Edward DeBartolo Jr., former owner of the San Francisco 49ers and heir to a shopping center fortune, built a rare legacy spanning both real estate wealth and sports dominance. Best known for overseeing the 49ers’ dynasty years, during which the franchise won five Super Bowls, he also remained tied to one of America’s most prominent mall-developing families. Though later overshadowed by legal controversy, DeBartolo endures as one of the most consequential figures in modern NFL ownership.

Dwight Schar, founder of NVR, built one of America’s largest homebuilding companies by turning NVHomes and the later Ryan Homes combination into a dominant force in residential construction. After surviving a bruising bankruptcy in the early 1990s, he helped reshape the company into a highly efficient, asset-light operator and remained a major figure in U.S. housing long after stepping back from day-to-day leadership. Known for disciplined growth and significant philanthropy, Schar stands as one of the most successful fortunes in American homebuilding.

Dan Friedkin, chairman and CEO of The Friedkin Group, built one of America’s most diversified private empires by expanding a family automotive fortune into hospitality, entertainment, and global sports. Best known for leading Gulf States Toyota, he has also extended his reach through luxury resorts, film production, and high-profile football ownership, including AS Roma and Everton. With a low public profile and a long-term ownership style, Friedkin stands out as one of the most quietly influential billionaires in business.

Gerry Cardinale, founder and managing partner of RedBird Capital Partners, has built one of the most influential private investment firms at the intersection of sports, media, entertainment, and financial services. A former Goldman Sachs partner, he launched RedBird in 2014 and expanded it into a firm managing about $14 billion, with high-profile bets tied to brands and platforms such as Fenway Sports Group, AC Milan, Skydance, and YES Network. Known for strategic dealmaking and a sharp eye for culturally powerful assets, Cardinale has become one of the standout financiers in modern sports and media investing.

David Adelman, CEO of Campus Apartments, turned an early teenage investment in student housing into one of the country’s leading privately held college-living platforms. Based in Philadelphia, he helped grow the business into a multibillion-dollar real estate company with assets under management across numerous states, while also expanding his reach into private investing, sports ownership, and finance. Known for aggressive dealmaking and institutional capital instincts, Adelman has become one of the most prominent entrepreneurs in student housing and adjacent real estate.

Earvin “Magic” Johnson, the NBA legend turned business mogul, built a billion-dollar empire by parlaying his basketball fame into a far-reaching portfolio of investments in sports, insurance, real estate, and urban-focused businesses. After redefining the point guard position with the Los Angeles Lakers, he became one of the most successful athlete-entrepreneurs in America, with holdings tied to major league franchises and long-term strategic investments. Johnson stands as a rare figure who translated sports stardom into enduring business power.

Robert Citrone, founder of Discovery Capital Management, is a veteran macro investor who built his reputation after stints at Fidelity and Julian Robertson’s Tiger Management. Since launching Discovery in 1999, he has become one of the most prominent “Tiger Cubs,” known for high-conviction global bets across currencies, sovereign debt, equities, and emerging markets. With a low public profile but a long record of outsized returns, Citrone remains one of hedge fund investing’s most formidable operators.

Marc Lore, serial entrepreneur and investor, built his fortune by repeatedly spotting where consumer behavior was heading next—from e-commerce to food delivery. After cofounding Quidsi and later launching Jet.com, which Walmart acquired for $3.3 billion in 2016, he became one of the most prominent operators in digital commerce. He has since turned to next-generation retail and delivery through Wonder, while also expanding into sports ownership, cementing his reputation as a high-velocity builder of consumer businesses.

Mark Attanasio, cofounder and managing partner of Crescent Capital, built his fortune in alternative asset management before becoming chairman and principal owner of the Milwaukee Brewers. Since leading the club’s purchase in 2005, he has paired Wall Street discipline with long-term sports ownership, establishing himself as a rare figure with influence in both high finance and professional baseball.

Peter Guber, chairman and CEO of Mandalay Entertainment, is a veteran Hollywood producer and entrepreneur who has built a cross-platform empire spanning film, television, sports, and digital media. After earlier leadership roles at major studios, he founded Mandalay in 1995 and went on to produce or back commercially successful projects while extending his reach into sports ownership and media investing. Known for combining storytelling instincts with sharp business strategy, Guber remains one of the most influential dealmakers in entertainment.

Walter Wang, chairman and CEO of JM Eagle, built one of the world’s largest plastic pipe manufacturers by combining industrial scale, disciplined expansion, and a long-term infrastructure vision. After acquiring J-M Manufacturing in 2005 and later merging it with PW Eagle, Wang transformed the business into a dominant supplier of plastic pipe used in water, sewer, gas, and utility systems across North America. Known for a low-profile but ambitious leadership style, he has paired industrial growth with major philanthropic work in education, healthcare, and civic causes, making him one of the most prominent figures in modern infrastructure manufacturing.

Donald R. Levin, founder of D.R.L. Enterprises, built a global rolling-paper empire by controlling nearly every layer of the supply chain—from paper mills and manufacturing to distribution and iconic consumer brands. Through D.R.L.’s Republic Brands unit, Levin amassed labels such as Zig-Zag, E-Z Wider, OCB, and JOB, turning a niche tobacco-adjacent business into a multibillion-dollar private enterprise. Known as the “king of rolling papers,” he paired low-profile operating discipline with vertical integration, extending his holdings into leasing, film production, and sports ownership, including the Chicago Wolves.

Kevin Glazer, founder, CEO, and owner of Glazer Properties, has been a prominent figure in commercial real estate for more than three decades, building a portfolio shaped by long-term ownership and disciplined investment. Beyond property, he is also a co-owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a principal investor in Manchester United Football Club, placing him at the intersection of real estate and global sports ownership. Known as a philanthropist as well as a businessman, Glazer’s profile reflects a blend of private enterprise, franchise ownership, and civic engagement.

Joel Glazer is a sports executive and investor best known as owner/co-chairman of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and executive co-chairman and director of Manchester United. A member of the Glazer family that built one of the most prominent sports ownership portfolios in the world, he has spent decades overseeing the Buccaneers’ day-to-day operations while also playing a central role in Manchester United’s governance. His influence extends beyond club ownership into league affairs as chairman of the NFL International Committee and a member of several key NFL committees, placing him at the intersection of franchise strategy, league policy, and global sports expansion.

Bryan Glazer is a sports executive and investor best known as owner/co-chairman of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a member of the Glazer family that controls Manchester United. Working largely behind the scenes, he oversees many of the Buccaneers’ day-to-day business operations and has helped shape the franchise’s brand, stadium development, and commercial profile over three decades. As part of one of the most prominent sports-owning families in the world, Glazer sits at the center of a multigenerational empire spanning NFL ownership, European football, real estate, and philanthropy.

Jean-Marc Chapus, cofounder and managing partner of Crescent Capital, helped build one of the most established private credit firms in the market by focusing on below-investment-grade debt, private equity-backed financing, and disciplined risk management. A former leveraged finance banker at Drexel Burnham Lambert and later a senior executive at TCW, Chapus co-founded Crescent in 1991 and played a central role in shaping its investment philosophy across private and tradeable credit. Under his leadership, Crescent grew into a globally recognized credit platform managing tens of billions of dollars and became a key capital partner to private equity sponsors and growth companies.

Edward Glazer is a sports executive and investor best known as co-chairman of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a member of the Glazer family that controls Manchester United. He plays an active role in the Buccaneers’ business operations and fan-experience strategy, helping shape one of the NFL’s most commercially polished franchises, while also remaining tied to the family’s broader holdings, including First Allied Corporation. Low-profile but influential, Glazer sits at the center of a multigenerational empire spanning sports ownership, real estate, and philanthropy.

Frederic B. Luddy, founder and board chairman of ServiceNow, built one of the most influential enterprise software companies of the cloud era by turning IT service management into a broader platform for digital workflow automation. He founded ServiceNow in 2004 and helped grow it into a global software leader, with the company later surpassing $7 billion in annual revenue organically. Known for his product-first mindset and low-profile leadership, Luddy remains closely identified with ServiceNow’s long-term vision and engineering culture.

John W. Stanton, chairman of Trilogy Equity Partners and chairman/managing partner of the Seattle Mariners ownership group, is a wireless-industry pioneer who helped build multiple major U.S. mobile operators before turning to venture investing and sports ownership. After senior leadership roles at McCaw Cellular, Stanton founded and led Western Wireless and VoiceStream, two formative companies in the rise of modern mobile telecom, and later built Trilogy into an early-stage investment platform focused on wireless and technology opportunities. His career blends telecom entrepreneurship, institutional board influence, and long-term stewardship of one of Major League Baseball’s flagship franchises.

Mark Lerner, managing principal owner of the Washington Nationals and a principal of Lerner Enterprises, sits at the intersection of one of Washington’s most prominent real estate dynasties and Major League Baseball ownership. The son of developer Ted Lerner, he assumed control of the Nationals in 2018 and helped oversee the franchise’s 2019 World Series championship, while remaining deeply tied to the family’s privately held real estate business, one of the largest in the Washington, D.C., region. Known for low-profile leadership and long-term family stewardship, Lerner represents the continuation of a multigenerational business legacy across both property and sports.