Richard Kinder, cofounder and executive chairman of Kinder Morgan, built one of the largest energy infrastructure companies in North America by focusing on pipelines, terminals, and cash-flow durability at massive scale. A former Enron executive, Kinder launched Kinder Morgan in 1997 and expanded it through acquisitions and disciplined asset management, creating a dominant network transporting natural gas, refined products, and CO₂ across the United States. Known for financial focus and shareholder orientation, he helped pioneer the modern midstream business model and remains one of the most influential figures in U.S. energy logistics.

Dick DeVos, businessman and former CEO of Amway, is a member of one of America’s most prominent entrepreneurial families, helping expand the global direct-selling giant founded by his father, Rich DeVos. During his leadership, DeVos focused on international growth and organizational modernization while maintaining Amway’s multi-generational ownership structure. Beyond business, he is a major civic and philanthropic figure in Michigan, supporting education, healthcare, and community development, and he has also been active in politics and public policy debates. His career reflects a blend of family enterprise stewardship, institutional leadership, and regional impact.

Reed Hastings, cofounder and former CEO of Netflix, reshaped global entertainment by transforming a DVD-by-mail startup into the world’s dominant streaming platform. Under his leadership, Netflix pioneered subscription streaming, disrupted traditional media distribution, and later reinvented television again by investing heavily in original programming and global content production. Known for his bold strategic pivots, data-driven culture, and the influential “Netflix culture deck,” Hastings helped build one of the most impactful consumer technology companies of the modern era. Beyond business, he is a major philanthropist focused on education reform and civic initiatives.

Ray Davis, cofounder of Energy Transfer Partners, built a multibillion-dollar fortune in U.S. midstream energy by expanding pipeline and logistics infrastructure across natural gas and liquids. Working alongside Kelcy Warren, he helped scale Energy Transfer into one of the nation’s largest energy networks through aggressive acquisitions and large-scale development. Beyond energy, Davis is the majority owner of Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers, playing a central role in turning the franchise into a modern sports business and ultimately overseeing its rise to a World Series championship. Known for a low public profile and long-term mindset, he remains a powerful figure in both energy and sports ownership.

Ralph Lauren, founder of Ralph Lauren Corporation, built one of the most iconic luxury lifestyle brands in the world by transforming American style into a global symbol of aspiration. Starting with a single line of neckties in the late 1960s, he created a brand universe spanning fashion, fragrance, home, and hospitality—anchored by timeless design, storytelling, and impeccable merchandising. Through decades of disciplined brand control and cultural influence, Lauren turned his name into a multibillion-dollar global empire and remains a defining figure in modern fashion and brand building.

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.

Paul Tudor Jones, founder and chief investment officer of Tudor Investment Corporation, is a legendary macro trader best known for predicting and profiting from the 1987 stock market crash. Over decades, Jones built one of the world’s most respected hedge funds by combining global macroeconomic analysis with disciplined risk management. Beyond finance, he is a pioneer of impact investing and philanthropy, founding Robin Hood to combat poverty and advocating for market reforms tied to sustainability and social outcomes. His career reflects a rare blend of trading mastery, adaptability across cycles, and civic engagement.

Paul Foster, founder and former CEO of Western Refining, built a major independent refining and fuel distribution business by acquiring underperforming assets and improving operational efficiency across the Southwest. Starting with a small El Paso refinery in the 1990s, Foster expanded Western Refining into a vertically integrated energy company before merging it with Andeavor, a deal that ultimately led to its acquisition by Marathon Petroleum. Beyond energy, he is a prominent philanthropist and civic leader in Texas, funding education, healthcare, and community development initiatives. Foster’s career reflects disciplined execution in cyclical industries paired with long-term regional impact.

Oren Zeev, founder of Zeev Ventures, is a contrarian growth investor known for backing category-defining technology companies at pivotal moments. After early success in private equity and distressed investing, Zeev shifted to long-term minority investments, helping scale businesses such as Chegg, Audible, and TripActions. His hands-on, founder-aligned approach emphasizes durable unit economics, product leadership, and patient capital. Operating largely outside traditional venture cycles, Zeev has built a reputation for high-conviction bets that compound over time.

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.

Michael Arougheti, cofounder and CEO of Ares Management, is one of the most influential figures in global alternative investing, having helped build Ares into a multi-hundred-billion-dollar asset management powerhouse. After beginning his career in leveraged finance at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, Arougheti cofounded Ares in 1997 with a focus on credit markets—long before private credit became a dominant asset class. Under his leadership, Ares expanded across private equity, real estate, infrastructure, and secondaries, establishing itself as a core capital partner to corporations and institutions worldwide. Known for his strategic foresight, disciplined risk management, and ability to scale complex investment platforms, Arougheti has been central to shaping the modern private credit and alternatives landscape.

Marc Lasry, cofounder and CEO of Avenue Capital Group, is one of the most recognized figures in distressed-debt investing, building a multibillion-dollar platform focused on undervalued and special-situation assets around the world. After early success at Amroc Investments, Lasry launched Avenue in 1995 with his sister Sonia, developing a global reputation for navigating complex restructurings and capitalizing on market dislocations. Beyond finance, he is known for his high-profile role in professional sports as former co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, helping oversee the team’s rise to NBA championship status. Lasry’s mix of investment discipline, global perspective, and civic engagement has made him a defining voice in alternative assets.

Lawrence Golub, founder and CEO of Golub Capital, built one of the largest private credit firms in the United States, specializing in direct lending to middle-market companies and providing financing for private equity buyouts. Since launching the firm in 1994, he has overseen the growth of a multibillion-dollar platform known for consistent performance, deep sponsor relationships, and disciplined risk management. Golub Capital has become a key player in leveraged finance, rivaling major banks in unitranche and senior loan markets. Beyond business, Golub is active in philanthropy, public policy, and education, serving on nonprofit boards and donating to health and academic institutions.

Larry Robbins, founder and CEO of Glenview Capital Management, is one of the most respected hedge fund managers in healthcare and event-driven investing. After early success at Leon Cooperman’s Omega Advisors, Robbins launched Glenview in 2000 and built a reputation for deep industry research, concentrated positions, and long-term conviction—particularly in hospitals, insurers, and medical services. His activist work has influenced major healthcare operators, while his philanthropic efforts in education, through the Robbins Family Foundation, focus on charter schools and educational reform. Known for patient, fundamental investing and outspoken views on healthcare policy, Robbins remains a defining figure in the sector.

Jef Colruyt, chairman and former CEO of the Colruyt Group, leads one of Europe’s most efficient and respected retail empires, built on a disciplined focus on low prices, operational simplicity, and long-term family stewardship. Taking the helm in 1994, he expanded the Belgian retailer into a diversified group spanning supermarkets, wholesale distribution, fuel stations, renewable energy, and digital services, all while maintaining a culture of frugality and sustainability. Under his leadership, Colruyt strengthened its position as the dominant price leader in Belgium and a key player in European retail. Known for his understated style and values-driven governance, Jef Colruyt remains one of the continent’s most influential family-business leaders.

Joseph Craft III, president and CEO of Alliance Resource Partners, is one of the most prominent figures in the American coal industry, overseeing one of the nation’s largest and most efficient coal producers. Since taking leadership in the late 1990s, Craft has expanded Alliance through disciplined capital allocation, long-term supply contracts, and a focus on low-cost, high-productivity mining operations across the Midwest and Appalachia. Beyond energy, he is an influential political and philanthropic figure, supporting education, economic development, and university programs throughout Kentucky and Oklahoma. Craft’s combination of operational expertise and strategic influence has made him a defining leader in U.S. energy and regional industry.

Jorge Pérez, founder, chairman, and CEO of The Related Group, is widely known as the “Condo King of Miami,” having shaped the modern skyline of South Florida through four decades of large-scale residential development. Since launching the firm in 1979, Pérez has built tens of thousands of luxury, mixed-income, and urban revitalization units across the region, partnering with top global architects and redefining Miami as an international hub of design, culture, and luxury real estate. A major patron of the arts, Pérez played a central role in establishing the Pérez Art Museum Miami and continues to support cultural and community development across the city. His influence spans real estate, philanthropy, and the transformation of Miami into a global destination.

Jim McKelvey, cofounder of Square (now Block), is an entrepreneur, inventor, and investor whose work has reshaped modern payments and small-business commerce. A glassblower by training, McKelvey partnered with Jack Dorsey in 2009 to create Square’s iconic card reader after losing a sale because he couldn’t accept credit cards—sparking a multibillion-dollar fintech revolution. Beyond Square, he founded LaunchCode to expand access to technology careers and authored The Innovation Stack, distilling insights from building category-defining companies. Known for his product intuition, creative background, and commitment to economic empowerment, McKelvey remains a major force in American entrepreneurship.

Jerry Jones, billionaire businessman and owner of the Dallas Cowboys, transformed the franchise into the most valuable team in global sports through bold management, aggressive marketing, and a relentless focus on brand expansion. Since purchasing the Cowboys in 1989, Jones has overseen multiple Super Bowl victories, built state-of-the-art facilities like AT&T Stadium and The Star in Frisco, and reshaped NFL business economics through media deals and sponsorship innovation. A polarizing yet visionary figure, he has turned the Cowboys into a cultural and commercial powerhouse while becoming one of the most influential owners in professional sports.

Israel Englander, billionaire hedge fund manager, is the founder and CEO of Millennium Management, one of the world’s largest and most successful multi-strategy hedge funds. Launching the firm in 1989 with $35 million, he has grown Millennium into a powerhouse managing more than $50 billion in assets, employing a decentralized model with hundreds of portfolio managers. Known for his risk management discipline and ability to adapt to shifting markets, Englander has built a reputation as one of the most influential figures in modern hedge fund investing.