Very fortunate

Low-profile Texas billionaire reigns as the richest woman in the world

Alice Walton has a net worth estimated at $59 billion.

Photo courtesy of Wal-Mart

Fort Worth’s Alice Walton may keep a relatively low profile, but she’s got a high profile when it comes to her stature among the world’s billionaires.

A new ranking from China’s Hurun Report puts Walton at No. 1 among the world’s richest women and at No. 12 overall, with a net worth estimated at $59 billion as of January 31. She’s one of the heirs to the Walmart retail fortune.

In all, nearly 16 percent of the billionaires on the 2020 list are women.

Walton lands one spot ahead of Democratic presidential candidate and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, whose net worth is estimated at $58 billion.

Walton sat at No. 18 on Hunan’s 2019 list, meaning she climbed six spots from last year to this year. Over the past five years, Walton has padded her wealth by $20 billion to $30 billion, according to the 2020 Hunan Report, released February 26.

Walton and her relatives reign as the world’s richest family, with a cumulative net worth of $208 billion as of January 31, the report says.

Three places behind Walton on this year’s list is the world’s second-richest woman, Françoise Bettencourt Meyers. With an estimated net worth of $56 billion, the L’Oreal cosmetics heiress and her family rank 15th overall.

The world’s third-richest woman, according to the Hunan Report, is MacKenzie Bezos, ex-wife of Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. Her estimated net worth of $44 billion puts her in a tie for 22nd place worldwide.

The latest ranking from Forbes magazine lists Meyers as the richest woman in the world, holding down the No. 13 spot with a fortune estimated at $54.3 billion. Forbes puts Walton at No. 15 ($51.8 billion) and MacKenzie Bezos at No. 22 ($38.4 billion).

More Texans on the list
The second-ranked Texan on the Hunan list is Austin’s Michael Dell, chairman and CEO of Round Rock-based Dell Technologies Inc. At $28 billion, he’s tied for the No. 35 spot worldwide.

Parked at No. 3 in Texas and No. 68 globally are Dallas’ Elaine Marshall and her family, with an estimated net worth of $17 billion. The Marshalls control a hefty stake in Wichita, Kansas-based conglomerate Koch Industries.

Tied at No. 4 in Texas are Dallas banker and real estate investor Andy Beal, and West Texas sports mogul Stan Kroenke. With an estimated fortune of $9.4 billion, each appears at No. 194 on Hunan’s global list.

With an estimated net worth of $7.2 billion, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones ranks sixth in Texas and ties for 281st worldwide. (Since Beal and Kroenke are tied at No. 4, there is no fifth-ranked Texan.)

At No. 7 in Texas and No. 347 globally is Ann Walton Kroenke, wife of billionaire Stan Kroenke and an heir to the Walmart fortune. She has an estimated net worth of $6.2 billion.

Omni Hotels and Gold’s Gym honcho Robert Rowling of Dallas claims the No. 8 ranking in Texas and ties for No. 408 worldwide. His fortune is estimated at $5.6 billion.

Houston pipeline baron Richard Kinder stands at No. 9 in Texas and ties for No. 415 globally, with a net worth estimated at $5.5 billion.

Energy magnate Trevor Rees-Jones grabs the No. 10 spot in Texas and ties for the No. 425 spot worldwide. The Hunan Report pegs his net worth at $5.4 billion.

With an estimated fortune of $5.1 billion, tequila and hair care entrepreneur John Paul DeJoria of Austin checks in at No. 11 in Texas and ties for No. 464 globally.

Houston pipeline heirs Scott Duncan and Randa Williams are tied at No. 12 in Texas and No. 482 worldwide. Each has a net worth estimated at $5 billion. Their two Houston siblings, Dannine Avara and Milane Frantz, share the No. 14 spot in Texas and the No. 493 spot globally. Each has an estimated net worth of $4.9 billion.

rankings lists

keep austin healthy

Austin is the 2nd 'healthiest' city in America, Forbes says

Photo by Max Bender on Unsplash

There are plenty of places for Austinites of varying abilities to be active.

The city's abundance of yoga studios, health-conscious restaurants, and run clubs is paying off: Austin was just named the second healthiest city in the nation in a new study by Forbes Advisor.

The report, "Cities With The Least Healthy (And Healthiest) Populations, Ranked" examined 2021 health data from the City Health Dashboard for 46 of the most populated cities in America. Eight metrics were analyzed for each city, such as the number of heart disease or opioid overdose deaths per 100,000 residents, the percentage of adults with diabetes or high blood pressure, among others.

The study focuses exclusively on physical health, and leans on broad risk factors more than the actual occurrence of specific diseases or conditions.

Austin ranked second to San Jose, California, which was dubbed the No. 1 healthiest city in America.

Forbes found that Austin has the lowest percentage of adult high blood pressure out of all 46 cities in the report, at just 22.5 percent. Only 7.4 percent of Austin residents have diabetes, which is the fourth-lowest rate nationwide. The city also boasts the fifth-lowest percentage of adults who smoke (11.3 percent).

Here's how the report ranked four other metrics for Austin:

Eighth-lowest number of heart disease deaths per 100,000 residents (175.5)
Eighth-lowest number of opioid overdose deaths per 100,000 residents (9.6)
10th-lowest percentage of adults who report having obesity (28.2 percent)
10th-lowest percentage of adults who report being physically inactive (18.5)

Austin has a reputation for being an accommodating city, whether it's through restaurants expanding their culinary offerings for vegans and vegetarians, or through local organizations adding exercise equipment to outdoor trails. And you can't forget about all the new gyms and country clubs opening around the city.

At the opposite end of the study, Detroit, Michigan landed as the most unhealthy city in the country.

Elsewhere in Texas
Though Austin is one of the healthiest cities in the U.S., and the healthiest in the state, several other Texas cities fell far behind. Houston appeared as the No. 12 most unhealthy American city on the list, and unhealthiest in Texas. The report attributes this to a high percentage of adults who report binge drinking (18.2 percent), smoking (17.2 percent), and more.

"Houston has the seventh-highest percentage of adults who report having obesity (37.7 percent) and the eighth-highest percentage of adults with diabetes (12 percent)," the report said.

San Antonio ranked as the 15th unhealthiest U.S. city, followed by Dallas (No. 18), El Paso (No. 22) and Fort Worth (No. 25). Arlington appeared as No. 30, technically making it the No. 18 healthiest city in the U.S.

The top 10 cities with the most healthy populations are:

No. 1 – San Jose, California
No. 2 – Austin, Texas
No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
No. 4 – San Diego, California
No. 5 – Denver, Colorado
No. 6 – San Francisco, California
No. 7 – Boston, Massachusetts
No. 8 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 9 – Colorado Springs, Colorado
No. 10 – Minneapolis

The full report can be found on forbes.com.

austin healthy reports rankings

Very fortunate

Low-profile Texas billionaire reigns as the richest woman in the world

keep austin healthy

Austin is the 2nd 'healthiest' city in America, Forbes says

5 openings and a lavish Christmas bar cheer up Austin restaurant news

10 places to enjoy the growing soft serve ice cream trend in Austin

New brasserie with classic French dishes serenades downtown Austin