The Herschend family, responsible for Branson theme parks Silver Dollar City and White Water, is worth approximately $1.1 billion, making it one of the richest families in the U.S., according to a recent Forbes list.
The approximately 34-member Herschend family tied for 170th on Forbes'
America's Richest Families list, which is scheduled to appear in the July 21 issue of Forbes and was released online earlier this month.
Co-founded by Jack and Peter Herschend, Atlanta, Ga.-based Herschend Family Entertainment Corp. operates 26 business entities in 10 states, including Dollywood, Stone Mountain Park (Atlanta) and Showboat Branson Belle. The company also purchased exhibition basketball team the Harlem Globetrotters last year for an undisclosed sum. HFE Corp. is led in Atlanta by President and CEO Joel Manby, who isn't related to the family.
The Herschend family
traces its riches back to the Ozarks. What started with a cave in Branson in the 1950s eventually led to the founding of Dolly Parton’s iconic Dollywood and its flagship park, Silver Dollar City.
Now, HFE Corp. reports $400 million in annual sales from its 26 properties, according to its
Forbes profile. Last year, the company announced a 10-year, $300 million expansion of Tennessee-based Dollywood - which it co-owns with country singer Parton, according to a
USA Today report.
The Herschends tied for 170th on the list with eight other families, including the Cabela family of Bass Pro Shops rival Cabela's Inc. (NYSE: CAB); the Graham family of Washington Post fame; and the Miner family, whose source of wealth is labeled as Oracle Corp.
Forbes' list also included notable Missouri families such as the Busches, Halls and Wards.
Ranking highest in the Show-Me State, at No. 17, is the Busch family. The 30-member family behind the St. Louis Anheuser-Busch empire is worth an estimated $13 billion.
The Hall family, patriarchs of Hallmark Cards Inc., came in at No. 89 on the list. Forbes put the family's wealth at $2.6 billion. At No. 124 was the Ward family, which
recently agreed to sell Russell Stover Candies Inc. and Whitman's Candies Inc. The family's wealth is estimated at $1.8 billion.
At No.142, the St. Louis Pulitzer family of publishing fame has an estimated wealth of $1.5 billion.
Topping the list once again is the Walton family of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT). The six-member family has an estimated net worth of $152 billion.
Another Midwest native family claims the second spot. The four-member Koch family of Wichita, Kan., are worth an estimated $89 billion – a 41 percent difference from the Waltons at the No. 1 spot. Springdale, Ark.'s Tyson family also made the list worth an estimated $2.8 billion.[[In-content Ad]]
