Updated Apr 15, 2025 - Business
4 Louisiana billionaires make Forbes' wealthiest list
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Todd Graves, William Goldring, Gayle Benson and Gary Chouest are on Forbes' billionaire list. Photos from left: Johnathan Bachman/Getty; courtesy of Sazerac Co.; Michael Loccisano/Getty; Chris Graythen/Getty
Gayle Benson and Todd Graves aren't the only billionaires in Louisiana, according to Forbes' latest billionaires ranking.
- Two more South Louisiana residents made this year's list.
Todd Graves
- Graves, 53, is the 293rd richest person in the world as of Monday. He's worth $9.5 billion, Forbes says.
- The Baton Rouge resident founded Raising Cane's nearly 30 years ago and remains the CEO.
- He's a longtime Bacchus krewe member and tells Axios he's a fan of the fried shrimp poboys from Domilise's. Go deeper
Gayle Benson
- Benson, 78, added another billion to her net worth last year, coming in at a cool $7.1 billion. She's ranked 460 as of Monday.
- She lives in New Orleans and owns the Saints and the Pelicans. She's the first woman to be the principal owner of both an NFL and NBA team.
- Benson grew up in Old Algiers. She previously worked in jewelry sales, real estate development and interior design, according to her official bio.
William Goldring
- William Goldring, 82, lives in New Orleans and is worth an estimated $7 billion, Forbes says. He's the 467th richest person in the world.
- The Tulane grad is the chairman of the Sazerac Co., which owns about 500 alcohol brands and a dozen distilleries around the world. Go deeper
- His brands include Pappy Van Winkle, Southern Comfort, Buffalo Trace and Fireball Cinnamon Whisky. Last year, his company bought the BuzzBallz line, Forbes says.
Gary Chouest
- Gary Chouest, 80, is worth $2 billion and is ranked 1,763 on the world's billionaires list.
- He is the owner and president of Edison Chouest Offshore, which Forbes says owns more than 200 offshore vessels for the oil, gas and wind power industries.
- The Cut Off resident also owns a stake in Bollinger Shipyard Group, Forbes says.
- And he was once a minority owner of the New Orleans Hornets.
Go deeper: Full list of billionaires
Editor's note: This story has been updated with a photo of William Goldring.