot of people elsewhere are loving it.
Forbes 400 Ranking: 371
Net Worth: $1.4 billion
Lives In: Pottsville, PA
Local Trivia: The City of Philadelphia says that Yuengling (the company) owes over $6 million in back taxes.
[Hayne and Yuengling photos: George Widman/AP Photo]