LEXINGTON, Ky. — One person in Kentucky and three in Indiana were recently dubbed some of the richest people in America.
Forbes list of "The 400 Richest People in America" included a woman from Kentucky and three men in the Hoosier state.
Tamara Gustavson | Net worth: $9.1 billion
Tamara Gustavson, 62, of Lexington, is the largest shareholder of Public Storage, the self-storage giant her father, B. Wayne Hughes, cofounded in 1972. Hughes died in 2021.
According to Forbes, Gustavson owns about 10% of the company. She worked for Public Storage from 1983 to 2003 and has sat on the Board of Directors since 2008.
Gustavson is also on the board of American Homes 4 Rent, a real estate investment trust that focuses on single-family rental homes. Her father also cofounded this company.
She's a director of the William Lawrence & Blanche Hughes Foundation, focused on childhood leukemia, and served on the board of her alma mater, USC, from 2010 to 2020.
Gustavson and her family also own Spendthrift Farm, where racehorses are bred and raised. The farm boasts 10 Kentucky Derby winners.
Gustavson gained the majority of her wealth after 2020. That year, she was worth $4.5 billion. Just two years later in 2022, her net worth was $8.5 billion. Forbes recognizes her real time net worth as $9.1 billion.
She is the 118th richest person in America and the 303rd richest person in the world, according to Forbes. Her brother, B. Wayne Hughes Jr., is also a billionaire.
Forbes gave Gustavson a self-made score of 2 out of 10.
Carl Cook | Net worth: $10.7 billion
Carl Cook, 62, of Bloomington, Ind., took over as CEO of his family medical device manufacturing company, Cook Group, when his father, Bill Cook, died in 2011.
Six years later, the $2.4 billion medical sales company sold one of its subsidiaries Cook Pharmica to drug delivery technology company Catalent for $950 million in 2017.
Since then, Cook's wealth has been steadily growing aside from a small dip in 2020 and 2023.
According to Forbes, Cook's parents started the business in their Bloomington apartment in 1963.
Cook is also the president of a life sciences division called Cook MyoSite, which is developing a cell therapy to treat urinary incontinence.
He is the 89th richest person in America and the 203rd richest person in the world, according to Forbes.
Forbes gave Cook a self-made score of 3 out of 10.
Herb Simon | Net worth: $5.1 billion
Herb Simon, 89, of Indianapolis, Ind., founded a company in 1960 that would become the Simon Property Group.
Simon Property Group is now one of the world's largest real estate investment trusts, with 215 properties globally, including 180 in the U.S.
Simon is chairman emeritus; his nephew, David, who is Melvin's son, has been CEO since 1995.
Simon also owns an 80% stake in the Indiana Pacers, which he bought with his brother. The team is worth $2.9 billion.
His wealth drastically dropped by nearly $1 billion in 2020 however, his wealth skyrocketed by $1.4 billion in 2024, making his net worth $5.2 billion.
He is the 256th richest person in America and the 648th richest person in the world, according to Forbes.
Forbes gave Simon a self-made score of 9 out of 10, likely due to his humble beginnings as the son of a Jewish tailor who emigrated from Central Europe.
Jim Irsay | Net worth: $4.8 billion
Jim Irsay, 65, of Carmel, Ind., owns the Indianapolis Colts, an NFL team he inherited from his father, Robert Irsay, who died in 1997.
Irsay grew up with the Colts, living with the team during summer camp and traveling on the team bus as a kid, according to Forbes.
He played football at Southern Methodist University, where he studied broadcast journalism, before joining the Colts' front office. He worked in everything from ticket sales to public relations before being named GM in 1984, at 24.
When his father died, Irsay became the sole owner of the Indianapolis Colts.
Since Irsay assumed ownership, the Colts have become noticeably more successful, notching 14 winning seasons, including a Super Bowl win in 2006.
He is the 278th richest person in America and the 712th richest person in the world, according to Forbes.
Forbes gave Irsay a self-made score of 2 out of 10.
To check out the full Forbes 400 Richest People in America list, click here.
