As owners of the French luxury brand, Chanel, brothers Alain and Gerard Wertheimer are among the world's most fashionable Thoroughbred owners and breeders. According to the latest World's Billionaires List published by Forbes, they are also the richest.
According to Forbes, Alain and Gerard Wertheimer each have a net worth of $34.5 billion putting them at No. 41 on the list of 2,755 billionaires worldwide.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is atop the list with an estimated net worth of $177 billion.
Racing primarily with homebreds in Europe and the U.S. under the stable name Wertheimer et Frere, the brothers are best known for campaigning Goldikova, three-time winner of the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile. Their current stable star is Todd Pletcher-trained Happy Saver.
At least a dozen others from the Forbes Billionaires List have been identified as Thoroughbred owners or breeders. (Note: The list does not include members of Arab country ruling families, including the Maktoums of Dubai.)
Next on the list among individuals affiliated with Thoroughbred racing and breeder is financier George Soros, whose Soros Fund Management in 2008 launched SF Racing and SF Bloodstock, now operated by Gavin Murphy and Tom Ryan. Forbes estimates a net worth of $8.6 billion for the Soros, putting him at No. 288.
Cable television magnate John Malone is ranked 316th on the Forbes list with an estimated net worth of $7.8 billion. One of America's biggest landowners, Malone owns Bridlewood Farm in Ocala, Fla., and Ballylinch Stud in Ireland.
Tamara Gustavson, daughter of the late B. Wayne Hughes, is ranked 496th on the list with an estimated net worth of $5.6 billion. With husband Eric, Tamara Gustavson now operates Spendthrift, which Forbes estimated has a $400 million value. A Forbes-produced video explains how they arrived at that estimate, based on leading stallion Into Mischief, other bloodstock holdings and the farm's property and buildings.
Wayne Hughes, who died in August, remained on the Forbes list, ranked 925th with an estimated net worth of $3.3 billion. A self-made billionaire, Hughes created Public Storage, the largest self-storage company in the U.S.
Vincent Viola is ranked 807th on the list with an estimated net worth of $3.7 billion acquired in part from his electronic trading startup, Virtu Financial. Owner of the NHL's Florida Panthers, Viola co-owned Vino Rosso, winner of the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic in 2019.
Another owner of sports teams, Gayle Benson, ranks 891st on the Forbes lislt with an estimated net worth of $3.4 billion. Benson, widow of Tom Benson, owns the NFL's New Orleans Saints and NBA's New Orleans Pelicans. Her GMB Racing campaigned Tom's d'Etat, winner of the G1 Clark Stakes at Churchill Downs in 2019.
Brad Kelley, owner of Calumet Farm, has an estimated net worth of $2.6 billion, putting him 1,205th on the list of the world's richest people. Kelley, who lives in Tennessee, made his fortune in the tobacco industry.
Gerald Ford, who races as Diamond A Racing Corporation, is 1,249th on the list with an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion. Ford built his wealth through acquisition of distressed banks.
Kevin Plank, who created the Under Armour sportswear brand and owns Sagamore Farm in Maryland, has an estimated net worth of $2 billion putting him at No. 1,580.
Charlotte Weber, an heir to the Campbell Soup Co., is listed as No. 1,833 with an estimated net worth of $1.7 million. Owner of Live Oak Plantation, Weber's homebreds have won a host of Grade 1 races, and she's won two editions of the G1 Breeders' Cup Mile with World Approval and Miesque's Approval.
Kenny Troutt, owner of WinStar Farm, founded long-distance company Excel Communications more than 30 years ago. Forbes estimates his net worth at $1.5 billion, putting him at No. 2,035 on their list.
Also having an estimated net worth of $1.5 billion is Seth Klarman, whose Klaravich Stables has developed into one of the industry's leading owners, winning Horse of the Year for Bricks and Mortar in 2019 and voted an outstanding owner Eclipse Award with William H. Lawrence, his partner on a number of runners. Klarman manages one of the financial market's largest hedge funds, Boston-based Baupost.
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