This week Forbes released its annual list of the world’s wealthiest individuals, with the global casino and gaming industries accounting for 28 of the 2,640 people who made the cut. The collective net worth of these billionaires is estimated at $12.2 trillion, slightly down from last year’s report. Leading the pack is the late Sheldon Adelson’s widow, Dr. Miriam Adelson, who is worth $35 billion and is the 35th richest person on the planet.
The impressive increase in Adelson’s wealth is largely attributed to the recovery of Las Vegas Sands shares, which have risen from $37.64 in January of 2022 to a current rate of $57. Coming in at a distant second is Lui Che Woo of the Galaxy Entertainment Group, with a net worth of $13.9 billion.
Of the 28 billionaires in the gambling and gaming industry, only nine are US residents. After Adelson, the next richest American is Tilman Fertitta, who has made $8.1 billion through hospitality, gaming, and sports. His investments include Landry’s, the NBA’s Houston Rockets, and five Golden Nugget casinos.
Gabe Newell of Valve, Steve Wynn of Wynn Resorts, and Jon Yarbrough of Video Gaming Technologies are also among the US gaming billionaires, with respective net worths of $3.9 billion, $3.2 billion, and $3.2 billion. The Fertitta brothers, Lorenzo and Frank III, and the Boyd family, who founded Boyd Gaming in 1975, also make the list. Finally, Elaine Wynn, ex-wife of Steve Wynn, rounds out the US billionaires with a net worth of $2.1 billion.
Additionally, two sports icons have made history, as LeBron James and Tiger Woods are the first athletes to become billionaires while still actively competing. James is worth an estimated $1 billion and is preparing for the NBA playoffs with the Los Angeles Lakers. Woods, meanwhile, is worth $1.1 billion and is set to play in the Masters this week.
