A few weeks ago, I found myself in a Las Cruces diner, squinting at the remnants of a green chile cheeseburger. A guy at the next table—boots, bolo tie, the whole deal—was loudly settling a bar bet. “It’s the Stanton guy,” he declared, slapping a twenty on the table. “The one who owns the whole damn medical center. He’s richer than God.” It got me curious. Who really holds the crown in El Paso, Texas—a city that feels more like a sprawling, dusty family reunion than a billionaire’s playground?
The Usual Suspects vs. The Quiet Money
You might think the richest person in El Paso is a flashy oil tycoon or a real estate shark with a private jet. Nope. El Paso’s wealth is old, quiet, and deeply tied to the border economy. Paul Foster usually floats to the top of these lists. He’s the founder of Western Refining—yes, the oil guy—but he sold that empire for a cool $1.7 billion to Marathon Petroleum back in 2017. That’s a lot of tacos.
But hold up. Is Foster actually the richest? Forbes and local business journals peg his net worth around $3.5 billion. That puts him in the global “not bad” category. Yet, El Paso has other contenders who play much closer to the vest. Woody and Gayle Hunt, for example, own the Hunt Family Foundation and a massive real estate portfolio, including the Plaza Hotel. Their wealth is harder to track—think “generational European castle money” versus “look-at-my-new-cybertruck money.”
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Why This City Isn’t Beverly Hills
Here’s the twist: El Paso’s richest people dress down. You won’t spot them at a fancy gala named after themselves. Paul Foster himself drives a Ford F-150, and he famously funded the city’s massive baseball stadium (Southwest University Park) without demanding it be named “Foster Field.” That’s a level of chill that should be studied.
Then there’s John C. “Jack” R. Thompson, the heir to the Thompson family banking fortune. His family’s bank, Texas Capital Bank, has deep roots here. But Jack? He’s likely sipping coffee at a dive on Mesa Street right now, arguing about UTEP football. That’s El Paso rich—money that doesn’t need a billboard.
Forbes richest people 2025: Paul Foster moves up on billionaires' list
The Border Billionaire Curveball
But wait—let’s not ignore the grey area. A huge chunk of El Paso’s private wealth flows through border trade. Some of the richest folks are binational players who split their time between Juárez and El Paso. Carlos Slim, the Mexican telecom titan? He’s technically not from here, but his family owns massive real estate across the border. Does that count? Legally, no. But culturally? El Paso’s wealth is a two-nation tango.
Here’s the real kicker: The official richest person in El Paso (according to Forbes’ last deep dive) is Paul Foster. But a scrappy entrepreneur named Robert “Bob” J. Smith (founder of the auto parts giant, Chaparral) might actually beat him if you count private holdings. Bob doesn’t do interviews. That’s how you know he’s loaded.
So, Who Wins the Crown? (Drumroll, Please)
If we’re playing by the Forbes rulebook, Paul Foster is the kingpin with about $3.5 billion. He’s also the most visible: his name is on the medical school (Foster School of Medicine) and the baseball stadium. But is he the richest? Locals will whisper about the Wohlfahrt family (they own the massive DCW Group industrial company) or the Jobe family of the El Paso Electric fortune. It’s a secretive game of Monopoly.
Forbes richest people 2025: Paul Foster moves up on billionaires' list
Personally, I think the richest person is the guy who built a taco empire on Alameda Avenue and paid cash for his house in Kern Place. That guy doesn’t have a Wikipedia page. He has a 401(k) held together by faith and chili powder. But that’s just poetic license.
The Bottom Line (And a Little Irony)
El Paso doesn’t flaunt its wealth like Dallas or Houston. The richest person here is probably someone you’ve passed at a Whataburger on I-10. Paul Foster wins the technical title, but the city’s soul belongs to the quiet money—the ranchers, the border traders, the folks who remember when a million dollars was a lot. So next time you see a dusty pickup truck at a stoplight, smile and wave. You might be flipping off a billionaire.
P.S. If you’re reading this, Paul, next round is on you. I’ll have a green chile cheeseburger.