Buffalo Billsowner Terry Pegula has more than doubled his wealth since 2020, according to Forbes.
Pegula, who made his fortune in oil and natural gas and also owns the Buffalo Sabres and the Rochester Americans, is now worth $11.8 billion, up from $5.1 billion six years ago, according to the magazine.
He came in at No. 120 on its 2026 ranking of The 400 Richest People in America.
Those included are worth a record $8 trillion in this year’s ranking, Forbes’ 45th, up from $6.6 trillion a year ago. And the wealth controlled by the top 20 is “massive,” Forbes notes, amounting to $4 trillion.
Elon Musk, co-founder of seven companies, including Tesla, SpaceX and artificial intelligence startup xAI, took the top spot with a net worth of $908 billion, up from
$342 billion a year ago.
He is followed at No. 2 by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, with a fortune of $378 billion.
Other familiar names in the top 20 include:
∎ Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg at No. 6 with $212 billion.
∎ Warren Buffett at No. 10 with $144 billion.
∎ Members of the Walton family, founders of Walmart, at Nos. 11, 12 and 13 with a combined $378 billion.
∎ Bill Gates at No. 14 with $116 billion.
∎ Michael Bloomberg at No. 16 with $94.9 billion.
∎ Koch family members at Nos. 17 and 19 with a combined $161.5 billion.
Coming in at No. 245 with $7 billion is President Donald Trump, who “has presided over the most lucrative presidency in American history, adding billions to his net worth, largely by cashing in on crypto,” Forbes reported.
You can read the full list here.
Highmark Stadium costs
Terry Pegula, who has made the Forbes 400 list annually since at least 2010, and his wife, Kim Pegula, contributed about $1.25 billion of their fortune to construction of the Bills' new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. New York state and Erie County taxpayers shouldered $850 million of the cost, one of the largest taxpayer subsidies ever made to an NFL facility.
Those who attend games are paying more, too. A recent study named the Bills the most expensive team to watch in-person with an average cost of more than $2,000 for a family of four.
Attendees also pay a 6% surcharge on purchases made on Highmark Stadium grounds as part of the county's lease agreement.
More: Bills fans paid for Highmark Stadium. Can they afford to attend?
Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers the grocery business and consumer-focused grocery news, as well as retail development, openings and closings. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on X @MarciaGreenwood.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Buffalo Bills owner makes Forbes richest list as fortune soars
