Review: The Copper Courier’s “Who is the richest Arizonan?”
PHOENIX — Fifteen Arizona residents have landed on Forbes’ 2026 World’s Billionaires List, according to new reporting from The Copper Courier, which reviewed the latest rankings and wealth estimates.
Leading the group is Ernest Garcia II, identified as the richest Arizonan with an estimated net worth of $21.5 billion and a global ranking of 116th. Garcia is the largest shareholder in used-car retailer Carvana and also owns DriveTime Automotive. His son, Ernest Garcia III, Carvana’s chief executive officer and a Tempe resident, is also on the list with an estimated fortune of $10.2 billion.
The Copper Courier’s report notes that Arizona’s billionaires are primarily clustered in and around the Phoenix metropolitan area and represent a range of industries including auto sales, technology, mortgage lending, logistics, consumer goods, and professional sports.
Other Arizonans cited in the report include Mat Ishbia of United Wholesale Mortgage; cybersecurity executive George Kurtz of CrowdStrike; Los Angeles Angels owner and Tucson native Arturo Moreno; longtime Berkshire Hathaway investor Stewart Horejsi and family; GoDaddy founder Bob Parsons; U-Haul figures Mark Shoen and E. Joe Shoen; Campbell Soup heir Bennett Dorrance; Swift Transportation founder Jerry Moyes and family; Axon chief executive Rick Smith; investor and Phoenix Suns minority owner Jahm Najafi; Altair Engineering cofounder George Christ and family; and Arizona Diamondbacks managing general partner Ken Kendrick. Their estimated net worths generally range from about $1.2 billion to $9.1 billion.
Sources
- The Copper Courier, “Who is the richest Arizonan? See who made Forbes’ billionaires list,” March 18, 2026 – https://coppercourier.com/2026/03/18/arizona-forbes-billionaire-list/
- Forbes, “Forbes World’s Billionaires List 2026: The Top 200,” March 2026 – https://www.forbes.com/sites/chasewithorn/2026/03/10/forbes-worlds-billionaires-list-2026-the-top-200/
“`