David Halbert, founder, chairman, and CEO of Caris Life Sciences, built the company into a major force in precision medicine by focusing on molecular profiling and personalized cancer care. A longtime entrepreneur with experience across energy, finance, and healthcare, he turned Caris into one of the most closely watched diagnostics companies in biotech, culminating in its 2025 IPO and his rise into the billionaire ranks. Known for long-term control and conviction-driven growth, Halbert has become a prominent figure in the push to make cancer treatment more data-driven and individualized.

Charles Liang, founder, president, CEO, and chairman of Supermicro, built the company into one of the biggest winners of the AI infrastructure boom by supplying the high-performance servers and data center systems powering cloud, enterprise, and artificial intelligence workloads. Since founding the business in 1993, he has turned Supermicro from a Silicon Valley hardware specialist into a global force in server architecture, storage, and energy-efficient computing, making him one of the most prominent executives riding the explosive demand for AI infrastructure.

Robert Pender, cofounder and executive co-chairman of Venture Global, helped build one of the fastest-rising liquefied natural gas exporters in the United States. Alongside Michael Sabel, he turned the company into a major force in LNG infrastructure and global energy supply, positioning Venture Global among the most closely watched players in the sector. Known for a lower public profile and long-term ownership, Pender has emerged as one of the standout fortunes created by the modern U.S. LNG boom.

Michael Teel, owner and chairman of The Raley’s Companies, represents the third generation of family control behind one of the West Coast’s largest supermarket groups. Grandson of founder Tom Raley, he helped guide the Sacramento-based business from a regional grocery chain into a multi-banner food retail company with billions in annual revenue, while keeping family ownership at the center of its identity. Known for a low-profile style and long-term stewardship, Teel remains one of the most prominent figures in independent American grocery.

John Morgan, founder of Morgan & Morgan, built the largest personal injury law firm in the United States by turning regional legal advertising into a national consumer brand. Known for relentless marketing, mass-scale client acquisition, and an aggressive expansion strategy, he transformed a Florida practice into a legal powerhouse with offices across the country. Beyond the courtroom, Morgan has become a prominent political donor and public advocate, making him one of the most recognizable figures in the modern business of law.

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.

David Humphreys, chairman, president, and CEO of TAMKO Building Products, leads one of America’s largest independent roofing manufacturers and one of the country’s biggest privately held building-products businesses. A third-generation steward of the family company founded in 1944, he took over in 1994 and helped expand TAMKO from a regional manufacturer into a national force in residential roofing. Known for long-term control, disciplined growth, and deep influence in the building materials sector, Humphreys has remained one of the industry’s most powerful low-profile operators.

Don Ahern, founder of Los Arcos Equipment and longtime leader of Ahern Rentals, built his fortune by supplying the machinery behind Las Vegas’s skyline and major construction projects across the U.S. Starting with a small fleet of lifts in 1978, he expanded his business into one of the country’s largest equipment rental companies before selling Ahern Rentals in 2022, cementing his status as one of the most successful figures in the construction equipment industry.

Ron Shaich, cofounder of Au Bon Pain and the architect behind Panera’s rise, built one of the most influential careers in fast-casual dining by pairing sharp consumer insight with disciplined brand building. After helping launch Au Bon Pain, he transformed Panera Bread into a category-defining powerhouse and later expanded into investing and restaurant innovation through Act III Holdings. Known for seeing around corners in food retail, Shaich remains a central figure in the evolution of modern dining.

Steve Witkoff, founder and chairman of the Witkoff Group, built his fortune through high-profile real estate investing and development before emerging onto the global political stage as a U.S. special envoy. Long known in New York property circles for bold deals and opportunistic acquisitions, he later expanded his influence beyond business through diplomatic roles tied to Middle East and peace negotiations. Witkoff stands out as a rare figure whose reach now spans both luxury real estate and high-stakes international diplomacy.

Jon Winkelried, CEO of TPG, is a veteran Wall Street executive who helped lead Goldman Sachs before taking the helm at one of the world’s largest alternative asset managers. Since joining TPG in 2015 and becoming sole CEO in 2021, he has played a central role in scaling the firm’s reach across private equity, credit, real estate, and impact investing. Known for strategic discipline and institutional gravitas, Winkelried has become one of the most influential figures in modern private markets.

Phil Shawe, cofounder and CEO of TransPerfect, built a dorm-room startup into the world’s largest privately held provider of language and business services. Since launching the company in 1992, he has overseen its expansion into a global platform serving corporations, law firms, and institutions across translation, localization, and AI-enabled language solutions. Known for relentless operational drive and long-term control, Shawe has turned TransPerfect into one of the most formidable businesses in the language services industry.

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.

Walter Kortschak is a veteran venture capitalist and former managing director of Summit Partners, where he helped establish the firm’s West Coast presence and backed a long list of technology winners over more than two decades. After joining Summit in 1989, he built a reputation for high-conviction growth investing, with standout bets in companies such as McAfee, Finisar, and Xylan. He later helped launch SignalFire and now invests privately in early-stage technology, extending a career that has made him one of Silicon Valley’s most enduring investors.

Stuart Miller, executive chairman and co-CEO of Lennar, has spent more than four decades helping build the company into one of America’s largest homebuilders. The son of early Lennar investor Leonard Miller, he led the firm through major expansion cycles and helped shape its evolution beyond homebuilding into financial and real estate-related services. Known for long-term strategic control and deep influence over the business, Miller remains one of the most prominent figures in U.S. residential real estate.

Peter Cancro, founder and chairman of Jersey Mike’s, built one of America’s fastest-growing restaurant chains by turning a single New Jersey sandwich shop he bought at 17 into a national franchising powerhouse. Over five decades, he expanded the brand through a simple model centered on fresh-sliced subs, operator loyalty, and strong local-store economics, helping Jersey Mike’s surpass 3,000 locations. After Blackstone’s 2024 acquisition of the company at an $8 billion valuation, Cancro stepped down as CEO in 2025 but remained chairman and a significant shareholder, continuing to shape the brand’s long-term growth.

Mitchell Morgan, founder and chairman of Morgan Properties, built one of the largest private apartment empires in the United States by focusing on older multifamily assets in secondary markets and scaling them through disciplined acquisitions and renovation. Since founding the company in 1985, he has grown Morgan Properties into a portfolio of more than 350 communities and roughly 100,000 units, making it one of the country’s biggest multifamily owners. In 2026, Morgan stepped down as CEO and passed day-to-day leadership to his sons, while remaining chairman of the business he built.

Steve Lavin, chairman and chief executive of OSI Group, leads one of the world’s largest privately held food processors, a company deeply embedded in the global supply chains of brands such as McDonald’s, Chipotle, and Kraft Heinz. A lawyer by training and the son of longtime OSI leader Sheldon Lavin, he took over the business after his father’s death in 2023 and now oversees a multinational protein and prepared-foods enterprise with operations across dozens of facilities worldwide. Known for a low public profile and long-term family stewardship, Lavin represents the next generation of leadership at one of America’s most important private food manufacturers.

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.

Steve Koltes, cofounder and honorary co-chair of CVC, helped build one of the world’s most influential private markets firms from its Citicorp roots into a global powerhouse spanning private equity, credit, secondaries, and infrastructure. After joining the business in the late 1980s, Koltes became one of the key architects of CVC’s international expansion and long-term institutional franchise, helping scale the firm across Europe, Asia, and the U.S. He stepped back from an active role in 2022 and now serves in a non-executive capacity, but remains closely associated with CVC’s rise into the top tier of global buyout firms.