An AI-driven stock market boom. A flush luxury real estate market. Favorable tax policies. <\/p>\n
The economy may not be working very well for everyone<\/a>, but wealthy people \u2014 both in the U.S. and around the world \u2014 are generally doing great. And the world\u2019s richest are actually doing better than ever, according to Forbes\u2019 new 2026 billionaires analysis<\/a>. The financial publication\u2019s team counted more than 3,400 billionaires this year, with a total wealth of over $20 trillion, both records. <\/p>\n And North Texas, in the middle of its own long-running wealth boom, figured prominently in the list \u2014 38 billionaires have strong ties to the region, according to a count by The Dallas Morning News, including three women who all rank among the world\u2019s 100 richest people. Here are some of the most notable and newsworthy D-FW billionaires, ordered by wealth. (Note that net worth tallies are rounded, and Forbes\u2019 list updates frequently.) <\/p>\n Alice Walton, $134B. Global rank: 14. North Texas rank: 1 <\/p>\n The 76-year-old is the only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton. She\u2019s also the 14th richest person in the world, and by far the richest person tied to North Texas. Walton, an art collector and booster, has backed multiple art initiatives in Fort Worth, where she lives, and previously owned the nearly 1,500-acre Rocking W Ranch<\/a> near the border of Parker and Palo Pinto counties. She\u2019s also started a medical school and opened a museum, although those initiatives were in Bentonville, Ark., the small city where Walmart has its headquarters. <\/p>\n Business Briefing<\/p>\n