4 Of The Richest Families In The World

I f there's one unpleasant truth about humanity, it's that finance and wealth aren't spread around the world evenly. This is why you can find some of the richest families in the world collectively having more than $1.5 trillion, whereas others are not even earning a liveable wage.

For a considerable amount of time, humans have used money in exchange for their services and goods. However, some of these people have managed to hoard a sizable amount of cash, whether through fair means or unfair. 

We already know about billionaires such as Elon Musk, who is the CEO of Tesla, worth around $220 billion. But you should know that what Musk has is new money. He does not come from a family of billionaires as the rest of this list does. Let us now consider the "family" wealth of the richest families in the world. 

Walton Family  

The Walton family is by far the wealthiest family on this list, as they have a net worth of around $215 billion or more, which is still a lot more than the second wealthiest family. Walmart was founded in 1962 by the father, Sam Walton. Since then, Walmart has grown to become one of the world's biggest retailers in terms of revenue. His three children, James, Alice, and Rob, inherited Sam's fortune when he died in 1992. The three now own roughly half of Walmart. 

If you've ever bought socks or shampoo at Walmart, you've contributed a small amount to the Walton family's vast riches. They have numerous employees as well, to the point that they could form their very own city, and it would still be America's fifth populous city. As of February 2022, the corporation operated almost 10,566 retail shops worldwide, with 4,742 in the United States. No wonder the family has been blessed with riches! 

Mars Family 

The Mars family is in second place, as they have a net worth of about $120 billion. Milky Way, M&M's, Twix, Snickers, and obviously, the Mars Bars are all made by Mars Inc. The company was named after the family whose great riches were earned on the backs of a ton of refined sugar. With America's desire for candy unlikely to leave anytime soon, they will probably remain among the world's wealthiest families.

However, even if this family is known for their candy business, strangely, pet care interests account for nearly half of the company's wealth. Mars Inc. owns several well-known pet food products. Pedigree, Cesar, and Royal Canin are among the business's popular pet food brands. In 2017, they also bought VCA, a company with around 800 small animal veterinary centers across the United States and Canada.

Koch Family 

All three of the world's wealthiest families are American, with the Koch being the "hardest-up" of the bunch. The four sons, Frederick, David, Charles, and William, inherited the business when the father, Fred. C. Koch passed away. However, Frederick and William both left the company after a family quarrel, while David and Charles took over Koch Industries, a massive industrial giant. 

Until David's death in 2019, Charles worked with his brother. Both these sons elevated the oil industry to new heights, with the family business now generating more than $115 billion in annual sales. 

The Koch brothers were never bashful about using their wealth to sway politicians, openly donating vast sums of money to promote deregulation and using the money for other causes close to their hearts, namely, their drive to make more money. For example, Charles Koch's more famous for his politics than for working in the Koch industries. 

Hermes Family 

Luxury and fashion are major businesses, but even the Chanel dynasty cannot match the Hermes (or Dumas) family, which owns the ultra-chic fashion label Hermès, in terms of wealth. Axel Dumas is the CEO and chair of the company, while his cousin, Pierre-Alexis Dumas, acts as the artistic director. 

With a net worth of $112 billion, Hermes is a luxury French fashion brand known for its characteristic neckties, scarves, and perfumes. Furthermore, it is also known for its iconic and renowned Kelly and Birkin purses.

In the nineteenth century, Thierry Hermès designed aristocratic riding attire. In today's world, the firm clothes NBA superstars like LeBron James. Hermès Apple Watches range from $1,300- $2,000 and above, fusing new, modern technology with ancient means. This is why they come forth on this list of richest families in the world.