Forbes magazine lists six from Oklahoma in 400 Richest Americans list
By OKCBusiness Staff - 9/18/2008

Six Oklahoma businessmen, and four from the Oklahoma City-metro area, made Forbes magazine’s 400 Richest Americans list, published Sept. 17.

Ranked 42nd, Harold Hamm led the list of area men. Hamm’s oil-and-gas company, Continental Resources is based in Enid but he is listed with an Oklahoma City residence. Forbes lists his worth as $7 billion. Hamm is also a partner in gas processing firms Hiland Partners and Hiland Holdings

Two years ago, Aubrey McClendon and Tom Ward were co-listed at number 215 with a $1.6 billion net worth. This year, Chesapeake’s McClendon is ranked 134th with a $3 billion net worth. Ward – the SandRidge Energy CEO who lives in Edmond – made the list at No. 155 with a $2.7 billion net worth. Both men are among the owners of the National Basketball Association’s Oklahoma City Thunder franchise.

Hobby Lobby’s David Green’s $1.7 billion net worth placed him 281st.

Three Tulsa men made the list. George Kaiser led the state contingent at No. 20 with a $12 billion net worth stemming from oil and gas business along with banking investments. Lynn Schusterman ranked 163rd with a $2.5 billion net worth in oil and gas and other investments.

George Kaiser led the state contingent at No. 20 with a $12 billion net worth stemming from oil and gas business along with banking investments.

The data was compiled two weeks ago. Today Kaiser is worth $11.43.

Who was the third from Tulsa?

So, McClendon and Ward both increased their net worth by over a billion in two years.

Think about that for a minute.

So, McClendon and Ward both increased their net worth by over a billion in two years.

Think about that for a minute.

Jeez. Takes money to make money, I guess, and these guys are just printing it now.

A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon you're talking some real money.

Lynn Shusterman is not a man.

The data was compiled two weeks ago. Today Kaiser is worth $11.43.

Seriously or are you just throwing that out there?

Honestly I am shocked that there are not more people in OKC on the list.

Honestly I am shocked that there are not more people in OKC on the list.

Actually, 405Metro, I think OKC can be proud of its representation. if you think about it, a tally of 4 people represents 1 percent of the entire list. The population of metro OKC is less than 1/2 of 1 percent of the country. All else being equal, we are over-represented.

By contrast, St. Louis, MO with a population 2 and a half times that of OKC, has only 2 representatives on the list.

Isn't STL just twice as big as OKC now?

But anyways, I agree stl OKC is being well represented. but in a way, I too am shocked that more are not on the list. Like Larry Nichols for one, I thought he was a billionaire. Maybe he is, but he is in the low digits.

He certainly is head of the state's largest public company - but I also thought he was one of the richest as well. Also, what about the Gaylord family members?

I honestly thought there would be about 10 people from OKC on the list, but 4 is not bad either.

Metro St. Louis is about 2.8 million. Maybe it isn't quite 2-1/2 times OKC anymore.

As for Larry Nichols, he has always lived quite conservatively and not been overly agressive in getting rich off his company. It doesn't surprise me he is not on this list, his net worth is probably in the hundreds of millions. Just a guess.

And I think the Gaylord/Everest wealth has been spread to so many different family members over the last generation, it has been diluted a bit.

I still think 4 out of 400 is nothing to sneeze at.

I'm pretty confident Nichols and Gaylords aren't billionaires, hence why they've never made any billionaires lists.

Get the duo who came up with Google to fall in love with the Pyror data center area and you'd have two more or would soon enough if they aren't there now :)

I think i am ranked somewhere between 235,005,100 -245,658,888 richest person in america.

Seriously or are you just throwing that out there?

I was joking - it was a commentary on the state of finance stock prices over the last 2 weeks.

That's what I figured.