James Goodnight, North Carolina
Goodnight's $9.1 billion net worth is due to the software industry. He co-founded SAS, an analytics and software firm, in 1976. Its products are used by more than 83,000 organizations and it generates over $3.2 billion in annual revenue.
Gary Tharaldson, North Dakota
Tharaldson's $1 billion net worth is due to his stake in the hotel industry. He is North Dakota's first billionaire, and he sold his first hotel portfolio in 2006 for $1.2 billion. He now runs over 40 hotels in 14 states.