When you think of the wealthiest people on the planet, your mind probably goes straight to glass skyscrapers in Manhattan or high-tech campuses in Silicon Valley. You think of sleek private jets and designer suits. But if you want to find the man who holds the title of the richest person in Iowa, you’ll need to drive about 25 miles west of Des Moines to the small town of Adel.
There, you won't find a sprawling estate with a gated entrance. Instead, you'll find Harry Stine. He’s a man who still drives himself to work in a Ford F-150 and lives in a modest home just down the road from his office.
Honestly, he looks like any other retired farmer you'd bump into at a local diner. But don't let the unassuming exterior fool you. As of early 2026, Harry Stine’s net worth is estimated at roughly $10.2 billion. That isn't just "Iowa rich." That’s global-scale wealth, placing him consistently on the Forbes 400 list and making him a massive player in the world’s food supply.
The Man Behind the $10 Billion Fortune
Harry Stine is the founder of Stine Seed, the largest independent seed company in the United States. While names like Monsanto (now Bayer) and Syngenta dominate the headlines, Stine is the guy they often have to pay for the right to use specific plant genetics.
He didn't get here by accident.
Growing up on a farm in Dallas County, Stine was driving a tractor by the time he was five years old. He wasn't just doing chores; he was observing. He became fascinated by the tiny variations in soybean plants—why some grew taller or yielded more pods than others.
💡 You might also like: Replacement Walk In Cooler Doors: What Most People Get Wrong About Efficiency
You’ve got to understand that back then, most farmers just saved their seeds from year to year. Stine saw a different path. He realized that the real value wasn't just in the physical crop, but in the intellectual property inside the seed.
A Different Kind of Mind
One of the most interesting things about Harry Stine is how he processes information. He is open about being dyslexic and mildly autistic. In interviews, he’s mentioned that these traits actually give him an edge in math and data. He sees patterns in seed genetics that other researchers miss.
He’s a "data wiz" in every sense of the word. While others were focusing on the traditional ways of breeding plants, Stine was obsessively cataloging yields and performance metrics. In the 1990s, he made a move that changed everything: he began patenting soybean genetics.
How the Money Actually Flows
A lot of people think Stine makes his billions just by selling bags of seed to farmers. That’s only part of the story. The real "engine" of his wealth is licensing.
Basically, Stine Seed owns the rights to some of the most productive soybean and corn genetics in the world. When the massive multinational giants want to sell a seed with a specific high-yield trait, they often have to pay Harry Stine a royalty. It’s sort of like a songwriter getting paid every time their song plays on the radio.
📖 Related: Share Market Today Closed: Why the Benchmarks Slipped and What You Should Do Now
- Soybean Dominance: It’s estimated that roughly 60% of all soybean acreage in the U.S. contains genetics developed by Stine's company.
- Corn Innovation: He’s currently obsessed with "high-density" corn—breeding plants that can be crowded closer together to explode the yield per acre.
- Land Ownership: Beyond the business, he is also Iowa's largest private landowner, holding somewhere around 15,000 acres of prime farmland.
Why Dennis Albaugh is Often Mentioned
You can't talk about Iowa's wealthiest without mentioning Dennis Albaugh. For a long time, Iowa was a "one-billionaire state," with Stine standing alone. However, Albaugh, the founder of Albaugh LLC (which deals in crop protection chemicals), has also hit billionaire status, with a net worth hovering around $1.5 billion.
It’s a different kind of wealth. Albaugh is known for his massive collection of Chevrolet Corvettes—one of the largest in the world—and his private golf course. While Stine is the undisputed king of the hill, Albaugh represents the other side of Iowa’s agricultural success: the chemical and logistics side.
The Reality of Living in Adel
If you expect to see a security detail when Stine walks into a room, you'll be disappointed. He’s known for being a formidable negotiator—multinational CEOs have reportedly been intimidated by this "quiet farmer" in a polo shirt—but he remains deeply rooted in his community.
He spends his free time hunting morel mushrooms and playing competitive table tennis.
It’s a weird juxtaposition. He’s a guy who could buy a fleet of private jets, yet he’s more concerned with whether a specific hybrid of corn can handle a 20-inch row spacing. That focus is exactly why he stays at the top. He hasn't "retired" to a beach in Florida because the data is still too interesting to him.
👉 See also: Where Did Dow Close Today: Why the Market is Stalling Near 50,000
What This Means for Iowa's Economy
Having a multi-billionaire headquartered in a town of 6,000 people has a ripple effect. Stine has donated millions to Iowa institutions:
- McPherson College: His alma mater has been a major recipient.
- Drake University: Significant contributions to their programs.
- Local Infrastructure: Support for nursing facilities like Spurgeon Manor in Adel.
But more than the charity, it's the jobs. Stine Seed is a global operation run from a rural outpost. It proves that in the modern economy, you don't need to be in a "hub" to dominate an industry if you own the intellectual property.
Actionable Insights for the Curious
If you’re looking at Harry Stine’s story and wondering what the "takeaway" is, it’s not just "start a seed company." That ship has probably sailed unless you have a PhD in plant genetics and forty years to spare.
Instead, look at the licensing model. Stine realized early on that owning the "recipe" (the genetics) was more profitable and scalable than just selling the "cookie" (the physical seed). Whether you're in tech, art, or business, the most durable wealth usually comes from intellectual property that others have to pay to use.
If you want to keep tabs on how Iowa’s wealth landscape is shifting, watch the commodity prices and the mergers in the "AgTech" sector. As long as the world needs to eat, the person who owns the most efficient way to grow food will remain the richest person in Iowa.
Next Steps to Understand Iowa's Wealth:
- Check the latest Forbes Real-Time Billionaires list to see how market fluctuations affect Stine's standing compared to tech giants.
- Look into the Stine Seed Company website to see their latest research on "high-density" corn planting, which is the current driver of their valuation.
- Research the Iowa Land Value Survey if you want to understand why his 15,000 acres of land are considered some of the most valuable assets in the Midwest.