Top 11 Wealthiest Families In The World

8. Cargill-Macmillan

Estimated wealth: $49 billion

Forbes estimates that the Cargill-Macmillan family has more billionaires than any other wealthy family in the world – 14 of them. The family, one of the wealthiest families in the world, has its fingers in many pies, including agriculture, as they sell food, processed crops, energy trading, and other commodities. They also provide financial risk management.

Since the Cargill company, which is 90% owned by the family, is a private business, it’s tough to tell just how wealthy its members are. Experts estimate, however, that the entire family’s net worth adds up to some $49 billion. They are all descendants of William Wallace Cargill, born in 1844, who started a small grain storage business in Iowa. Before long, the Cargill company grew and grew. Nowadays, it is the largest privately held corporation in the US and it employs over 150,000 people in 70 countries.