Robert Greenberg, founder and CEO of Skechers, built one of the world’s largest footwear companies by combining mass-market appeal with rapid trend adaptation and relentless distribution growth. After earlier success in the shoe business, Greenberg launched Skechers in 1992 and scaled it into a global brand spanning lifestyle, performance, and casual footwear sold in thousands of stores worldwide. Known for aggressive marketing, celebrity partnerships, and strong operational execution, he turned Skechers into a multibillion-dollar powerhouse competing directly with the biggest names in athletic and casual footwear.

Robert Duggan, biotech entrepreneur and investor, built his fortune by identifying overlooked medical assets and scaling them into blockbuster businesses. He is best known for leading Pharmacyclics as CEO and majority owner, turning the company into a major oncology success through the development of Imbruvica, before selling it to AbbVie in a multibillion-dollar deal. Known for bold conviction, aggressive capital deployment, and a willingness to bet heavily on scientific outcomes, Duggan has become one of the most successful dealmakers in modern biotechnology.

Robert Bass, Texas billionaire investor and member of the legendary Bass family, built a reputation as one of the most influential private capital allocators in American business. Rising to prominence in the 1980s through high-profile investments and corporate deals, Bass developed a diversified portfolio spanning energy, finance, real estate, and private equity. Known for strategic patience and a preference for quiet influence over public visibility, he has remained a major force in long-term investing and philanthropic support for education, arts, and conservation.

Rick Hendrick, founder and chairman of Hendrick Automotive Group, built the largest privately held automotive dealership group in the United States through scale, discipline, and an intense focus on customer experience. Starting with a single dealership in North Carolina in the 1970s, Hendrick expanded into a nationwide network selling millions of vehicles annually across major brands. He is also a dominant figure in motorsports as owner of Hendrick Motorsports, one of NASCAR’s most successful teams, with multiple championships and a roster of elite drivers. Hendrick’s influence spans both retail automotive operations and the business of American racing.

Elizabeth Uihlein, president of Uline, helped build one of America’s largest privately held business suppliers by scaling a customer-service-driven distribution model for packaging and shipping materials. Working alongside her husband Richard, she co-built Uline from a small family venture into a national logistics powerhouse known for fast delivery, operational discipline, and a vast product catalog serving businesses across the United States. Known for hands-on leadership and a direct management style, Uihlein has been central to Uline’s execution culture, brand consistency, and long-term private ownership success.

Richard Uihlein, founder and CEO of Uline, built one of America’s largest privately held business suppliers by turning packaging and shipping materials into a high-volume, service-driven empire. Starting the company in 1980 with his wife Elizabeth, Uihlein scaled Uline through catalog and e-commerce distribution, relentless logistics efficiency, and a reputation for fast delivery across the United States. Known for conservative management, strict operational discipline, and privately owned growth, he has expanded Uline into a dominant force in B2B supply chains while maintaining a low public profile outside business and philanthropy.

Richard Rogers, cofounder and chairman emeritus of Mary Kay Inc., helped build and steward one of the world’s most successful direct-selling beauty companies into a global powerhouse. Working closely with founder Mary Kay Ash, Rogers played a defining role in scaling operations, strengthening the company’s entrepreneurial culture, and expanding internationally while preserving Mary Kay’s brand identity and values-led model. Known for long-term discipline and quiet operational leadership, he remains closely associated with the company’s decades of growth and enduring influence in global cosmetics and skincare.

Richard LeFrak, chairman and CEO of LeFrak Organization, leads one of America’s most enduring real estate dynasties, overseeing a vast portfolio of residential, commercial, and mixed-use assets. Building on the legacy of his father Samuel LeFrak, he expanded the family’s holdings across New York, New Jersey, and Florida, including landmark developments such as Newport in Jersey City. Known for long-term ownership, disciplined capital deployment, and large-scale urban development, LeFrak has shaped major waterfront and city-center projects while maintaining the firm as a privately held powerhouse.

Richard Kurtz, founder and chairman of Kamson Corporation, built a major privately held real estate company specializing in multifamily and mixed-use properties across the Northeastern United States. Starting with a focus on apartment ownership and management, Kurtz grew Kamson through disciplined acquisitions, property repositioning, and long-term operational control, creating a large portfolio spanning residential communities and commercial assets. Known for quiet execution and a patient, cash-flow-driven strategy, he has maintained Kamson as a durable family-led platform through multiple real estate cycles.

Richard Kinder, cofounder and executive chairman of Kinder Morgan, built one of the largest energy infrastructure companies in North America by focusing on pipelines, terminals, and cash-flow durability at massive scale. A former Enron executive, Kinder launched Kinder Morgan in 1997 and expanded it through acquisitions and disciplined asset management, creating a dominant network transporting natural gas, refined products, and CO₂ across the United States. Known for financial focus and shareholder orientation, he helped pioneer the modern midstream business model and remains one of the most influential figures in U.S. energy logistics.

Richard Kayne, cofounder and CEO of Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, built one of the leading U.S. alternative investment firms focused on real assets, with deep expertise in energy infrastructure, real estate, and credit. Since founding Kayne Anderson in 1984, Kayne has guided the firm through multiple market cycles by emphasizing asset-backed investing, disciplined underwriting, and long-term partnerships with operators. Under his leadership, the platform expanded across private equity, direct lending, and public market strategies tied to essential infrastructure. Kayne’s career reflects a long-horizon approach to capital deployment in sectors where durability and cash flow matter most.

Richard Hayne, cofounder and CEO of Urban Outfitters, built one of America’s most distinctive retail empires by blending fashion, lifestyle branding, and cultural intuition. Since launching the original Urban Outfitters store in 1970, Hayne expanded the company into a portfolio of powerful brands—including Anthropologie and Free People—known for strong identity, merchandising creativity, and loyal customer communities. Under his long-term leadership, the business evolved from a single campus store into a multibillion-dollar public company with global reach. Hayne is recognized for hands-on control, contrarian instincts, and an ability to anticipate shifting consumer tastes.

Ray Davis, cofounder of Energy Transfer Partners, built a multibillion-dollar fortune in U.S. midstream energy by expanding pipeline and logistics infrastructure across natural gas and liquids. Working alongside Kelcy Warren, he helped scale Energy Transfer into one of the nation’s largest energy networks through aggressive acquisitions and large-scale development. Beyond energy, Davis is the majority owner of Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers, playing a central role in turning the franchise into a modern sports business and ultimately overseeing its rise to a World Series championship. Known for a low public profile and long-term mindset, he remains a powerful figure in both energy and sports ownership.

Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, built the world’s largest hedge fund by combining radical transparency, systematic decision-making, and macroeconomic insight. Starting Bridgewater in 1975 from a small apartment, Dalio developed a research-driven approach to global markets that made the firm a dominant force in institutional investing. Known for pioneering “risk parity,” shaping corporate culture through principles-based management, and sharing frameworks for decision-making, Dalio became one of the most influential thinkers in modern finance. Beyond investing, he is a major philanthropist and an active voice on global economic and geopolitical trends.

Phillip Ragon, founder and CEO of InterSystems, built one of the most influential private software companies in the world by focusing on high-performance data platforms for healthcare, finance, and government systems. Since founding InterSystems in 1978, Ragon has guided the company’s development of mission-critical database and interoperability technologies used by hospitals, banks, and national infrastructures globally. Known for remaining fiercely private, profitable, and independent, he has prioritized long-term engineering excellence over short-term growth. Ragon is also a major philanthropist, supporting global health, education, and human rights initiatives.

Philip Milstein, founder and CEO of Ogden CAP Properties, built a major New York–based real estate investment platform focused on value-oriented acquisitions across office, residential, and mixed-use properties. After early experience in property development and asset management, Milstein expanded Ogden CAP by targeting complex, underperforming assets and repositioning them through active management and long-term capital discipline. Known for a hands-on approach and deep market knowledge, he has assembled a sizable portfolio while maintaining a low public profile. Milstein’s career reflects patient investing and contrarian thinking within urban real estate markets.

Peter Kellogg, cofounder and CEO of Kellogg Capital Group, is a veteran hedge fund manager known for navigating global markets with a disciplined, risk-aware trading approach. After an early career in derivatives and proprietary trading, Kellogg built his firm around multi-asset strategies spanning equities, credit, commodities, and macro opportunities. Operating with a low public profile, he has maintained longevity in an industry defined by volatility, earning respect for adaptability across market cycles and a focus on capital preservation alongside returns.

Paul Singer, founder and CEO of Elliott Investment Management, is one of the most influential activist investors in the world, known for combining deep legal expertise with relentless capital discipline. Since launching Elliott in 1977, Singer has built a multibillion-dollar firm that targets complex situations across public equities, debt, and sovereign restructurings, often pushing for governance reform and value realization. His campaigns have reshaped outcomes at major corporations and governments alike, cementing Elliott’s reputation for rigor, persistence, and results. Beyond investing, Singer is a prominent political donor and philanthropist focused on free markets, democracy, and human rights.

Paul Merage, cofounder of Chef America Inc., built one of the most iconic consumer food brands in the U.S. by transforming a simple frozen snack into a mass-market staple. Alongside his brother David, Merage created Hot Pockets in the 1980s, pioneering the handheld frozen-meal category and scaling distribution nationwide through grocery and convenience channels. The success of Chef America culminated in its multibillion-dollar sale to Nestlé, marking one of the most successful exits in packaged foods. Since then, Merage has focused on private investing, real estate, and philanthropy, particularly in education and community development.

Paul Fireman, founder and longtime CEO of Reebok International, built one of the most recognizable athletic footwear and apparel brands by fusing performance design with global marketing. After acquiring the fledgling company in the late 1970s, Fireman drove Reebok’s explosive growth in the 1980s through aerobics, celebrity endorsements, and international expansion, turning it into a dominant force in sportswear. He later sold Reebok to Adidas in a multibillion-dollar deal and went on to invest in real estate, hospitality, and philanthropy, extending his influence beyond consumer brands.