Mario Gabelli, founder and CEO of GAMCO Investors, is one of Wall Street’s most respected value investors, known for applying fundamental research and private-market valuation techniques to public equities. After beginning his career at Loeb, Rhoades & Co., Gabelli launched GAMCO in 1977 and built a multibillion-dollar asset management firm specializing in value, merger arbitrage, and global equity strategies. His disciplined approach emphasizes cash flow, asset value, and management quality, often coupled with active engagement in corporate governance. Beyond finance, Gabelli is a major philanthropist and art collector, supporting education, cultural institutions, and charitable causes worldwide.

Larry Silverstein, chairman of Silverstein Properties, is one of New York’s most influential real estate developers, best known for rebuilding the World Trade Center site after the September 11 attacks. A major force in Manhattan commercial property since the 1970s, Silverstein has led the development of millions of square feet of office, residential, and mixed-use space, including icons such as 7 World Trade Center, 4 World Trade Center, and the soaring 3 World Trade Center. His combination of resilience, political navigation, and long-term vision turned tragedy into an unprecedented urban redevelopment effort, cementing Silverstein as a defining figure in modern New York real estate.

Josh Kushner, founder and managing partner of Thrive Capital, is one of the most influential venture investors of his generation, backing category-defining companies across fintech, healthcare, and consumer technology. Since launching Thrive in 2009, he has led early or transformative investments in firms such as Instagram, Stripe, Spotify, GitHub, and OpenAI, building Thrive into a multi-billion-dollar venture platform known for disciplined underwriting and long-horizon conviction. Kushner is also the cofounder of Oscar Health, a technology-driven insurer reshaping the U.S. healthcare landscape. With a rare combination of entrepreneurial experience, investment acumen, and strategic clarity, he has become a central force in shaping the next era of digital innovation.

John Fisher, billionaire investor and owner of the San Francisco Giants–affiliated interests through Pisces, Inc., manages one of the most diversified private investment portfolios linked to the Fisher family, heirs to the Gap retail fortune. As president of Pisces, Fisher oversees long-term capital allocation across real estate, private equity, and strategic sports holdings, including his majority stake in Major League Baseball’s Oakland Athletics. Known for his discreet, media-averse style, he has built influence in professional sports ownership and large-scale development projects, while maintaining a complex role in the Athletics’ future and broader West Coast commercial investments.

John A. Sobrato, founder of the Sobrato Organization, is one of Silicon Valley’s most influential real estate developers, building a multibillion-dollar portfolio that houses many of the world’s leading technology companies. After selling one of the Bay Area’s earliest tech office parks in the 1970s, he expanded aggressively into commercial and multifamily properties across the region, creating a dominant privately held enterprise now managed alongside the second generation. A dedicated philanthropist, Sobrato has devoted much of his wealth to education, housing, and community development, with the family pledging to give away the majority of its net worth, solidifying his impact on both the business and social fabric of Northern California.

Jed McCaleb, pioneering software developer and blockchain innovator, is best known as a cofounder of Ripple and Stellar, two of the most influential protocols in the digital asset ecosystem. A serial entrepreneur with a long history in early crypto infrastructure, McCaleb created the first major cryptocurrency exchange, Mt. Gox, before selling it in 2011, and later launched Stellar to promote low-cost, decentralized cross-border payments. Beyond blockchain, he founded aerospace company Vast to pursue long-term visions in space habitation. Known for his technical creativity and unconventional path, McCaleb has helped shape multiple generations of internet and financial technology.

Jim Koch, founder and chairman of The Boston Beer Company, helped ignite America’s craft beer revolution by turning a family beer recipe into the iconic Samuel Adams brand. Launching the company in 1984 from his kitchen, Koch built it into one of the largest and most influential craft brewers in the United States, known for quality, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to traditional brewing principles. Under his leadership, Boston Beer expanded into hard seltzers, ciders, and spirits while maintaining its independent ethos. Koch’s entrepreneurial grit and industry leadership have made him one of the most respected figures in American brewing.

Jim Jannard, founder of Oakley and RED Digital Cinema, is a self-made billionaire whose innovations reshaped both the eyewear and filmmaking industries. Starting Oakley in 1975 with just $300, he revolutionized sports performance gear with proprietary materials and bold design, growing the brand into a global icon before selling it to Luxottica for over $2 billion. Never one to slow down, Jannard went on to disrupt Hollywood with RED Digital Cinema, introducing high-resolution digital cameras that transformed modern filmmaking. Known for his rebellious streak, obsession with engineering excellence, and aversion to the spotlight, Jannard remains one of America’s most influential product visionaries.

Ira Rennert, billionaire industrialist, is the founder of Renco Group, a private holding company with investments in mining, metals, manufacturing, and defense. Starting in the 1970s with junk bonds, he expanded into heavy industry, building a diversified empire that has included steel, magnesium, and automotive companies. Known for his controversial business practices as well as his immense wealth, Rennert also drew attention for constructing one of the largest private homes in the United States, the 62,000-square-foot Fair Field estate in the Hamptons. Despite criticism, he remains a powerful and enduring figure in American industry and finance.

Herbert Wertheim, optometrist, inventor, and investor, built his fortune through a mix of innovation in vision care and shrewd long-term investing. Founder of Brain Power Inc., he developed tints and protective coatings for eyeglass lenses that became widely adopted in the optical industry. Beyond his business, Wertheim amassed a multibillion-dollar portfolio by investing early in companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Intel, often reinvesting dividends over decades. A noted philanthropist, he has pledged much of his wealth to education, science, and medical research, cementing his legacy as both a pioneer and a benefactor.

Evan Spiegel co‑founded Snap Inc. (initially Snapchat) in 2011 while studying product design at Stanford. Under his leadership, Snap evolved into a global social media firm with ~400+ million daily users, launching viral innovations like Stories and AR lenses. Spiegel holds over 95 % of Snap’s voting power alongside co‑founder Bobby Murphy and remains its CEO. He also supports youth arts and education through the Spiegel Family Fund with his wife Miranda Kerr.

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.

Christopher Ilitch is the president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings, the Detroit-based privately held conglomerate founded by his parents Mike and Marian Ilitch. He oversees iconic brands such as Little Caesars Pizza, the Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers, and their real estate & entertainment ventures. Since becoming sole CEO in 2004, he has led over a 600% revenue increase and drives Detroit renaissance through projects like The District Detroit.

Chase Coleman III is the founder and managing partner of Tiger Global Management, one of the most powerful hedge funds and venture firms globally. A protégé of Julian Robertson, Coleman runs public and private tech-heavy investment strategies, overseeing around $46 billion in assets while building Tiger Global into a benchmark of high-growth returns. He is also active in education and conservation philanthropy. 

Tyler Winklevoss is an American entrepreneur, investor, and former Olympic rower. A Harvard economics graduate and Oxford MBA, he co‑founded ConnectU and then downplayed his Facebook settlement to become one of the first Bitcoin billionaires. In 2014, he launched Gemini—now a leading regulated U.S. crypto exchange—and Winklevoss Capital, investing early in Bitcoin and backing tech startups. Notably, he is now exploring an IPO for Gemini. 

Cameron Winklevoss is an American entrepreneur, former Olympic rower, and co‑founder & President of Gemini—the regulated cryptocurrency exchange he launched with his twin brother Tyler in 2014. After co‑founding social network ConnectU and settling a high‑profile lawsuit with Facebook, the Winklevoss twins invested early in Bitcoin—owning about 1 % of all BTC by 2013—and became among the first Bitcoin billionaires. Today, they control Gemini and Winklevoss Capital Management, investing in startups and crypto innovation while maintaining a quiet, highly disciplined presence.

Boris Jordan is a Russian‑American entrepreneur and investor best known as the founder and Executive Chairman of Curaleaf, the U.S.’s leading cannabis company. He began his career in early 1990s Moscow, helping launch the Russian stock market, co-founded Renaissance Capital, led Gazprom Media and NTV, then built Sputnik Group before pivoting to cannabis in 2014.

Ben Horowitz is a seasoned tech entrepreneur and venture capitalist, co-founding Opsware (acquired by HP for $1.6 billion in 2007) and the powerhouse firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), a VC titan now managing over $42 billion in assets. A Columbia and UCLA-trained computer scientist, Horowitz is also the author of The Hard Thing About Hard Things and What You Do Is Who You Are, and remains a leading voice on startup leadership and tech policy.

August Busch IV is the fifth-generation brewing magnate and former CEO of Anheuser‑Busch, best known for steering the family business through its iconic Super Bowl advertising era and resisting, then navigating, its 2008 sale to InBev.

Andrés Santo Domingo is a Colombian-American investor, music executive, and heir to the Santo Domingo family fortune—one of Latin America’s most influential business dynasties. As co-founder of the independent record label Mexican Summer, he has carved out a niche in the creative world while maintaining strategic roles across the family’s investments in beverages, media, and finance.