Victoria Mars, a fourth-generation member of the Mars family, is a former chair of Mars Inc. and one of the heirs to the private candy, pet care, and food empire behind M&M’s, Snickers, Pedigree, Whiskas, and Royal Canin. She began working in the family business in France in 1978, later held roles at Mars Electronics and Dove, served as Mars’s first corporate ombudsman, and chaired the company’s board from 2014 to 2017.

Valerie Mars, a fourth-generation member of the Mars family, is an heir to the private candy, pet care, and food fortune behind brands such as M&M’s, Snickers, Pedigree, Whiskas, and Royal Canin. Unlike lower-profile family heirs, she has held senior roles inside Mars Inc., including leadership positions in corporate development and governance, giving her profile both ownership and operating depth within one of America’s largest family-controlled companies.

Marijke Mars, great-granddaughter of Mars Inc. founder Frank C. Mars, is an heir to one of America’s largest private fortunes. Her wealth comes from the family-owned candy, pet care, and food giant behind brands such as M&M’s, Snickers, Pedigree, Whiskas, and Royal Canin. Unlike some members of the Mars family, she keeps a very low public profile, with her influence tied primarily to ownership in the privately held company.

Judith “Judy” Faulkner, founder and CEO of Epic Systems, built one of the most important healthcare software companies in the U.S. after launching it in a Wisconsin basement in 1979. Epic’s electronic medical record software is used by leading hospitals and health systems, supporting records for hundreds of millions of patients. Faulkner has kept Epic private, avoided venture capital and acquisitions, and pledged most of her fortune to philanthropy.

Milane Frantz, daughter of Enterprise Products cofounder Dan Duncan, is one of the heirs to the Duncan family energy fortune. Her wealth is tied to Enterprise Products Partners, one of America’s largest pipeline and midstream energy companies, which remains under significant family ownership. Based in Houston and known for a very low public profile, Frantz represents the quieter side of one of Texas’s most valuable energy dynasties.

Randa Duncan Williams, non-executive chairman of Enterprise Products Partners, is the most publicly active heir to the energy fortune built by her father, Dan Duncan. Enterprise Products, founded in 1968, became one of America’s largest pipeline and midstream energy companies, with the Duncan family retaining major ownership. Williams, the only one of Dan Duncan’s four children with an active role in the business, also owns Texas Monthly and remains a prominent figure in Houston business and philanthropy.

Laurene Powell Jobs, founder and president of Emerson Collective, built one of the most influential platforms in modern philanthropy and impact investing after inheriting stakes in Apple and Disney. Through Emerson, she focuses on education, immigration, climate, journalism, and social change, while also serving as owner of The Atlantic and founder of College Track and XQ Institute. Her profile combines Silicon Valley wealth, media ownership, and long-term philanthropic influence.

Pat Stryker, granddaughter of Stryker Corporation founder Homer Stryker, inherited part of the family medical-device fortune and became one of Colorado’s most prominent billionaire philanthropists. She founded the Bohemian Foundation in 2001, focusing on music, arts, community programs, and civic causes, while keeping a relatively low public profile. Her influence is tied less to operating the family company than to philanthropy, political giving, and long-term community investment.

Melinda French Gates, one of the world’s most influential philanthropists, built her fortune through Microsoft and spent more than two decades co-leading the Gates Foundation. After leaving the foundation in 2024, she shifted her focus to independent giving through Pivotal Ventures, with a major emphasis on women, families, health, and economic power. Her career now stands at the intersection of technology wealth, global philanthropy, and women-focused social investment.

Alexandra Andresen, Norwegian heiress and board member of Ferd, is one of Europe’s youngest billionaires, with her wealth tied to the Andresen family’s investment group spanning private equity, financial assets, real estate, and impact ventures. Beyond business, she is also known for her serious involvement in equestrian sport, which has made her public profile more distinctive than that of many heirs of large family fortunes. Though she maintains a relatively low-key presence, Andresen represents the next generation connected to one of Norway’s most powerful private investment families.

Katharina Andresen, heiress to Norway’s Andresen family fortune, is a board member and indirect owner of Ferd, one of the country’s largest privately held investment groups. Her wealth stems from the family’s long-running business empire, which spans private equity, financial investments, real estate, and social-impact ventures. Though she keeps a relatively low public profile, Andresen remains one of Europe’s youngest billionaire investors and part of the next generation shaping Ferd’s long-term future.

Johan H. Andresen, owner and chair of Ferd, oversees one of Norway’s largest privately held investment groups, with interests spanning industrial companies, financial assets, real estate, and impact-driven ventures. A member of the family behind the business’s 19th-century roots, he helped transform Ferd from its tobacco legacy into a modern investment powerhouse while building a reputation for long-term ownership and social entrepreneurship. Known for pairing private capital with public-purpose ambitions, Andresen stands out as one of Norway’s most influential business figures.

Haim Saban, founder and CEO of Saban Capital Group, built a global fortune at the intersection of media, entertainment, and investing, rising from children’s television producer to billionaire dealmaker. Best known for creating Power Rangers and later extending his reach through major media and telecom investments, he has spent decades turning pop-culture success into broad financial influence. Saban remains one of the most prominent figures to bridge entertainment entrepreneurship and large-scale global investing.

Charles Bronfman, heir to the Seagram fortune, helped lead one of the world’s most powerful liquor empires while building a lasting public profile through philanthropy, cultural patronage, and Jewish causes. As co-chairman of Seagram, he stood at the center of the family business before its landmark sale to Vivendi in 2000, a deal that marked the end of an era for one of Canada’s most iconic corporate dynasties. Bronfman later became as well known for giving as for business, extending his influence far beyond spirits and family wealth.

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.

David Grain, founder and CEO of Grain Management, built one of the most influential private equity firms focused on digital infrastructure, with investments spanning broadband, wireless spectrum, and communications networks. Since launching the firm in 2007, he has positioned it at the center of the infrastructure economy by backing assets tied to connectivity and long-term data demand. Known for disciplined dealmaking and a sharp focus on strategic infrastructure, Grain has emerged as a prominent figure in private equity and telecommunications investing.

Igor Tulchinsky, founder, chairman, and CEO of WorldQuant, built one of the most prominent quantitative investment firms in finance by turning data, algorithms, and global research talent into a powerful hedge fund engine. After spending 12 years at Millennium Management, he launched WorldQuant in 2007 and expanded it into a global firm known for systematic investing, deep scientific recruitment, and a distinctly international operating model. Tulchinsky has also extended his influence into education and applied prediction through ventures tied to data science and financial engineering.

Bill Cummings, founder of Cummings Properties, built a small Massachusetts real estate venture into one of the Boston area’s largest commercial property empires, spanning roughly 11 million square feet. Long known for disciplined expansion and a low-profile style, he later became equally prominent for large-scale philanthropy through the Cummings Foundation, making him one of New England’s most notable billionaire developers and donors.

Vincent Viola, founder of Virtu Financial, built one of the most sophisticated electronic trading firms in global markets by leveraging high-speed technology and quantitative strategies. A former chairman of the New York Mercantile Exchange, Viola transformed Virtu into a major liquidity provider across equities, currencies, and derivatives worldwide. Known for combining trading expertise with advanced infrastructure, he helped institutionalize high-frequency market making at scale. Beyond finance, Viola is the owner of the NHL’s Florida Panthers, linking capital markets success with professional sports ownership.

Trevor Rees-Jones is the billionaire founder of Chief Oil & Gas and a defining figure of the American shale revolution. Known as the "winningest fracker," he built a multi-billion-dollar fortune through strategic plays in the Barnett Shale, culminating in the $2.7 billion sale of his firm to Chesapeake Energy in 2022. In 2026, he remains a titan of Texas philanthropy, with the Rees-Jones Foundation surpassing $900 million in total giving. His current major project is the 2026 development of the Rees-Jones Library of the American West at Southern Methodist University, which will house his $100 million collection of rare books and art. His wealth continues to grow through significant stakes in Expand Energy and diversified real estate.