Howard was a billionaire. But not the first.
John D. Rockefeller was.
Rockefeller made his billions in oil as did J Paul Getty and HL Hunt. Hunt was the inspiration for JR Ewing of “Dallas”.
Hunt lived in my hometown when he was starting in the oil business. My mother was a nurse and was hired to care for him when he was sick. She said he was the meanest bastard she ever met.