3 NC billionaires rank among the richest people in America, Forbes says
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- Three North Carolina billionaires hold $27.9 billion combined as of Sept. 1, 2025.
- Their fortunes originate mainly from software (SAS) and video games (Epic Games).
- Forbes ranked them on the 2025 Forbes 400 and assessed assets, debts and giving.
A trio of billionaires with North Carolina ties rank among the nation’s wealthiest people, according to a recent report by Forbes magazine.
The three individuals had a combined $27.9 billion net worth as of Sept. 1, per the 2025 Forbes 400 report. That’s more than 365,000 times the wealth of the median household income in North Carolina — $73,958, according to the most recent Census Bureau data.
Their fortunes originated from two major industries: software and video games.
Here are the three wealthiest people living in North Carolina.
James Goodnight
- Net worth: $15.3 billion
- Age: 82
- Residence: Cary, North Carolina
- Rank: 72nd richest in the U.S.
Goodnight, the state’s richest resident, co-founded analytics software firm SAS Institute alongside John Sall in 1976. The two met while Goodnight was pursing a doctorate degree at North Carolina State University, Forbes reported.
The tech CEO also appeared on Forbes 2025 world billionaires list, ranking as the 274th wealthiest person in the world, The Charlotte Observer reported.
John Sall
- Net worth: $.7.5 billion
- Age: 77
- Residence: Cary, North Carolina
- Rank: 192nd richest in the U.S.
Sall helped co-found SAS Institute with James Goodnight in 1976, according to Forbes. He and Goodnight also co-founded Cary Academy, a private school, and are co-owners of the Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.
Tim Sweeney
- Net worth: $5.1 billion
- Age: 54
- Residence: Cary, North Carolina
- Rank: 298th richest in the U.S.
Sweeney is the co-founder and CEO of Epic Games, developer of the wildly popular Fortnite video game. Lauded for his business acumen and conservation efforts in Western North Carolina, the video game maker was a finalist for The Raleigh News & Observer’s Tar Heel of the Year award, the Observer reported.
Who are the wealthiest people in America?
Here are the billionaires who cracked the Top 10 on the Forbes 400 list for 2025:
- Elon Musk: $428 billion net worth; Texas; Tesla/SpaceX
- Larry Ellison: $276 billion net worth; California; Oracle
- Mark Zuckerberg: $253 billion net worth; California; Facebook
- Jeff Bezos: $241 billion net worth; Florida; Amazon
- Larry Page: $179 billion net worth; California; Google
- Sergey Brin: $166 billion net worth; California; Google
- Steven Ballmer: $153 billion net worth; Washington; Microsoft
- Jensen Huang: $151 billion net worth; California; semiconductors
- Warren Buffett: $150 billion net worth; Nebraska; Berkshire Hathaway
- Michael Dell: $129 billion net worth; Texas; Dell Technologies
How Forbes compiled its list
For the annual list, the magazine said it reached out to its 400 members and interviewed everyone from their employees and peers to their adversaries and asset managers.
It also pored over thousands of documents including, but not limited to court filings, probate records and Securities and Exchange Commission documents.
“We took into account all types of assets: stakes in public and private companies, real estate, art, yachts, planes, ranches, vineyards, jewelry, car collections and more,” the magazine said. “We deducted debt and excluded funds donated to charitable foundations and donor-advised funds.”
Members’ lifetime charitable giving was also considered, as was whether their fortunes were inherited or self-made.
This story was originally published October 13, 2025 at 7:30 AM.