Pa. native Taylor Swift joined Forbes’ billionaires list. Here are other local names on the 2024 ranking.
Swift — who was named Time’s Person of the Year in 2023, grew up in Berks County, and has song lyrics referencing the Eagles — made the billionaires list with a reported $1.1 billion net worth.
Taylor Swift is officially a billionaire.
Swift and 76ers limited partner David Adelman are two local names among the newcomers to Forbes’ annual ranking of billionaires. The list, published this week, looked at stock prices and exchange rates on a single day in March to calculate the net worth of people.
Swift, who was named Time’s Person of the Year in 2023, grew up in Berks County and has song lyrics referencing the Eagles. She made the billionaires list with a reported $1.1 billion net worth.
According to Forbes, the singer became a billionaire in October thanks in part to her ongoing Eras Tour and is the only musician to make the list from music and performance earnings alone.
Adelman, who is lead developer behind the team’s proposed new arena, also appeared on the list for the first time. Beyond his role with the Sixers, Adelman is the CEO of the national student housing business Campus Apartments and cofounder of FS Investments, an investment firm.
Also new to the list this year is Nick Howley, a Drexel University alumnus and trustee of the Howley Foundation, which recently donated $15 million to Drexel to fund scholarships. Howley is the cofounder of TransDigm Group Inc., an aerospace parts manufacturer based out of Cleveland.
Here are some billionaires with local ties who appear on the list this year.
This year, there are more billionaires than ever, according to Forbes, with 2,781 joining the club worldwide — 141 more than last year’s list. The rich also keep getting richer. The net worth of all of the billionaires grew collectively $2 trillion from last year’s list.
Jeff Yass, the richest man in Pennsylvania, is again featured on the list this year, with a reported $27.6 billion, but moved down in the overall ranking from 2023. Yass is the cofounder of trading firm Susquehanna International Group and was an early investor in the Chinese company that now owns TikTok.
Last year, Yass landed among the world’s 50 richest people with a reported $28.5 billion fortune in Forbes annual list. This year he takes 64th place.
Beyond the Philadelphia region, newcomers to the list this year also include the founder of fast food chain Raising Cane’s, the cofounders of fast fashion company Shein, basketball legend Magic Johnson, and fashion designer Christian Louboutin.