Israel Englander, billionaire hedge fund manager, is the founder and CEO of Millennium Management, one of the world’s largest and most successful multi-strategy hedge funds. Launching the firm in 1989 with $35 million, he has grown Millennium into a powerhouse managing more than $50 billion in assets, employing a decentralized model with hundreds of portfolio managers. Known for his risk management discipline and ability to adapt to shifting markets, Englander has built a reputation as one of the most influential figures in modern hedge fund investing.

Igor Olenicoff, billionaire real estate developer, is the founder and owner of Olen Properties, a privately held company with a vast portfolio of commercial and residential properties across the United States. Based in Newport Beach, California, Olen Properties controls tens of millions of square feet of office space and thousands of rental units, with a strong presence in California and Florida. Known for his aggressive growth and hands-on management style, Olenicoff has built one of the nation’s largest private real estate empires while maintaining a low public profile.

Howard Marks, cofounder and co-chairman of Oaktree Capital Management, is one of the most respected investors in distressed debt and value investing. Known for his widely read investment memos, Marks has built a reputation for clear thinking on risk, cycles, and market psychology. Since founding Oaktree in 1995, he has helped grow it into a global alternative asset manager with more than $150 billion under management. Revered by peers like Warren Buffett, Marks combines investment mastery with thought leadership, making him a guiding voice for both professionals and individual investors.

Herbert Allen Jr., billionaire investment banker, is the former president and CEO of Allen & Company, the storied family-run boutique bank known for advising on some of Wall Street’s most significant media and technology deals. During his tenure, he helped solidify the firm’s reputation as a discreet but powerful player in mergers and acquisitions, particularly in entertainment, sports, and digital industries. Allen is also widely recognized for launching the annual Sun Valley Conference, an exclusive gathering of global business leaders, tech titans, and media moguls that has become a hallmark of elite dealmaking.

Herb Chambers, self-made billionaire and founder of The Herb Chambers Companies, built one of the largest and most successful auto dealership groups in the United States. Starting with a single Cadillac store in 1985, he expanded into a network of more than 30 dealerships across New England, representing top luxury and premium brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Rolls-Royce. Known for his relentless focus on customer service and sales innovation, Chambers turned a struggling dealership into a multibillion-dollar enterprise, cementing his reputation as one of America’s top automotive entrepreneurs.

Henry Kravis, cofounder and co-executive chairman of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR), is a pioneer of the leveraged buyout industry and one of private equity’s most influential figures. Alongside Jerome Kohlberg and George Roberts, he helped establish KKR in 1976, building it into a global investment powerhouse managing hundreds of billions in assets. Kravis became a Wall Street icon through landmark deals such as the record-setting acquisition of RJR Nabisco, chronicled in Barbarians at the Gate. Known for his dealmaking acumen and philanthropic contributions, he has shaped both modern finance and charitable giving.

Raghuvinder Kataria, London-based Indian billionaire investor, built his fortune through strategic telecom and financial investments. After beginning his career in Dubai with Singer sewing machines, he moved into stockbroking and later co-founded investment firm Kataria Holdings. His most notable success came from an early stake in Bharti Airtel, India’s largest mobile operator, which generated substantial returns. Known for his low profile and long-term investment outlook, Kataria has diversified his wealth across real estate, equities, and private companies, cementing his position among Britain’s wealthiest residents of Indian origin.

Harry Stine, founder of Stine Seed Company, is America’s richest farmer and a pioneer in agricultural genetics. Starting from his family farm in Iowa, he built a multibillion-dollar seed empire by licensing advanced soybean and corn genetics to major agribusinesses like Monsanto, Syngenta, and Corteva. Known for his relentless focus on research and intellectual property, Stine has played a central role in shaping modern farming practices, while maintaining a low-profile lifestyle that contrasts with his outsized influence on global agriculture.

Glen A. Taylor, Minnesota billionaire businessman, built his fortune through Taylor Corporation, one of the largest privately held printing and marketing companies in the U.S. Starting as an employee, he bought the company in 1975 and expanded it into a diversified enterprise spanning printing, communications, and technology solutions. Beyond business, Taylor is well known as owner of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx, as well as a former state senator. His career blends entrepreneurship, sports ownership, and community engagement, making him a prominent figure in both business and civic life.

Gerald J. Ford, Texas billionaire banker and investor, built his fortune by acquiring, restructuring, and selling struggling financial institutions. Starting in the 1970s, he earned a reputation as a savvy dealmaker, most notably with the turnaround and sale of First United Bankshares and Golden State Bancorp. Through his private equity firm Hilltop Holdings, Ford has remained an active force in banking, insurance, and real estate, combining sharp financial instincts with a long-term investment outlook. A noted philanthropist, he is also a major benefactor of Southern Methodist University.

George Sakellaris, Greek-American entrepreneur and engineer, is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Ameresco, a leading energy services company specializing in renewable energy, efficiency, and infrastructure modernization. Since launching the firm in 2000, he has overseen its growth into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise delivering clean energy solutions to governments, businesses, and institutions across North America and Europe. Known for combining technical expertise with a vision for sustainability, Sakellaris has established himself as a key figure in advancing the transition to a low-carbon economy.

George Marcus, Greek-American real estate mogul, is the founder and chairman of Marcus & Millichap, one of the largest commercial real estate brokerage firms in the United States. Since launching the company in 1971, he has expanded it into a nationwide powerhouse specializing in investment sales, financing, research, and advisory services. Beyond brokerage, Marcus also cofounded Essex Property Trust, a publicly traded REIT focused on West Coast multifamily housing, cementing his influence across both transactional and ownership sides of the real estate industry.

George Lucas, filmmaker and entrepreneur, redefined modern cinema with the creation of Star Wars and Indiana Jones, building two of the most successful franchises in history. Beyond directing and producing, he pioneered advances in visual effects and sound through Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, setting new industry standards. In 2012, he sold Lucasfilm to Disney for $4.05 billion, cementing his legacy as both a creative visionary and shrewd businessman. Through the George Lucas Educational Foundation, he has also championed philanthropic efforts in innovative learning.

Gary Rollins, vice chairman and CEO of Rollins Inc., has overseen the transformation of the family’s pest control business into a global industry leader. Best known for its flagship brand Orkin, Rollins Inc. operates in more than 70 countries, providing residential and commercial pest management services. A member of one of America’s wealthiest families, Rollins has maintained steady growth through acquisitions, operational efficiency, and a focus on customer service, cementing the company’s dominance in a competitive market.

Gary Michelson, orthopedic spinal surgeon turned inventor and philanthropist, amassed his fortune through more than 950 patents for medical devices, instruments, and procedures that revolutionized spinal surgery. After a landmark $1.35 billion settlement with Medtronic in 2005 over patent disputes, he shifted his focus to philanthropy, founding the Michelson Medical Research Foundation, Michelson 20MM Foundation for education, and Michelson Found Animals Foundation for animal welfare. His career blends groundbreaking medical innovation with a deep commitment to scientific research, education, and social impact.

Frank VanderSloot, founder and CEO of Melaleuca, transformed a small wellness startup into a billion-dollar direct-marketing giant offering nutritional, personal care, and household products. Since launching the Idaho-based company in 1985, he has built a network serving millions of customers across multiple countries, leveraging a unique referral-based model. A vocal advocate for entrepreneurship and conservative causes, VanderSloot has combined business acumen with philanthropic initiatives, cementing his status as one of America’s most successful self-made entrepreneurs in the health and wellness industry.

Edward Perry “Ed” Bass is a Texas oil heir, financier, philanthropist, and environmental advocate. A Yale alumnus, he is the chairman of venture firm Fine Line and co-founded the avant‑garde Biosphere 2 project in Arizona. He spearheaded Fort Worth’s Sundance Square urban renewal, built the acclaimed Bass Performance Hall, and oversees conservation land holdings across Kansas prairies through his Philecology Trust. 

Donald E. “Don” Friese rose from an orphanage in rural Pennsylvania to become a self-made billionaire. He joined C.R. Laurence in 1961 as a warehouse worker, bought full ownership by the 1990s, and grew it into the largest glazing‑supplies company in the U.S. He sold the business in 2015 for $1.3 billion while personally gifting more than $86 million in bonuses to employees and remains active philanthropically through the Friese Foundation. 

Don R. Hankey is a self-made billionaire and conservative financier. He founded the Hankey Group, including Westlake Financial Services, a top U.S. subprime auto lender, and Knight Specialty Insurance. His companies provided the $175 million bond in 2024 for Donald Trump’s New York civil fraud appeal. He extended high-risk loans to megadevelopers like Nile Niami—such as funding the troubled Bel-Air mansion “The One”—and now oversees $23 billion in diversified assets.

Sir Dennis Barry Gillings, CBE, PhD is a British-American statistician, entrepreneur, and healthcare innovator. In 1982, he co-founded Quintiles, which merged with IMS Health in 2016 to become IQVIA, the global leader in clinical research and healthcare data services. He took Quintiles public in 1994 and privatized it in 2003 before retiring as executive chairman in 2015. The UNC School of Public Health is named in his honor following a landmark donation.