Tuesday, Jul 21, 2026

Fact brief: Was Denny Sanford South Dakota’s only billionaire?

yes

T. Denny Sanford was South Dakota’s only billionaire. The philanthropist and businessman died July 18 at 90 and was South Dakota’s richest person.

Sanford’s first major donation was $16 million in 2004 to what is now known as Sanford Children’s Castle of Care in Sioux Falls, according to a press release. Sanford Health was named after the businessman after he made a $400 million donation to the health system formerly known as Sioux Valley Hospitals and Health System in 2007. Sanford donated nearly $2 billion to Sanford Health, the release said.

The health system estimated Sanford donated over $4 billion over his lifetime to education, furthering research on cancer, community health, hospice and veteran care and more.

Forbes currently reports his net worth at $2.4 billion. In 2022, Forbes estimated his net worth at $3.4 billion.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Forbes World's Billionaires List
World Population Review Most Billionaires by State 2026
South Dakota Public Broadcasting South Dakota billionaire, philanthropist T. Denny Sanford dies at age 90
Sanford Health Denny Sanford leaves legacy in healthcare and beyond

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Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by newsrooms in the Gigafact network.

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Fact brief: Was Denny Sanford South Dakota’s only billionaire?

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