CARY – Jim Goodnight of SAS and Tim Sweeney of Epic Games keep creating headlines about just how rich they are – and which of the two Cary billionaires is the richest person in North Carolina. Right now it’s Sweeney – but not by much.

Maybe Hollywood should consider a reality show about this battle of empires and fortunes between the two tech titans.

Sweeney’s personal fortune has risen to $7.6 billion according to the latest Forbes 400 list.

That’s good enough to edge out Goodnight whose net worth is calculated to be $7.5 billion, says Forbes.

However, the values are much higher and the difference substantial in the latest Bloomberg Billionaires report.

  • Sweeney’s net worth is $9.5 billion, says Bloomberg.
  • Goodnight’s fortune tallies at $8.25 billion.

Both lists have different means of calculating net worth. Sweeney and Goodnight are very private about their fortunes, and neither company will discuss the topic. But the data the sources provide makes for good reading – and speculation.

Sweeney first moved past Goodnight in  the Forbes report from April 2021.

But the economy has not been kind to the SAS CEO over the past year.

Who’s richest in NC? Jim Goodnight – but Epic’s Tim Sweeney creeps closer

Goodnight fortune dips

Goodnight was worth $8.8 billion, up from $6.5 billion, in last October’s list. He’s now a bit poorer – if that’s the right word.

Sweeney, however, has grown his fortune by $200 million over the past year.

The majority owner of Epic Games (and its founder) saw his holdings increase after raising money from LEGO and others to help fund creation of metaverse-focused tools and entertainment.

Goodnight’s SAS did report recently it was profitable again in 2021. (The company has never reported a loss since its founding in 1976.) He’s also planning to take the company public.

John Sall, the co-founder of SAS, is the third richest North Carolinian at $3.7 billion.

In terms of ranking among the 400:

  • Sweeney ranks 99th
  • Goodnight stands 104th
  • Sall is 303rd

For more details, read the full report at: https://www.forbes.com/forbes-400/

Report: Epic Games CEO now North Carolina’s richest person, passing Jim Goodnight