David Walentas is the self-made real estate developer behind Two Trees Management, the Brooklyn firm that transformed Dumbo and Williamsburg from industrial decline into high-end residential and creative districts. A University of Virginia alumnus, Walentas began with a small Manhattan partnership in 1968 and leveraged $12 million to acquire nearly 2 million sq ft in Dumbo, reshaping it through bold vision and rezoning advocacy.

David Lichtenstein is a self-made real estate billionaire who founded The Lightstone Group in 1988. He began with a single multifamily unit and grew his firm into a diversified empire—owning 25,000 apartments and over 15 million sq ft of retail, industrial, hotel & life-sciences properties across 25+ states, with more than $9 billion in managed assets. He led major deals such as acquiring Prime Retail malls ($638 M) and Extended Stay Hotels ($8.1 B) and is active in civic service and board leadership across New York institutions. 

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.

Bruce Kovner is a self-made hedge fund billionaire and the founder of Caxton Associates in 1983, the global macro fund he led for nearly three decades. A Harvard graduate who once drove a NYC taxi and dabbled in harpsichord before launching a career in trading, Kovner turned $3,000 borrowed on a credit card into billions—later retiring to manage his firm CAM Capital and lead elite arts and education philanthropy.