James and Thomas Duff of Mississippi again appear on Forbes’ updated list of the world’s billionaires, ranked No. 978 and No. 982 and each reported at $4.5 billion, Forbes said.
Forbes released its updated ranking on Sept. 16, 2026, and said it used stock prices and exchange rates from March 1, 2026, to calculate the list. Forbes’ real-time tracker is cited as the source for the brothers’ reported net worth.
The Magnolia Tribune reported the Duffs are the only Mississippians listed. The Tribune said the brothers live in the Pine Belt and co-own Duff Capital Investors and Southern Tire Mart, as well as KLLM Trucking, TL Wallace Construction and other businesses.
The Magnolia Tribune also reported the brothers have a record of philanthropy, particularly on college campuses, and said Thomas Duff has been appointed to the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning and other boards. The Tribune added that he is rumored to be among candidates considering a 2027 gubernatorial run.
Forbes’ global listing also noted that the United States had a record 989 billionaires, followed by China including Hong Kong with 610. Forbes named Elon Musk the richest person on the list with a $930 billion net worth, followed by Jeff Bezos at $360 billion and Larry Page at $284 billion; tech entrepreneurs occupied the top nine spots. Forbes listed Alice Walton as the highest-ranked woman at No. 16 with $116 billion.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
