How the rich got rich in comic books

Forbes  just released its list of billionaires, and that makes me wonder about billionaires (and, millionaires too) in superhero comics.
Who are they?
How’d they get rich?

  • R.J. Brande (“Legion of Superheroes”) — Star production
  • Michael Jon Carter (Booster Gold) — Married into money
  • John Clayton (Tarzan) — Inheritance, mining, precious metal & gem reserve, land
  • Steve Dayton (Mento) — Inherited, psychology, inventions
  • Sandman (Wesley Dodds) — Unknown
  • Morgan Edge(“Jimmy Olsen,” “Superman”) — Gambling, media
  • Wilson Fisk (Kingpin) — Importer, Crime
  • Ben Grimm (The Thing) — Partner to Reed Richards, celebrity
  • Carter Hall (Hawkman) — Unknown, but continued lifestyle with archaeology work
  • Michael Holt (Mr. Terrific II) — Inventions, Medicine
  • Loren Jupiter (“Teen Titans”) — Business savvy
  • Ted Knight (Starman) — Unknown
  • Ted Kord (Blue Beetle II) — Industrial research & development
  • Lex Luthor (“Superman”) — Business savvy, crime
  • Scrooge McDuck (Uncle Scrooge) — Business savvy
  • Namor (Sub-Mariner) — Royalty,  salvage operations
  • Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) — Unknown (1st time), Inheritance (2nd)
  • Britt Reid (The Green Hornet) — Inheritance
  • John Reid (The Lone Ranger) — Silver mine
  • Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) — Inventor
  • Kyle Richmond (Nighthawk) — Unknown
  • Ruby Ryder (“The Brave & The Bold”) — Unknown
  • Silver Sable (Silver Sable) — Security services
  • Clark Savage Jr. (Doc Savage) — Gold reserve
  • Alan Scott (Green Lantern) — Media
  • Thaddeus Sivana (“Power of Shazam!”) — Inventions, business savvy
  • Terry Sloan (Mr. Terrific) — Financier
    Marc Spector (Moon Knight) — Mercenary work, stock market
  • Simon Stagg (Metamorpho foe) — Inventions, business savvy, crime
  • Tony Stark (Iron Man) — Inheritance, Munitions
  • Johnny Storm (Human Torch) — Inheritance, partner to Reed Richards, celebrity
  • Susan Storm (Invisible girl) — Inheritance, wife of Reed Richards
  • Andrea & Andreas Strucker (Fenris) — Inheritance
  • T’Challa (Black Panther) — Royalty, mining, techology
  • Dwayne Michael Turner (Night Thrasher) — Inheritance, charitable foundation director
  • Rex Tyler (Hourman) — Chemical production company
  • Janet Van Dyne (Wasp) — Inheritiance, Celebrity
  • Victor Von Doom (Dr. Doom) — Conquest, royalty, technology
  • Kit Walker (The Phantom) — Secret fund
  • Bruce Wayne (Batman) — Inheritance, technology research
  • Wally West (Flash III) — Lottery winner. Has since lost his fortune.
  • Warren Worthington III (Angel) — Inheritance. And is he still rich?
  • Charles Xavier (Professor X) — Inheritance, educator, activist, inventions.

I know the list is much, much longer. Who can you add? Who can you update? How would you rank them, from richest to not-so-richest?

Over at CaptainComics.US, we’ve been talking about this subject on this thread.

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