Forbes: Rich got richer

The Forbes list of the world’s richest people leads us to wonder: Is Minnesota ever going to have a billionaire not named MacMillan, Carlson, Hubbard or Taylor?

The usual people are in their usual spots on the list.

Whitney MacMillan, the former Cargill CEO, is #341 in the world for money; he’s got $4.7 billion of it. That’s almost $1 billion more than a survey last fall. MacMillan could burn a $100 bill every minute for the next 89 years (assuming he doesn’t sleep) and still have bus fare.

It’s been a good year for Timberwolves and Star Tribune owner Glen Taylor. He’s worth $2.5 billion and is the only Minnesotan on the list who is self made and comes from a working class background. He’s #782 of richest people in the world. In an earlier list, Taylor was assessed at $1.7 billion. Presumably, much of the increase comes from the skyrocketing value of the NBA franchises under the league’s new TV deal.

Taylor has leap-frogged over 81-year-old Stanley Hubbard, the scion of the broadcast family. He’s good for $2 billion and #949.

Marilyn Carlson Nelson and Barbara Carlson Gage are worth $1.1 billion apiece according to Forbes’ “real time” tracker. That’s a tie for #1638 in the world for the pair. Their father started a travel and hospitality company.