Johnny Morris climbs the ranks on Forbes 400

Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris ranked No. 181 on the 39th annual Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest Americans.

With an estimated net worth of $4.1 billion, the 72-year-old moved up 26 spots from last year. On the 2019 list, Forbes estimated Morris' net worth at $3.8 billion. His peak estimated net worth of $5.7 billion was set on the 2018 Forbes 400, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting.

This year's Forbes 400 estimates Bass Pro's sales at $6.5 billion. Morris nearly doubled the size of his company when Bass Pro purchased Cabela's in 2017 for $5 billion. Additionally, Morris' Forbes profile indicates White River Marine Group, another of his companies, is the world's largest boat manufacturer by volume.

Morris ranked second among six Missourians on the 2020 Forbes 400. They are:
• No. 137 Pauline MacMillan Keinath, Cargill, $4.9 billion;
• No. 181 Morris, Bass Pro, $4.1 billion;
• No. 213 David Steward, World Wide Technology, $3.7 billion;
• No. 222 Rodger Riney and family, Scottrade/TD Ameritrade, $3.6 billion;
• No. 359 Jim Kavanaugh, World Wide Technology, $2.3 billion; and
• No. 378 Jim McKelvey, Square, $2.2 billion.

Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN), again ranked No. 1 on the Forbes 400, with an estimated net worth of $179 billion.