The 10 Richest People in Kentucky

The state of Kentucky in the U.S. is a beauty to behold. It is located in the southeastern part. Also, it is near the Ohio River in the north and the famous Appalachian Mountains In the Eastern part of the United States. However, due to the culture and the flow of business here, many residents have emerged as millionaires and Billionaires.

Like me, are you also wondering who they are? If that’s you, then you are lucky to be here. Today, we will take a deeper look at the 10 richest people in Kentucky and their net worth. You’ll also discover where these millionaires live in Kentucky. Let’s begin!

The 10 Richest People in Kentucky

Here is a curated list of millionaires and billionaires in Kentucky.

10. Priscilla Barnstable Net worth: $1.1 million

The first million to hit our list of the wealthiest people in Kentucky is Priscilla Barnstable. She is currently a model and actress. She has a net worth of $1.1 million. Her twin sister is Patricia Barnstable who is an actress. During her college days, she attended the prestigious University of Kentucky B.A. She was nicknamed Cyb Barnstable.

When she graduated from the school, Priscilla took the next step and traveled to New York. Upon her arrival, she pursued her modeling dreams. Soon it became a reality and she graced the walkways of famous designers and brands. At some point in her career, she has also ventured into advertisement. She has represented different brands in commercials. This is due to her popularity as a model.

Furthermore, modeling has earned Priscilla much money over the years. The career has solidified her position as one of the millionaires in Kentucky. She is a true inspiration to her fans and anyone willing to toe the path of hard work

9. Patricia Barnstable Net worth: $16 million

The next millionaire, holding the 9th position is Patricia Barnstable. She was born on May 23 1951 in Louisville, Kentucky. She is way more popular and richer than her twin sister Priscilla. Patricia has a net worth of $16 million. She is an actress and has featured in several movies. This has earned her money over the years.

Her role in the movie “Operational Room” showcased her talent to the world. Every producer was interested in working with her in their movies. But now, her role in movies is limited due to her age. She is 70 years old.

However, since she made a lot of money from acting, she has used the money to help and encourage upcoming actors and actresses in the industry. She is also the sole sponsor of the Barnstable Brown Derbe Eve Gala event. The party is hosted yearly. It is hosted mainly to support Charity. What a kind woman!

8. Mitch McConnell Net worth: $35 million

Mitch McConnell takes the 8th spot inarguably. He has a net worth of $35 million which is twice as much as that of Patricia Barnstable. Guess what? Mitch is a politician in Kentucky. He is a one-time senator representing the state of Kentucky in the United States.

But before Mitch became famous, he attended Kentucky University. Here he got his law degree before he actualized his dreams. At the beginning of his career, he worked as an assistant to the deputy attorney general.

In 2007, he was elected as the senator. On his arrival at the senate-house, he was appointed the minority leader. In 2015 the narrative was different, he was appointed as the majority leader. He was capable of the task and handled the office efficiently. Mitch’s life as a politician has helped him acquire fame and power. He’s a respected man all over the United States.

7. John Calipari Net worth: $45 million

John Calipari is a former player and a basketball coach who has offered his services since the 1970s. He was born on February 10, 1959. In his playing days, John made enough money from the game. After retirement, he took the coaching job in the 1990s.

He has coached more teams than you can think of at the moment. Notably, he has coached the U.S. basketball national team, the Egypt basketball national team, and the Dominican basketball national team. He has also coached many NBA teams over the years including the University of Massachusetts, the New Jersey Nets, University of Memphis. He has appeared in the finals of notable competitions across the globe.

In 2015, John was inducted into the Hall of Fame, for his contributions to Basketball. He deserves a place there and is also on this list of the 10 richest people in Kentucky. His net worth is $45 million.

6. Johnny Depp Net Worth: $200 million

Johnny Depp is an actor and he is the 6th millionaire on our list. He has a net worth of $200 million. Depp is from Owensboro and he was born on 9 June 1963. But now, he no longer resides there. He usually pays a visit once in a while doe.

Johnny got his popularity from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean. In the movie, he played the character Jack Sparrow. This movie coupled with some popular movies like Brave gave him the earnings of his lifetime.

Recently the continuation of the Pirates of the Caribbean is ongoing, set to be released in 2025. But there’s a chance that Johnny may not feature due to his unacceptance of working with the movie production company Disney. Could this be because of the divorce with his wife? Well, there’s no concrete answer as to why he has refused the role. Featuring in that movie would have earned him over $300 million, shooting him into higher ranks on our list.

5. Papa John Schnatter Net Worth: 1.1 billion

Papa John Schnatter is one of the many Billionaires in Kentucky. He was born on Nov 22 and has a net worth of $1.1 billion. He’s a businessman and owns the famous Papa John’s Pizza franchise. The business is established all over the United States but the head office is in Kentucky.

Papa John started this business as a result of trying to save his father’s failing business. He sold his car to do so and used the remaining money to open his eatery. When the money started coming, he offered  $250, 000 to buy back his car.  After getting his car, he instructed his establishment to offer free pizza to anyone who had the same model of car.

However, fast forward to 2018. Papa John was dropped as the CEO of John Pizza and replaced by Steve Richie. This was due to a controversy that occurred. Well, John still owns his rights in the company and earns from it too.

4. Brad M. Kelley Net Worth: $2.2 billion

Brad is from Bowling Green Kentucky but he does not reside there. He stays in Franklin, Tennessee. He was born in 1956 and stands fourth on our list of the 10 richest people in Kentucky.

Brad is a businessman. He founded a cigarette company in 1991. The company flourished and earned him a massive amount. At some point, he sold the company for $1 billion. After selling the company, he went ahead to venture into other businesses. He established a Calumet farm, a media company, and a technology business park.

However, all of this investment has contributed to his net worth. He is now worth $2.2 billion. His story is a captivating one.

3. Mary Gaylord MccLean Net Worth: $2.5 billion

Mary Gaylord is the second richest woman in Kentucky. She is from Kentucky but she conducts her business in Tennessee. She is a horse racing champion that has earned multiple awards. Her love for this game has given her the motivation to own a stable.

In her early days, she studied at the University of Boston. There, she bagged a degree in arts. After graduating, she got a job as a chief executive officer and president of Contemporary Signed Books. At some point in her career, she got involved in horse racing. This is where she has harvested most of her earnings. She now owns an estate in Nashville, Tennessee.

Apart from this, she has other businesses that maintained her net worth of $2.5 billion. She is a role model in Kentucky and the other parts of the United States.

2.  B. Wayne Hughes Net Worth: $4.2 billion

B. Wayne Hughes who passed away in 2021, was an American billionaire businessman in Kentucky. He was born in 1933 in Oklahoma. He was the founder and chairman of Public Storage. It is the largest self-storage company in the United States.

In early beginnings, he worked his way through the University of Southern California. There he developed an interest in real estate. After graduation, he embarked on various ventures, including selling mobile homes and running a car wash. Just then, he discovered the potential of self-storage in the early 1970s.

Hughes co-founded Public Storage. Its first opening was in El Cajon, California. He also founded American Homes 4 Rent (AH4R) in 2011. These businesses have earned him a lot of money over time and he stands 2nd on our list with a net worth of $4.2 billion

However, he also engaged in philanthropy through the Hughes Charitable Foundation. They focus on issues like education, youth development, and food security. B. Wayne Hughes’ legacy is complex. He has left behind a self-storage empire and a fortune. but more controversially, he has also left a mixed bag of opinions on his business practices and political views.

1. Tamara Hughes Gustavo Net Worth: $7.2 billion

The Hughes Gustavo family is the richest in Kentucky and his daughter Tamara is also the richest woman there. She was born in 1961. She is a businesswoman and owns about 11% shares in her father’s public storage company. Recently she took the 251 spot on Forbes richest people in America.

When she was young, she attended the same university as her father. She attended the University of Southern California. After 4 years, she bagged a degree in public affairs. Immediately, she got a job offer from her father’s company. Of course, she didn’t hesitate and she worked there for 20 years. She got different posts during her stay there and also earned a lot of Money.

Tamara had other pursuits in mind. After quitting her father’s storage company, she took the post as a board member in her father’s traveling company. She was also a board member of the Institute for Pediatric Clinical Research. Additionally, these posts coupled with some other investments have offered her billions. Tamara is the richest person in Kentucky.

Conclusion

To sum it up, we’ve explored the list of the top 10 richest people in Kentucky. Their net worth is quite impressive and some of them have made the list of the top richest people in the world. They serve as inspirations to the younger generations in Kentucky and to anyone who aspires to be like them. If you want, you can choose your role model from the list, while you work twice as hard to be successful as they did.

Recommended:

• The 10 Most Beautiful Places in Italy
• The 10 Best Places to Live in the U.S
• The 10 Richest People in Alabama
• The 10 Most Expensive Fish in the World