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.

Richard Kurtz, founder and chairman of Kamson Corporation, built a major privately held real estate company specializing in multifamily and mixed-use properties across the Northeastern United States. Starting with a focus on apartment ownership and management, Kurtz grew Kamson through disciplined acquisitions, property repositioning, and long-term operational control, creating a large portfolio spanning residential communities and commercial assets. Known for quiet execution and a patient, cash-flow-driven strategy, he has maintained Kamson as a durable family-led platform through multiple real estate cycles.

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.

Purnendu Chatterjee, founder and chairman of The Chatterjee Group, built a diversified global investment firm by taking concentrated, long-term positions in industrial, chemical, consumer, and infrastructure businesses. A former partner at Soros Fund Management, Chatterjee applies activist discipline and operational focus to complex situations, often partnering closely with management to drive strategic change. His portfolio has included significant stakes across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, reflecting a patient, hands-on approach to value creation.

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.

Nicolas Berggruen, investor and philanthropist, built a global reputation as a contrarian thinker blending capital, policy, and long-term societal vision. Founder of Berggruen Holdings and the Berggruen Institute, he has invested across real estate, finance, and special situations while championing ideas around governance reform, technology, and globalization. Known for his unconventional lifestyle and intellectual focus, Berggruen has positioned himself less as a traditional financier and more as a patron of cross-disciplinary thought, convening global leaders to address structural challenges facing modern societies.

Mortimer Zuckerman, real estate magnate, media executive, and investor, built a multifaceted career spanning property development, publishing, and public policy influence. As longtime chairman and CEO of Boston Properties, he helped create one of the largest publicly traded office real estate investment trusts in the United States, shaping skylines in New York, Boston, and Washington, D.C. In parallel, Zuckerman became a prominent media figure as owner and editor-in-chief of U.S. News & World Report and publisher of the New York Daily News, using his platforms to weigh in on economics, foreign policy, and urban affairs. His career reflects a rare blend of large-scale real estate execution and national media influence.

Lowell Milken, cofounder of Knowledge Universe and a longtime leader in education reform and philanthropy, has built a wide-ranging career focused on improving teaching quality and expanding access to effective learning models. After an early career in law and finance, he helped develop Knowledge Universe into one of the world’s largest private education companies, spanning early childhood learning, professional development, and technology-enabled instruction. As chairman of the Milken Family Foundation, he has created nationally recognized programs such as the Milken Educator Awards and TAP: The System for Teacher and Student Advancement. Known for his strategic vision and commitment to education innovation, Milken is a defining figure in modern philanthropic efforts to strengthen America’s schools.

Leo KoGuan, billionaire entrepreneur and founder of SHI International, built one of America’s largest privately held IT services companies, supplying software, cloud infrastructure, and enterprise solutions to Fortune 500 clients. A bold technology investor, he is also known as one of the biggest individual shareholders of Tesla, publicly advocating for the company’s mission and long-term strategy. Born in Indonesia and educated in the United States, KoGuan combines global business reach with significant philanthropy, supporting universities, research, and cultural institutions across Asia and the U.S. His career reflects scale, conviction, and a relentless focus on technological progress.

Christian Dumolin, chairman and co-ceo of Koramic Investment Group, is one of Belgium’s most respected industrial and investment leaders, known for transforming a traditional brick-manufacturing company into a diversified European holding with interests spanning real estate, manufacturing, financial services, and private equity. After joining the family business in the 1970s, he led its international expansion, later steering Koramic into a broad investment platform focused on long-term value creation and operational excellence. Dumolin has served on numerous corporate boards, becoming a key figure in Belgium’s entrepreneurial landscape, while his philanthropic work in culture, education, and regional development underscores his influence beyond business.

Jonathan Gray, president and chief operating officer of Blackstone, is one of the most influential investors in modern finance, credited with building the firm’s real estate arm into the world’s largest private property platform. Joining Blackstone in 1992, he pioneered the company’s massive expansion into opportunistic real estate, logistics, hospitality, and large-scale global acquisitions, including the Hilton Hotels deal—one of the most profitable private equity investments in history. As COO, Gray now helps steer Blackstone’s multi-trillion-dollar asset management strategy across private equity, credit, infrastructure, and insurance. Known for his analytical discipline, bold dealmaking, and philanthropic leadership in cancer research, Gray is a central architect of the firm’s rise to global dominance.

Hussain Sajwani, founder and chairman of DAMAC Properties, is one of the Middle East’s most prominent real estate developers, known for transforming Dubai’s skyline with luxury residences, branded towers, and large-scale master-planned communities. Starting as a catering entrepreneur serving energy companies across the Gulf, Sajwani shifted into property development in the early 2000s, building DAMAC into a multibillion-dollar enterprise recognized for partnerships with global brands such as Versace, Fendi, Cavalli, and Paramount Hotels. With projects spanning the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, London, and beyond, Sajwani has become a defining figure in luxury real estate and one of the region’s most influential business leaders.

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.

Jeffrey Hines, chairman and co-CEO of Hines, leads one of the world’s largest and most respected privately held real estate investment, development, and management firms. The son of legendary founder Gerald D. Hines, he joined the company in the 1980s and helped expand its global footprint from a U.S.-focused developer into a multinational powerhouse operating in 30+ countries. Under his leadership, Hines has executed billions in landmark office, residential, industrial, and mixed-use projects—combining cutting-edge architecture, disciplined capital management, and long-term partnerships. Known for his steady strategic vision and global mindset, Hines has cemented the firm’s position as a standard-setter in institutional real estate.

Jeff Sutton, founder and president of Wharton Properties, is one of New York City’s most powerful retail real estate owners, known for assembling a blue-chip portfolio through off-market deals and long-term tenant relationships. Starting from modest beginnings, he built his empire by securing prime Manhattan corners and partnering with luxury brands and national retailers such as Nike, Zara, and American Eagle. Sutton’s strategy—favoring ground-floor retail in irreplaceable locations and maintaining conservative leverage—has made Wharton Properties a dominant force in high-street retail and one of the most valuable privately held real estate portfolios in the city.

Jeff Greene, billionaire real estate investor, built his fortune by making one of the most successful bets against the U.S. housing market before the 2008 financial crisis, using credit default swaps to hedge his property portfolio. After the crash, he expanded his holdings across South Florida, Los Angeles, and New York, developing and acquiring high-end residential, commercial, and hospitality properties. Known for his contrarian instincts and disciplined approach to leverage, Greene has also pursued ventures in education and sustainability while maintaining an active role in philanthropy and public policy. His investments continue to shape key real estate markets nationwide.

David Simon, chairman, CEO, and president of Simon Property Group, has led the company to become the largest shopping mall operator in the United States and a global leader in retail real estate. Taking over leadership in the mid-1990s, he steered the Indianapolis-based firm through major acquisitions, including the purchase of Taubman Centers, and successfully navigated challenges posed by e-commerce and shifting consumer trends. Under his guidance, Simon Property Group has maintained dominance with hundreds of malls and premium outlets, while Simon himself has earned a reputation as one of the most influential executives in American real estate.

Herbert Simon, billionaire real estate developer, is chairman emeritus of Simon Property Group, the largest shopping mall operator in the United States. Alongside his late brother Melvin, he expanded the Indianapolis-based company into a global retail real estate powerhouse, with hundreds of malls and premium outlets worldwide. Under his leadership, Simon Property Group grew into a publicly traded giant and a bellwether of the retail industry. Beyond real estate, Simon is also known as owner of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers and as a philanthropist supporting education, culture, and community development.