Net worth: $23.5 billion
Source of wealth: Marriott International
The Marriott family’s legacy traces back not just to hotels, but also to root beer. In 1927, John Willard “J.W.” Marriott began selling A&W root beer at a small shop in Washington, DC; the venture quickly expanded into drive-in diners as the menu expanded, and by 1953, his Hot Shoppes company went public, per Marriott’s website.
It wasn’t until 1957 that Marriott opened its first lodging location, a motel in Arlington, Virginia. By 1981, the company had opened its 100th hotel, and by 1989, its 500th.
Today, the company’s portfolio includes brands like Sheraton, Ritz-Carlton, and St. Regis.
David Marriott, the grandson of the company’s founder and son of former CEO Bill Marriott, is the company’s current board chairman, and the family owns an estimated 18% of the company’s shares, per Forbes.
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