Susan Alfond

Susan Alfond is an American billionaire and the daughter of Harold Alfond, founder of the Dexter Shoe Company; she and her siblings inherited the family fortune built on the shoe company, which is held mainly in Berkshire Hathaway Berkshire HathawayBerkshire Hathaway Inc. is a multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, United States (NYSE: BRK.A/BRK.B), with businesses spanning insurance, railroads, energy, manufacturing, and retail. Warren Buffett took control of the company in 1965 and ran it until 2025, and Greg Abel succeeded him as CEO at the start of 2026. The company long held stakes in several U.S. banks, including M&T (1991–2020), Bank of America, and Wells Fargo, which it successively reduced or exited between 2020 and 2024.Open the full entry shares. Forbes ForbesForbes is an American business media brand that began with Forbes magazine, founded by B.C. Forbes in 1917. It is known for rankings such as the Forbes 400, the World’s Billionaires list and 30 Under 30, and operates Forbes.com, ForbesLive events and licensed editions in 81 countries. Since 2014 a majority stake has been held by the Hong Kong investment group Integrated Whale Media; a 2021 plan to list on the New York Stock Exchange through a special purpose acquisition company was terminated in 2022. It is headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey.Open the full entry included her on its 2026 list of the richest person in every state (Maine).

Contents9 sections

Key facts

Background: Family

Susan Alfond is a daughter of Harold Alfond and has three siblings; her brothers Bill and Ted Alfond grew up with her in Maine, and her youngest sibling was Peter Alfond.⁠[1][2]

1958Her Father Founds Dexter Shoe

Susan Alfond’s father, Harold Alfond, bought a vacant woolen mill in Dexter, Maine, for $10,000 in 1958 and founded the Dexter Shoe Company there; that year his nephew Peter Lunder joined him, and the two built the business together.⁠[3][4]

November 1993Dexter Shoe Joins Berkshire Hathaway

On November 7, 1993, Dexter Shoe merged into Warren Buffett Warren BuffettWarren Buffett is an American investor who took control of Berkshire Hathaway in 1965 and served as its chairman and chief executive from 1970; he handed the chief executive role to Greg Abel on January 1, 2026 and became chairman emeritus, while remaining a director, on September 18, 2026.Open the full entry’s Berkshire Hathaway, which issued 25,203 of its shares in the acquisition; Harold Alfond and Peter Lunder exchanged their Dexter stock for Berkshire Hathaway shares.⁠[4]

2007Death of Harold Alfond

Harold Alfond died in 2007, having committed nearly all of his wealth to the Harold Alfond Foundation. Susan Alfond and her three siblings inherited a fortune created by their father.⁠[3][1]

July 2017Death of Peter Alfond

In July 2017 Peter Alfond died at age 65. He had been a senior executive at Dexter Shoe and president of PanAm Shoe, and founded the Peter Alfond Foundation in 1994.⁠[5][1]

October 2024Forbes 400

In 2024 Susan Alfond ranked No. 388 on the Forbes 400 list of the richest Americans, with personal wealth estimated at $3.4 billion, the same as each of her surviving brothers, Bill and Ted Alfond; the Alfonds’ wealth derives from ownership of Berkshire Hathaway shares.⁠[2]

September 2026Forbes Wealth Estimate

As of September 17, 2026, Forbes estimated Susan Alfond’s net worth at $3.6 billion, giving her residence as Scarborough, Maine.⁠[1]

Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts

Harold Alfond Foundation: Official website: https://www.haroldalfondfoundation.org/ (opens in a new window).⁠[3]