Marc Coucke, Belgian entrepreneur and investor, built his fortune as the cofounder of Omega Pharma, transforming a small over-the-counter medicine distributor into one of Europe’s largest consumer healthcare companies before selling it to Perrigo for billions. After the sale, Coucke diversified through his investment company Alychlo, acquiring and backing businesses across pharmaceuticals, hospitality, sports, real estate, and leisure—including theme parks, luxury resorts, and the Belgian football club R.S.C. Anderlecht. Known for his charismatic style, bold dealmaking, and expansive portfolio, Coucke has become one of Belgium’s most influential business figures, blending entrepreneurial drive with high-profile investments across Europe.

Jonathan Gray, president and chief operating officer of Blackstone, is one of the most influential investors in modern finance, credited with building the firm’s real estate arm into the world’s largest private property platform. Joining Blackstone in 1992, he pioneered the company’s massive expansion into opportunistic real estate, logistics, hospitality, and large-scale global acquisitions, including the Hilton Hotels deal—one of the most profitable private equity investments in history. As COO, Gray now helps steer Blackstone’s multi-trillion-dollar asset management strategy across private equity, credit, infrastructure, and insurance. Known for his analytical discipline, bold dealmaking, and philanthropic leadership in cancer research, Gray is a central architect of the firm’s rise to global dominance.

Jeremy Jacobs, longtime chairman of Delaware North, has built the family-owned company into one of the world’s largest hospitality and food-service enterprises, operating in airports, national parks, sports venues, and entertainment destinations across four continents. Under his leadership, Delaware North expanded from a regional concession business into a multibillion-dollar global powerhouse. Jacobs is also widely known as owner of the NHL’s Boston Bruins since 1975, guiding the franchise to multiple Stanley Cup appearances and a championship in 2011. Renowned for his operational discipline, longevity, and influence in both hospitality and professional sports, he remains one of America’s most prominent private-sector executives.

Jared Isaacman, entrepreneur and pilot, is the founder and CEO of Shift4, the payment processing company he launched as a teenager and later scaled into a multibillion-dollar publicly traded enterprise serving restaurants, hotels, stadiums, and major global brands. A skilled aviator with thousands of flight hours, Isaacman gained worldwide attention as commander of Inspiration4—the first all-civilian orbital space mission—funded largely by his own philanthropy in support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Combining bold entrepreneurial vision with a passion for aerospace and charitable impact, he has emerged as one of the most dynamic business leaders of his generation.

Ion Stoica, computer scientist and entrepreneur, is cofounder and executive chairman of Databricks, one of the world’s most valuable data and AI companies. A professor at the University of California, Berkeley, Stoica is also a co-creator of Apache Spark, the open-source framework that revolutionized big data processing. Under his leadership, Databricks has scaled into a multibillion-dollar enterprise serving global enterprises with cloud-based analytics and AI platforms. Known for bridging academia and industry, Stoica has become a leading figure in advancing the future of data infrastructure and machine learning.

Hamilton “Tony” James, veteran financier and former executive vice chairman of Blackstone, played a central role in building the firm into the world’s largest alternative asset manager. Joining Blackstone in 2002 after a long career at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette and Credit Suisse, he helped drive its expansion across private equity, real estate, credit, and hedge fund solutions. Known for his strategic vision and operational discipline, James also became a trusted voice in public policy and philanthropy, cementing his reputation as one of Wall Street’s most influential dealmakers.

Samih Sawiris, Egyptian billionaire and tourism mogul, transformed his family’s business acumen into a global hospitality and real estate empire. As founder of Orascom Development, he spearheaded the creation of integrated resort towns across Egypt, Europe, and the Middle East, blending luxury hotels, marinas, golf courses, and residential communities. Known for projects like El Gouna on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, Sawiris has combined visionary master planning with sustainable development, positioning himself as a leading force in high-end tourism and destination creation.

David Baszucki s a Canadian‑American entrepreneur, software engineer, and inventor. He co-founded Roblox Corporation in 2004 and has led as CEO since its 2006 launch. Previously, he founded Knowledge Revolution—creator of Interactive Physics, sold to MSC Software—and later funded early startups like Friendster. A pioneer of user‑generated content and the metaverse, Baszucki also champions research via the Baszucki Brain Research Fund. 

Daniel Och is the American billionaire founder of Och‑Ziff Capital Management (rebranded as Sculptor Capital in 2019). A Wharton alumnus and former Goldman Sachs equities trader, he built Och‑Ziff into a major hedge fund managing tens of billions before stepping down in 2019. He now runs Willoughby Capital, a family office investing in tech startups like Robinhood, Coinbase, and Instacart, while leading major philanthropic initiatives. 

Charles S. Cohen is a billionaire real estate developer and film industry entrepreneur who transformed Cohen Brothers Realty—founded by his family—into a 12 million sq ft commercial portfolio spanning Manhattan, Los Angeles, Houston, and Florida. He also founded the Cohen Media Group in 2008 to preserve and distribute independent and French films, eventually acquiring iconic arthouse theater chains like Landmark Theatres and Curzon Cinemas.

Charles Butt is the chairman and CEO of H‑E‑B, the San Antonio‑based supermarket chain founded by his grandmother in 1905. Taking over leadership in 1971, he transformed H‑E‑B into a $39–42 billion private company with over 400 stores across Texas and Mexico. A Wharton and Harvard MBA alum, Butt is also a generous philanthropist—pledging more than $150 million to education initiatives and public school teachers, and earning Mexico’s Aztec Eagle Medal for cross-border giving.

Carl Icahn is the legendary activist investor and founder of Icahn Enterprises, the diversified conglomerate he controls with an 86% stake. Born in Brooklyn in 1936, he helped pioneer shareholder activism as a high-stakes corporate raider—targeting companies like Trans World Airlines and Time Warner—then transitioned into long-term value investing. His bet on CVR Energy has since become the financial backbone of Icahn Enterprises amid broader portfolio volatility.

Cal Turner Jr. is the pioneering retail executive and philanthropist who transformed Dollar General into a national discount powerhouse. After joining the family business in 1965 and rising from warehouse sweeper to CEO, he expanded the chain from 150 stores to over 6,000, achieving more than $6 billion in annual revenue before retiring in 2003. His leadership was rooted in small‑town values, faith, and a mission to serve working-class communities.

Brian Armstrong is the co-founder and CEO of Coinbase Global, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the U.S. With bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science and economics from Rice University, he previously worked at Airbnb, Deloitte, and IBM before launching Coinbase in 2012. Under his leadership, Coinbase expanded to over 100 million users, went public in 2021, and achieved profitability while advocating for crypto regulation and financial freedom.

Brian Acton is the visionary co-founder of WhatsApp and current executive chairman of the Signal Technology Foundation. A Stanford‑educated engineer, he left WhatsApp in 2017—turning down millions—and in 2018 seeded Signal with a $50 million loan to champion encrypted messaging and digital privacy. His leadership spans product innovation, philanthropy, and cyber‑rights advocacy.

Aneel Bhusri is the co‑founder and executive chairman of Workday, the enterprise cloud software leader for finance and HR. A Stanford MBA and Brown‑educated engineer, he helped build Workday from a PeopleSoft spin‑out into a multibillion‑dollar public company and holds executive roles in venture through Greylock Partners.

Alejandro Santo Domingo is a Colombian-American financier and heir to the Santo Domingo Group, one of Latin America’s most prominent business dynasties. As managing director of Quadrant Capital Advisors and a board member of Anheuser-Busch InBev, he oversees investments spanning beverages, finance, and media.

Christy Walton is an American billionaire philanthropist, best known as the widow of John T. Walton, one of the sons of Walmart founder Sam Walton. After her husband's death in 2005, she inherited his fortune and became one of the richest women in the world. She is recognized for her significant philanthropic contributions, particularly in education, and environmental causes.

John Menard, Jr. is the founder of Menards, a Midwest home improvement chain. Known for his low-profile demeanor, Menard has built a retail empire, making him one of the wealthiest individuals in the United States.

Tadashi Yanai is a Japanese billionaire businessman, best known as the founder and president of Fast Retailing, the parent company of Uniqlo. Yanai is renowned for revolutionizing the retail clothing industry with his unique approach to fashion and business.