Now, according to Forbes, he also knows how it feels to lose it.
For the first time since 2005 Pickens has fallen off the 'Forbes 400: Definitive Ranking of the Richest Americans.' He's graces the list with 33 other individuals including, 5-Hour Energy drink creator Manoj Bhargava and Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder.
This isn't to say that Pickens is poor. Though he told MSNBC he "lost his ass" in the wind energy business, Forbes estimates that Pickens is still worth $950 million.
The 84 year-old Oklahoma native made his fortune acquiring energy companies throughout the 1980s, eventually forming his hedge fund, BP Capital Fund in 1997. Most recently he's been a vocal advocate for American energy Independence.