The Frist Family – $11.9B
Known as the wealthiest person in Tennessee (as well as rubbing shoulders with the richest men in the United States), Thomas Frist, Jr. created the Hospital Corporation of America alongside his father towards the end of the 1960s. Several years later, the son and father extended the business tremendously, overtaking the $1 billion-benchmark, steadily reaching for leadership positions in titanic corporations such as IBM. Frist achieved the hugest acquisitions in the history of American business in 2006, finally handing the business to Bill, his son. At the same time, Frist had already established himself at the head of current American healthcare structure design.
The Frist Family
The Knight Family – $33.8B
The legend tells that Phil Knight – who would later go on to create Nike – was refused summertime employment by his own father in his newspaper, wisely telling his son that more wisdom could be gained through forging a different path. This harsh fatherly advice made Knight the phenomenally successful person he is today, as he speedily transitioned into the sports world, the American military and eventually Japanese footwear. These were the seeds that would grow into Nike. Knight’s family has been decidedly difficult, his son, Matthew, tragically succumbed to a freak heart attack while scuba diving. Matthew’s death greatly debilitated Knight, causing him to retire from his position as Nike CEO.
The Knight Family
