Ben Navarro, founder and CEO of Sherman Financial Group and cofounder of Beemok Capital, built a multibillion-dollar fortune in consumer finance before expanding into hospitality, sports, and civic investment. Best known for building Sherman into a major force behind Credit One Bank, Navarro has also used Beemok to back luxury hospitality assets and professional tennis properties, including the Charleston Open and Cincinnati Open. Known for a low public profile and long-term approach, he has paired business success with major philanthropy in education and community development, especially through Meeting Street Schools.

Ryan Israel, chief investment officer and managing director at Pershing Square Capital Management, is one of the most important behind-the-scenes investors in activist hedge funds, helping shape the concentrated, high-conviction portfolio that defines Bill Ackman’s firm. Since joining Pershing Square in 2009, Israel has played a central role in research, underwriting, and portfolio construction across the firm’s major public equity positions, earning a reputation for deep fundamental analysis and disciplined long-term thinking. He represents the analytical core of one of Wall Street’s most closely watched investment platforms.

Marc Lipschultz, co-chief executive officer of Blue Owl Capital, helped build one of the most influential private credit firms of the modern era by scaling Owl Rock into a global alternative asset manager. A former senior dealmaker at KKR, Lipschultz co-founded Owl Rock in 2016, then helped merge it into what became Blue Owl, a publicly traded firm spanning credit, GP stakes, and real assets. Known for disciplined underwriting, institutional relationships, and a sharp focus on permanent capital, he has played a central role in Blue Owl’s rise as a major force in private markets.

Tom Steyer is a billionaire businessman, climate activist, and prominent candidate in the 2026 California gubernatorial election. After building his fortune as the founder of the hedge fund Farallon Capital, he pivoted to full-time advocacy, founding NextGen America to mobilize young voters on issues like climate change and social justice. In late 2025, he launched his bid to succeed Gavin Newsom, framing himself as a "populist billionaire" focused on tackling California's affordability crisis and pledging to build one million affordable homes. To focus on his campaign, he took a formal leave of absence from his leadership role at Galvanize Climate Solutions, the investment firm he co-founded with Secretary John Kerry to finance the global energy transition.

Michael Patterson, cofounder and senior managing director of HPS Investment Partners, helped build one of the world’s leading private credit and alternative investment platforms serving institutional investors globally. With a background in leveraged finance and capital markets, Patterson played a central role in shaping HPS’s strategy across direct lending, structured credit, and opportunistic investments. Known for disciplined underwriting and long-term capital partnerships, he has helped scale the firm into a major force in modern private credit and asset-based financing.

Scot French, cofounder and managing partner of HPS Investment Partners, helped build one of the world’s leading private credit platforms by applying rigorous underwriting and institutional-scale risk management. A former senior executive at Goldman Sachs, French co-launched HPS and played a central role in expanding the firm across direct lending, structured credit, and opportunistic strategies for global institutional clients. Known for disciplined execution and deep capital markets expertise, he has been instrumental in establishing private credit as a core alternative asset class.

Scott Kapnick, CEO of HPS Investment Partners, is a veteran credit investor who helped build one of the world’s leading alternative asset managers focused on direct lending, structured credit, and opportunistic financing. A former senior executive at Goldman Sachs, Kapnick co-founded HPS and guided its expansion into a global platform managing tens of billions for institutional investors. Known for disciplined underwriting and deep capital markets expertise, he has played a central role in shaping modern private credit as a core asset class.

Robert F. Smith, founder, chairman, and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, built one of the most successful private equity firms in the world by specializing in enterprise software and technology-enabled businesses. Since launching Vista in 2000, Smith developed a disciplined playbook focused on operational improvement, recurring revenue models, and data-driven management, enabling Vista to scale into a global investment powerhouse with billions in assets. Known for combining engineering-style rigor with dealmaking speed, he has shaped the modern software buyout market. Smith is also a major philanthropist, supporting education, racial equity, and community initiatives, including a landmark gift to eliminate student debt for an entire graduating class at Morehouse College.

Robert Agostinelli, cofounder and chairman of Rhone Group, is a veteran global private equity investor known for cross-border dealmaking and long-term ownership in industrial and services businesses. After an early career in banking and finance, he helped build Rhone into a prominent international investment firm with a focus on complex, global situations and value creation through operational improvement. Agostinelli is also well known for philanthropy and policy engagement, supporting education, democracy initiatives, and transatlantic civic programs while maintaining influence across business and public affairs.

Richard Perry, founder of Perry Capital, was one of Wall Street’s most recognized hedge fund managers, known for event-driven investing and complex special situations across credit and equities. After early success at Goldman Sachs, Perry launched Perry Capital in 1988 and built it into a multibillion-dollar firm with a reputation for aggressive risk-taking and sophisticated arbitrage strategies. At its peak, the fund was a major player in merger arbitrage, distressed debt, and structured credit, navigating both market booms and severe downturns. Though the firm ultimately closed after years of volatility and underperformance, Perry remains a defining figure of the hedge fund era.

Rajiv Jain, founder and chief investment officer of GQG Partners, built one of the fastest-growing global asset managers by applying a disciplined, long-term approach to emerging and developed market equities. After a long tenure at Vontobel, Jain launched GQG in 2016 with a focus on fundamental research, downside protection, and concentrated portfolios. The firm quickly scaled to manage tens of billions of dollars for institutions and wealth clients worldwide, earning a reputation for resilience across volatile market cycles. Jain is known for his independent thinking, conservative risk posture, and consistent performance.

Peter Kellogg, cofounder and CEO of Kellogg Capital Group, is a veteran hedge fund manager known for navigating global markets with a disciplined, risk-aware trading approach. After an early career in derivatives and proprietary trading, Kellogg built his firm around multi-asset strategies spanning equities, credit, commodities, and macro opportunities. Operating with a low public profile, he has maintained longevity in an industry defined by volatility, earning respect for adaptability across market cycles and a focus on capital preservation alongside returns.

Peter Briger Jr., co-CEO of Fortress Investment Group, is one of the most prominent investors in alternative assets, known for turning distressed credit and special situations into durable, large-scale platforms. After an early career at Goldman Sachs, where he became a partner and helped run the firm’s principal investment businesses, Briger joined Fortress in 2002 and helped shape its expansion into credit, real estate, and private equity. Under his leadership, Fortress became a major force in opportunistic investing, managing billions across market cycles through disciplined risk management and a dealmaker’s instinct for dislocation. Briger remains a defining figure in modern credit investing and private capital.

Michael Novogratz, founder and CEO of Galaxy Digital, is one of the most prominent Wall Street figures to fully embrace cryptocurrency, transforming a career in macro trading into leadership of a multibillion-dollar digital asset platform spanning investing, trading, mining, and blockchain infrastructure. A former Fortress Investment Group principal and Goldman Sachs partner, Novogratz brings global‐macro discipline and institutional credibility to the crypto ecosystem, while acting as a vocal advocate for regulatory clarity and the financial future of decentralized networks.

Lloyd Blankfein, former chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs, led one of the world’s most powerful financial institutions through a transformative and turbulent era, including the 2008 global financial crisis. Rising from a commodities trader to the top of the firm, Blankfein strengthened Goldman’s global reach across investment banking, trading, and asset management while navigating regulatory shifts and market upheaval. Known for his sharp intellect, resilience, and candid public presence, he became one of Wall Street’s most recognizable figures. Since stepping down, he remains active in finance, policy discussions, and philanthropy, advising companies and contributing to major civic initiatives.

Leon Cooperman, founder of Omega Advisors, is one of Wall Street’s most respected value investors, known for decades of disciplined stock-picking and outspoken market commentary. After a long career at Goldman Sachs, where he led the asset management division, Cooperman launched Omega in 1991 and produced strong returns through concentrated, research-driven investing in equities and credit. Though he has since converted Omega into a family office, he remains active in markets and philanthropy, donating hundreds of millions to education, medical research, and Jewish causes. Cooperman’s blend of candor, conviction, and lifelong commitment to investing has made him a defining figure in the hedge fund era.

Joseph Lubin, cofounder of Ethereum and founder of ConsenSys, is one of the most influential builders in the blockchain ecosystem, helping shape the technological and organizational foundations of Web3. After working in software engineering and finance, Lubin joined Vitalik Buterin in launching Ethereum, the decentralized platform that enabled smart contracts and sparked an entire generation of blockchain innovation. Through ConsenSys, he created a global venture studio and software company responsible for critical infrastructure such as MetaMask and Infura, powering millions of developers and users worldwide. Known for his vision of decentralized networks and digital sovereignty, Lubin remains one of Web3’s most enduring evangelists and architects.

Joseph Bae, co-CEO of KKR, is one of the most powerful private equity leaders of his generation, having played a central role in transforming the firm from a classic buyout shop into a diversified global investment powerhouse. Joining KKR in 1996, he spearheaded the firm’s expansion across Asia—building its offices, teams, and flagship funds—before taking on broader leadership of global private equity, growth, credit, and infrastructure platforms. As co-CEO, Bae oversees hundreds of billions in assets and helps set the strategic direction of one of the world’s most influential alternative asset managers. Known for his global mindset, disciplined dealmaking, and talent-building leadership, he remains a defining voice in the evolution of modern private equity.

José E. Feliciano, cofounder and managing partner of Clearlake Capital, is one of the most influential private equity investors of his generation, helping build Clearlake into a top-tier global firm focused on technology, industrials, and consumer businesses. Since launching the firm in 2006 with Behdad Eghbali, Feliciano has overseen a disciplined strategy combining operational transformation with data-driven value creation, driving assets under management to well over $70 billion. A leader in expanding Latino representation in finance, he is also a major philanthropist through the SUPERB and Somos foundations, supporting education, entrepreneurship, and social mobility. Feliciano’s blend of investment rigor, cultural leadership, and long-horizon thinking has made him a defining force in modern private equity.

John Liew, cofounder of AQR Capital Management, is one of the intellectual architects behind quantitative investing, helping bring academic finance into large-scale asset management. Working alongside Cliff Asness and David Kabiller, Liew transformed ideas rooted in factor research, risk premia, and systematic portfolio construction into a multi-hundred-billion-dollar investment platform serving institutions worldwide. With a PhD from the University of Chicago under Nobel laureates, he has championed evidence-based strategies in equities, alternatives, and global macro, while remaining a leading voice in the dialogue between academia and asset management. Liew’s work has been pivotal in cementing quant finance as a mainstream discipline.