Bill Austin, founder and CEO of Starkey Hearing Technologies, built one of the world’s largest privately held hearing aid manufacturers by combining medical innovation, global distribution, and a mission-driven approach to hearing health. Starting with a small hearing aid repair shop, Austin scaled Starkey into a major medical device company serving patients in more than 100 countries, while also pioneering philanthropic hearing initiatives through the Starkey Hearing Foundation. Known for blending entrepreneurship with humanitarian outreach, he has positioned Starkey at the intersection of technology, healthcare, and global access to treatment.

Wayne Hughes Jr., chairman of Public Storage, oversees one of the largest self-storage empires in the world, continuing the legacy built by his father, company founder Wayne Hughes. After years in private investing and philanthropy, he assumed a leading role in the publicly traded REIT, guiding strategy across a vast portfolio of storage properties throughout the United States and Europe. Known for low-profile leadership and long-term ownership discipline, Hughes represents a new generation of stewardship within one of the most profitable real estate business models in modern property investing.

Warren Stephens, chairman, president, and CEO of Stephens Inc., leads one of the largest privately held investment banks in the United States, continuing a multigenerational Arkansas-based financial legacy. Under his leadership, Stephens Inc. has remained a powerful force in middle-market investment banking, institutional brokerage, and private capital, advising corporations, investors, and governments across sectors. Known for conservative management and long-term relationships, Stephens has preserved the firm’s private ownership while expanding its national influence. He is also a prominent philanthropist supporting education, healthcare, and community initiatives.

Thomas Siebel is the founder and Executive Chairman of C3.ai, a global pioneer in enterprise artificial intelligence software. After establishing Siebel Systems as the leader in the CRM market and selling it to Oracle in 2006, he founded C3.ai in 2009 to provide scalable AI and IoT solutions for industries ranging from energy to defense. In September 2025, Siebel transitioned from CEO to Executive Chairman to focus on long-term strategy and product innovation, following a diagnosis of an autoimmune disease that caused significant visual impairment. A prolific philanthropist, he has donated over $150 million to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and remains a leading voice on digital transformation and the evolution of "agentic AI" in the corporate world.

Thomas Barrack Jr. is the U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye and the Special Envoy for Syria in the second Trump administration, where he serves as a pivotal figure in Middle Eastern diplomacy. A veteran private equity investor and the founder of Colony Capital (now DigitalBridge), Barrack has leveraged his decades of experience in the region to broker historic regional agreements. In early 2026, he played a lead role in integrating the Syrian government into the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and oversaw major infrastructure MoUs, including a milestone gas exploration agreement between Syria and Chevron. His current diplomatic portfolio emphasizes regional security through "shared responsibility," successfully managing the complex transition of territory between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the central government in Damascus.

Stewart Rahr is the billionaire founder of Kinray, which he grew into the largest privately held pharmaceutical distributor in the world before its $1.3 billion sale to Cardinal Health in 2010. Known as the self-styled "Number One King of All Fun," Rahr is a permanent fixture in New York’s high-society and philanthropic circles. His Stewart J. Rahr Foundation has donated over $25 million to the Make-A-Wish Foundation alone, alongside significant contributions to cancer and medical research. A flamboyant figure with a reputation for grand charity galas and celebrity connections, he remains a central force in American philanthropy and land stewardship in the Hamptons.

Stanley Hubbard is a broadcasting pioneer and the driving force behind Hubbard Broadcasting, a multi-generational media empire that revolutionized the television industry. He is widely credited with launching the first direct-broadcast satellite service, USSB, which eventually paved the way for the modern satellite TV landscape. Under his leadership, the company expanded from its Minnesota roots into a national powerhouse with dozens of television and radio stations, as well as the cable network REELZ. A staunch advocate for local broadcasting and technological innovation, Hubbard has maintained family ownership of the firm while consistently adapting to the digital shift, securing his legacy as a central architect of the American media landscape.

Ross Perot Jr., businessman and real estate developer, built a major presence in transportation and property development while extending the Perot family legacy beyond technology. As chairman of Hillwood, he expanded the company into one of the most important industrial real estate and logistics developers in the United States, building massive distribution hubs, mixed-use communities, and aviation-linked projects. Perot also played a pioneering role in global aviation as part of the first circumnavigation of the world by helicopter. Known for long-term infrastructure vision and disciplined execution, he remains a central figure in modern logistics real estate and Dallas business leadership.

Todd Wanek, president and CEO of Ashley Furniture Industries, has led the world’s largest home furnishings manufacturer through global expansion, vertical integration, and modernized supply chain execution. The son of founder Ronald Wanek, he helped scale Ashley’s manufacturing footprint, logistics capabilities, and retail partnerships, strengthening the company’s ability to deliver mass-market furniture at enormous volume. Known for operational intensity and disciplined leadership, Wanek has steered Ashley through shifting consumer demand, e-commerce disruption, and complex global sourcing challenges while keeping the business privately held and growth-focused.

Ronald Wanek, founder and chairman of Ashley Furniture Industries, built the world’s largest home furnishings manufacturer by mastering scale production, vertical integration, and mass-market distribution. Starting the business in the 1970s, Wanek expanded Ashley into a global furniture powerhouse with manufacturing across the U.S. and internationally, supported by one of the largest retail networks in the industry. Known for operational discipline and private ownership focus, he turned furniture—a traditionally fragmented category—into an empire defined by efficiency and logistics strength.

Ronald Lauder, heir to the Estée Lauder fortune, built a multifaceted career spanning global business, diplomacy, and cultural leadership. As a longtime leader and major shareholder of Estée Lauder Companies, he helped expand the cosmetics empire into an international powerhouse of prestige beauty brands. Lauder also served as U.S. ambassador to Austria and became one of the world’s most influential art patrons, including leadership at the Jewish Museum in New York and major involvement in efforts to recover Nazi-looted art. Known for strategic philanthropy and cultural advocacy, Lauder’s influence extends far beyond consumer brands into politics, education, and heritage preservation.

Robert Duggan, biotech entrepreneur and investor, built his fortune by identifying overlooked medical assets and scaling them into blockbuster businesses. He is best known for leading Pharmacyclics as CEO and majority owner, turning the company into a major oncology success through the development of Imbruvica, before selling it to AbbVie in a multibillion-dollar deal. Known for bold conviction, aggressive capital deployment, and a willingness to bet heavily on scientific outcomes, Duggan has become one of the most successful dealmakers in modern biotechnology.

Richard Yuengling Jr., owner of D.G. Yuengling & Son, revitalized America’s oldest brewery and built it into one of the largest independent beer producers in the United States. After joining the family business in the 1970s and taking control in the mid-1980s, he expanded production capacity, modernized operations, and turned Yuengling Lager into a dominant regional brand with a fiercely loyal following. Known for hands-on management and long-term family ownership, Yuengling has kept the brewery privately held while steadily expanding its geographic reach and cultural footprint.

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.

Phil Ruffin, casino and real estate magnate, built a fortune through high-conviction bets on hospitality, energy, and distressed assets, most famously in Las Vegas. After early success in oil and gas, Ruffin acquired and revitalized major properties including the Treasure Island hotel-casino, applying hands-on operations and disciplined capital allocation. Known for opportunistic dealmaking and a long-term owner’s mindset, he has remained a powerful figure in gaming and commercial real estate, pairing bold acquisitions with tight cost control and patient value creation.

Nelson Peltz, founder and CEO of Trian Fund Management, is one of the most prominent activist investors in corporate America, known for pushing operational discipline and shareholder-focused governance at some of the world’s largest companies. After early success building food distributor Triangle Industries, Peltz turned to activism through Trian, taking influential stakes in companies such as Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, DuPont, and General Electric. His campaigns typically emphasize cost control, capital allocation, and strategic clarity rather than breakups, earning him a reputation as a boardroom power broker. Peltz’s blend of industrial experience and financial activism has reshaped how large corporations respond to shareholder pressure.

Marc Rowan, cofounder and CEO of Apollo Global Management, is one of the most influential figures in alternative investing, helping build Apollo into a global powerhouse across private equity, credit, and real assets. After beginning his career at Drexel Burnham Lambert, Rowan co-launched Apollo in 1990, developing its reputation for contrarian investing, distressed opportunities, and disciplined capital allocation. As CEO, he has overseen Apollo’s evolution into a diversified asset manager with a strong emphasis on credit, insurance partnerships, and long-term yield strategies. Known for his analytical rigor and understated leadership, Rowan stands at the center of modern private markets.

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.

Barry Zekelman, executive chairman and CEO of Zekelman Industries, leads North America’s largest independent steel pipe and tube manufacturer, a company he and his family built into a dominant force in the industrial and construction supply chain. After taking over the business at a young age following his father’s passing, Zekelman expanded the company through bold acquisitions, vertical integration, and major investments in advanced U.S. manufacturing. Known for his outspoken advocacy of domestic industry and blue-collar jobs, he has positioned Zekelman Industries as a key supplier to infrastructure, energy, and commercial projects across the continent.

Jay Adair, CEO of Copart, has transformed the Dallas-based company into a global powerhouse in online vehicle auctions and salvage remarketing. Starting at Copart as a teenager, he rose through the ranks and became CEO in 2010, driving the company’s shift from physical auctions to a fully digital, globally scalable platform. Under his leadership, Copart expanded into more than a dozen countries, partnered with major insurers, and grew into a multibillion-dollar enterprise trusted by buyers and sellers worldwide. Known for his technology-forward strategy and operational discipline, Adair has cemented Copart’s position as the dominant force in its industry.