Todd Wagner is a billionaire entrepreneur and co-founder of Broadcast.com, which he famously sold to Yahoo! for $5.7 billion. As CEO of 2929 Entertainment, he pioneered vertically integrated media and day-and-date film releases. In 2026, his focus centers on "venture philanthropy" through the Todd Wagner Foundation and the Charity Network, a digital platform modernizing global fundraising. He recently launched FoodFight USA, a nonprofit using AI to reform the American food supply and promote regenerative agriculture. Formerly a partial owner of the Dallas Mavericks, he now invests in emerging technologies and sports like Major League Pickleball with the Dallas Flash.

Thomas Pritzker is the former Executive Chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corporation and the current Chairman of The Pritzker Organization. Over a career spanning four decades, he led the global expansion of the Hyatt brand and oversaw the diverse investment portfolio of the Pritzker family. A graduate of the University of Chicago with a JD/MBA, he is also a prominent figure in international policy as Chairman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). In early 2026, he retired from his executive role at Hyatt to focus on his philanthropic and scientific ventures, including the Pritzker Neuropsychiatric Disorders Research Consortium and his work in Himalayan history.

Thomas James is the Chairman Emeritus of Raymond James Financial, where he served as CEO for forty years, transforming his father's regional brokerage into a global financial powerhouse. A graduate of Harvard and Stetson University, he is the architect of the firm's "client-first" culture and long-term conservative growth strategy. Although he retired from the board in 2024, he remains a vital mentor to the leadership team during the 2026 transition of Paul Shoukry to CEO. A renowned philanthropist and art collector, he founded the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art in St. Petersburg, Florida, cementing his legacy as a titan of both finance and regional culture.

Steven Rales is the co-founder and chairman of Danaher Corporation, which he and his brother Mitchell transformed from a real estate trust into a global science and technology powerhouse. He is the architect of the Danaher Business System, a management philosophy rooted in Kaizen that emphasizes continuous improvement and has guided the acquisition of hundreds of companies in the life sciences and diagnostics sectors. Under his leadership, Danaher became one of the most successful industrial conglomerates in history, known for its disciplined capital allocation. In addition to his business career, Rales is a significant figure in the film industry as the founder of Indian Paintbrush, the production company behind nearly all of Wes Anderson’s films, and he recently acquired the Criterion Collection to ensure the preservation of classic cinema.

Steven Klinsky is the founder and CEO of New Mountain Capital, a private equity firm that manages over $50 billion in assets and focuses on high-growth, non-cyclical businesses. Before founding his firm in 1999, he was a pioneer in the industry at Goldman Sachs and a general partner at Forstmann Little, where he helped develop the strategy of business-building over financial engineering. Klinsky is also a major figure in education reform, having established the Modern States Education Alliance, which provides free college-level courses and credit to hundreds of thousands of students globally.

Sami Mnaymneh, cofounder and co-CEO of H.I.G. Capital, built one of the world’s largest middle-market private equity firms by focusing on complex carve-outs, underperforming businesses, and operational turnarounds. Since launching H.I.G. in 1993, Mnaymneh has helped scale the firm into a global platform investing across private equity, credit, and real assets, with a reputation for hands-on value creation and disciplined dealmaking. Known for deep operational involvement and a global investment footprint, he has positioned H.I.G. as a dominant force in middle-market buyouts and special situations.

Robert Ziff, co-head of Ziff Brothers Investments, is part of one of America’s most prominent private investment families, managing multibillion-dollar wealth built from the publishing legacy of Ziff Davis. Alongside his brothers, Ziff oversees a diversified portfolio spanning hedge funds, private equity, real estate, and opportunistic investments, operating with a low public profile and institutional-grade discipline. Known for long-term capital allocation and discreet influence, he represents the modern evolution of a media fortune into a sophisticated global investment operation.

Robert Rowling, founder and CEO of TRT Holdings, built a diversified private investment empire spanning hospitality, real estate, and industrial manufacturing. Best known for owning Omni Hotels & Resorts, Rowling expanded the brand into a major luxury hospitality platform while also investing across commercial property and operating businesses. TRT Holdings also controls the industrial company ASI, including the well-known Cirrus Aircraft brand, reflecting Rowling’s focus on high-quality, cash-generating assets. Known for low-profile leadership and long-term capital stewardship, he has become a significant figure in U.S. private enterprise.

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.

Randal Nardone, cofounder and co-CEO of Fortress Investment Group, helped build one of the most influential alternative asset managers by scaling institutional investing across credit, real estate, and special situations. After early experience at BlackRock and UBS, Nardone cofounded Fortress in 1998 and guided its evolution into a global platform managing tens of billions through market cycles. Under his leadership, Fortress became known for opportunistic, asset-based investing and disciplined risk management, culminating in its acquisition by SoftBank. Nardone remains a defining figure in modern alternative investing and private capital strategy.

Peter Thiel, cofounder of PayPal and Palantir Technologies, is one of Silicon Valley’s most influential and contrarian thinkers, known for backing companies that challenge consensus and reshape entire industries. As an early investor in Facebook and the first outside investor in several category-defining startups, Thiel helped popularize a philosophy centered on building monopolies through deep technology rather than incremental competition. Through Founders Fund, he has backed transformative ventures across software, defense, biotech, and space. Thiel’s impact extends beyond investing into ideas, shaping debates around technology, globalization, and the future of innovation.

Nicholas J. Pritzker, managing partner and cofounder of Tao Capital Partners, represents the next generation of the Pritzker family’s investment legacy, focusing on long-term, impact-oriented private investing. Through Tao Capital, he backs companies across technology, healthcare, sustainable consumer brands, and environmental solutions, emphasizing durable growth, values-driven leadership, and positive social outcomes. Distinct from the family’s hospitality roots, Pritzker has carved out an independent path as an investor aligned with ESG principles, while also engaging deeply in philanthropy supporting climate action, democracy, and community development.

Jimmy Rane, founder and CEO of Great Southern Wood Preserving, built the YellaWood brand into one of America’s largest and most recognizable producers of pressure-treated lumber. Starting the business in 1970 with a small operation in rural Alabama, Rane expanded it into a multibillion-dollar enterprise supplying building materials across the United States and beyond. Known for his marketing savvy—especially YellaWood’s iconic advertising—he is also widely recognized as “the Yella Fella,” a persona that helped cement the brand’s place in American home-building culture. Beyond business, Rane is a major philanthropist and a leading supporter of education and community development in the Southeast.