Rick Hendrick, founder and chairman of Hendrick Automotive Group, built the largest privately held automotive dealership group in the United States through scale, discipline, and an intense focus on customer experience. Starting with a single dealership in North Carolina in the 1970s, Hendrick expanded into a nationwide network selling millions of vehicles annually across major brands. He is also a dominant figure in motorsports as owner of Hendrick Motorsports, one of NASCAR’s most successful teams, with multiple championships and a roster of elite drivers. Hendrick’s influence spans both retail automotive operations and the business of American racing.

Rick Caruso, founder and CEO of Caruso Affiliated, is one of America’s most prominent real estate developers, best known for building ultra-premium retail and mixed-use destinations that blend luxury, design, and community experience. A former attorney and civic leader, Caruso developed landmark projects in Southern California such as The Grove, Americana at Brand, and Palisades Village, redefining high-end experiential retail at a time when traditional malls declined. Known for meticulous attention to detail, brand curation, and long-term asset quality, he has built a real estate empire centered on place-making. Caruso has also become a high-profile public figure through philanthropy and political involvement in Los Angeles.

Elizabeth Uihlein, president of Uline, helped build one of America’s largest privately held business suppliers by scaling a customer-service-driven distribution model for packaging and shipping materials. Working alongside her husband Richard, she co-built Uline from a small family venture into a national logistics powerhouse known for fast delivery, operational discipline, and a vast product catalog serving businesses across the United States. Known for hands-on leadership and a direct management style, Uihlein has been central to Uline’s execution culture, brand consistency, and long-term private ownership success.

Richard Uihlein, founder and CEO of Uline, built one of America’s largest privately held business suppliers by turning packaging and shipping materials into a high-volume, service-driven empire. Starting the company in 1980 with his wife Elizabeth, Uihlein scaled Uline through catalog and e-commerce distribution, relentless logistics efficiency, and a reputation for fast delivery across the United States. Known for conservative management, strict operational discipline, and privately owned growth, he has expanded Uline into a dominant force in B2B supply chains while maintaining a low public profile outside business and philanthropy.

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.

Richard Peery, founder of the Peery family real estate enterprise, built one of Silicon Valley’s most influential commercial property portfolios by specializing in high-quality office and industrial developments in Northern California. Known for acquiring and developing strategic assets near the world’s leading technology corridors, Peery helped shape the physical infrastructure that supported the region’s growth for decades. Operating with a low public profile, he expanded through long-term ownership, disciplined management, and a deep understanding of location-driven value. Peery is also recognized for philanthropy supporting education, community development, and civic initiatives.

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.

Reid Hoffman, cofounder of LinkedIn, is one of Silicon Valley’s most influential entrepreneurs and investors, known for shaping professional networking at global scale. After early roles at PayPal and Socialnet, Hoffman launched LinkedIn in 2002, turning it into the world’s dominant platform for career identity, recruiting, and business relationships before its landmark acquisition by Microsoft. As a partner at Greylock, he backed major companies including Airbnb and Facebook, while also becoming a prominent public intellectual through books, podcasts, and AI advocacy. Hoffman’s work blends network economics, venture investing, and strategic thinking about the future of technology.

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.

Raymond J. Harbert, founder and CEO of Harbert Management Corporation, built a major alternative investment platform spanning private equity, real estate, infrastructure, and credit. After starting his career in banking and leveraged finance, Harbert founded his firm in 1993 and grew it into a global manager serving institutions and high-net-worth investors with long-term, diversified strategies. Known for disciplined capital allocation and a conservative, steady approach across market cycles, Harbert has also become a prominent philanthropist supporting education, medical research, and civic initiatives, particularly in the American South.

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.

Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, built the world’s largest hedge fund by combining radical transparency, systematic decision-making, and macroeconomic insight. Starting Bridgewater in 1975 from a small apartment, Dalio developed a research-driven approach to global markets that made the firm a dominant force in institutional investing. Known for pioneering “risk parity,” shaping corporate culture through principles-based management, and sharing frameworks for decision-making, Dalio became one of the most influential thinkers in modern finance. Beyond investing, he is a major philanthropist and an active voice on global economic and geopolitical trends.

Randal J. Kirk, biotech entrepreneur and investor, built his fortune by creating and scaling life-sciences companies focused on drug development, specialty pharmaceuticals, and healthcare innovation. Best known as the founder of Intrexon and as the driving force behind multiple public biotech ventures, Kirk has pursued an aggressive strategy of acquiring scientific platforms, recruiting top research talent, and commercializing high-value therapies. His long-term influence spans pharmaceuticals, genetics, and medical technology, reflecting a rare ability to combine capital markets skill with scientific ambition.

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.

Philip Milstein, founder and CEO of Ogden CAP Properties, built a major New York–based real estate investment platform focused on value-oriented acquisitions across office, residential, and mixed-use properties. After early experience in property development and asset management, Milstein expanded Ogden CAP by targeting complex, underperforming assets and repositioning them through active management and long-term capital discipline. Known for a hands-on approach and deep market knowledge, he has assembled a sizable portfolio while maintaining a low public profile. Milstein’s career reflects patient investing and contrarian thinking within urban real estate markets.

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 Singer, founder and CEO of Elliott Investment Management, is one of the most influential activist investors in the world, known for combining deep legal expertise with relentless capital discipline. Since launching Elliott in 1977, Singer has built a multibillion-dollar firm that targets complex situations across public equities, debt, and sovereign restructurings, often pushing for governance reform and value realization. His campaigns have reshaped outcomes at major corporations and governments alike, cementing Elliott’s reputation for rigor, persistence, and results. Beyond investing, Singer is a prominent political donor and philanthropist focused on free markets, democracy, and human rights.

Paul Saville, longtime executive and vice chairman of NVR, is one of the key architects behind one of the most consistently profitable homebuilders in the United States. As a senior partner of investor David A. Tepper in NVR’s early years, Saville helped shape the company’s distinctive, asset-light business model, emphasizing land optioning, strict cost controls, and disciplined capital allocation. This approach allowed NVR to outperform peers across housing cycles while maintaining high returns on equity and a strong balance sheet. Saville’s influence reflects a rare blend of financial rigor and operational restraint in a cyclical industry.

Paul Merage, cofounder of Chef America Inc., built one of the most iconic consumer food brands in the U.S. by transforming a simple frozen snack into a mass-market staple. Alongside his brother David, Merage created Hot Pockets in the 1980s, pioneering the handheld frozen-meal category and scaling distribution nationwide through grocery and convenience channels. The success of Chef America culminated in its multibillion-dollar sale to Nestlé, marking one of the most successful exits in packaged foods. Since then, Merage has focused on private investing, real estate, and philanthropy, particularly in education and community development.