Forbes released its 2026 list of the 400 wealthiest people in the country. And two major Knoxville names made the list: brothers Bill and Jimmy Haslam.
The 45th annual Forbes' 400 list was released on Sept. 15, and the combined wealth of everyone who made the ranking was a staggering $8 trillion, up from $6.6 trillion in 2025.
The wealth gap in America is widening, according to Forbes, even among the billionaires. The top 20 billionaires on Forbes' list control 50%, or $4 trillion, of the $8 trillion total, and 590 billionaires were "too poor" to make the 2026 list.
This year's list featured six Tennesseans, two of them from right here in Knoxville.
The Haslam family footprint is wide in Knoxville, including at the University of Tennessee, from
the Haslam College of Business to Pilot's partnership with Tennessee Athletics. Pilot was started by Bill and Jimmy's father, James A. Haslam II, and was sold to Berkshire Hathaway in 2024.
Bill Haslam
Bill Haslam ranked No. 267 on the Forbes list with a net worth of $6.3 billion. Despite his increased net worth, he fell three spots from his 2025 ranking, when he was No. 264 with a net worth of $5.7 billion.
Bill Haslam served as Knoxville mayor from 2003 to 2011 and then as Tennessee governor from 2011 to 2019. The bulk of his wealth comes from his role in his family's truck stop business, Pilot Flying J. Bill Haslam served as president of the company from 1995 to 1999.
Since 2025, he has served as franchise chairman and majority owner of the NHL's Nashville Predators.
Jimmy Haslam
Jimmy Haslam ranked No. 114 on Forbes list with a net worth of $12.2 billion. He moved up 39 spots from Forbes' 2025 list. In 2025, his net worth was estimated at $8.7 billion.
Like his brother, Jimmy Haslam played a major role in Pilot Flying J. He served as chairman of the company from 2021 to 2023 before stepping down and overseeing the transition to full ownership by Berkshire Hathaway.
Owning a sports team seems to run in the family. Jimmy Haslam has been the majority owner of the NFL's Cleveland Browns since 2012. He also has had a minority stake in the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks since 2023.
In June 2026, Haslam and his wife, Dee Haslam, made history by donating $130 million to UT, the largest gift ever made to the university.
Afton Pratt covers trending and breaking news for Knox News and Tennessee. She can be reached at ampratt@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Two Haslam family members made Forbes 400 wealthiest people list
