Maine billionaire makes list of 400 richest Americans
There's much affluence in Maine, but only one resident of the state has made the 2024 Forbes magazine ranking of the 400 richest people in the U.S.
Susan Alfond, of Scarborough, ranks No. 388 on the Forbes 400 list — an annual comparison of the net worth among America's elite.
The net worth for Alfond, 79, daughter of late Dexter Shoe Co. founder and philanthropist Harold Alfond, was $3.4 billion as of Oct. 1, according to Forbes.
That amount is up from the $2.5 billion fortune that Forbes estimated Susan Alfond held in 2023.
The magazine noted that Alfond was one of four children who inherited wealth. "Her father, Harold Alfond, bought an old mill in Maine in 1958 and turned it into a shoemaker that sold millions of boots and casual shoes," Forbes wrote.
"In 1993 Harold sold the company to Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway for $420 million of stock; the shares are worth billions of dollars now."
Two of Susan Alfond's brothers — Bill Alfond, 76, and Ted Alfond, 80 — are listed among the Forbes 400 members in Massachusetts, each with approximately the same wealth as their sister, according to the magazine.
Another sibling, Peter Alfond, died in 2017 at age 65 from malaria, which he contracted during a trip to Africa.
In all, according to Forbes, the 400 richest Americans are worth a record $5.4 trillion, up nearly $1 trillion from last year. A dozen have $100 billion-plus fortunes, also a record.
Admission to the list of 400 was pricier than ever: The threshold was $3.3 billion, up $400 million since 2023.
Including the two Alfond siblings, nine residents of Massachusetts made the list. Elsewhere in New England, the roster names five residents of Connecticut, and one apiece from New Hampshire and Rhode Island. No Vermonters made the list.
Forbes reported that the richest person in America was Elon Musk, with a net worth of $244 billion, followed by Jeff Bezos, at $197 billion, and Mark Zuckerberg, $181 billion.
A study in 2021 showed that the richest Mainers rank modestly among the wealthiest U.S. residents.
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