The Richest People In America: Harold Hamm

#42 Harold Hamm

$7.0 billion
Source: Continental Resources (nyse: CLR - news - people )

Prince of petroleum is $3.8 billion richer this year; shares of his publicly traded Continental Resources up 125% since last September. Youngest of 13 children grew up poor; parents picked cotton, raised entire family in one-bedroom Oklahoma house. First job: gas station attendant. Founded Harold Hamm Tank Truck Service 1966; firm became one of the largest oilfield fluid transporters in U.S. Started oil and gas exploration, production outfit Continental 1967; public last May. Drilling the Bakken Shale in North Dakota; company is the region's biggest leaseholder with 500,000 acres. Partner in gas processing firms Hiland Partners (nasdaq: HLND - news - people ) and Hiland Holdings. This year founded the Ames Astrobleme Museum, named after the crater in Oklahoma where he found a cache of high-quality oil created in part by destruction from a meteor strike 450 million years ago.

Complete List The Richest People In America

Related Posts by Category