KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) A Keene businessman has once again earned a spot among the world’s wealthiest individuals.

Rick Cohen, owner and executive chairman of Keene-based C&S Wholesale Grocers, has been named to Forbes’ 39th annual World’s Billionaires list, securing his position as New Hampshire’s richest resident.

Cohen’s net worth is estimated at $12 billion (up $504 million, or 4.55 percent from 2024), placing him 199th among the individuals featured on the prestigious list.

While C&S Wholesale Grocers—the largest grocery wholesaler in the U.S.—has been a pillar of Cohen’s financial success, much of his fortune is tied to Symbotic, an automation company revolutionizing warehouse logistics, according to the Forbes story about the list. Cohen founded Symbotic to address distribution challenges within his family’s business, developing cutting-edge robotics to streamline supply chain operations. The company went public in 2022 through a $5.5 billion SPAC deal with venture capital powerhouse SoftBank.

Today, Cohen serves as chairman and CEO of Symbotic, which boasts an order backlog of $23 billion and a strategic partnership with Walmart to automate its 42 regional distribution centers.

A third-generation leader in the grocery industry, Cohen has continued to expand his influence beyond the aisles of traditional food distribution. Under his guidance, C&S Wholesale Grocers has grown into the eighth-largest private company in the country, generating approximately $35 billion in annual revenue.

Reflecting on his business acumen, Cohen was quoted in the story as saying (attributed to “Rick Cohen and family”) “When I’m walking the warehouse, I see the motion, but I also see what should have happened two minutes ago and why it didn’t happen. It would be better if I had the gift to solve world peace. But I have the gift of organizing and sequencing work in a particular time and making it happen.”

At 72, Cohen remains deeply involved in his ventures while residing in Keene with his family. A graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, he has built a legacy not only as a grocery mogul but also as a trailblazer in warehouse automation.

Globally, the world’s richest man remains Elon Musk, with an estimated net worth of $342 billion.