William H. Gross
Category: Billionaires
Industry: Finance
Company: PIMCO
What Makes Him Haute: He’s a chief investment officer and legendary bond investor. The co-founder of PIMCO is one of the financial geniuses of our time and has authored several books.
Bert Fields & Barbara Guggenheim
Category: Power Couples
Industry: Law/Art
Company: Greenberg Glusker Guggenheim, Asher Associates
What Makes Them Haute: Hollywood’s favorite legal guy has represented a plethora of A-list celebrities, such as John Travolta, Dennis Hoffman, and Tom Cruise. His wife, Guggenheim, is a celebrated art consultant at Guggenheim, Asher Associates.
Hugh Hefner
Category: Thinkers
Industry: Publishing
Company: Playboy
What Makes Him Haute: This 84-year-old spearheaded America’s sexual revolution and built the Playboy empire from the ground up, and is still going strong. Need we say more?
David Heil
Category: Entrepreneurs
Industry: Fashion
Company: David August, Inc.
What Makes Him Haute: His custom suits are the reasons some of Hollywood’s Hautest men make the “Best Dressed” list, including celebrities like Will Smith, Jerry Buss, and Robert Downey, Jr. And his unique numbering system makes even the fashion clueless seem, well, fashionable.
Rich & Kathy Hilton
Category: Power Couples
Industry: Real Estate
Company: Hilton & Hyland
What Makes Them Haute: He is currently chairman of the widely successful real estate firm in Beverly Hills, which he founded with partner Jeff Hyland. She is the socialite and actress who provides the beautiful face to the Hilton brand name, along with daughters Paris and Nicky Hilton.
Alan F. Horn
Category: Thinkers
Industry: Entertainment
Company: Warner Bros.
What Makes Him Haute: The president and COO of Warner Bros. focuses on the oversight of all of the studio’s theatrical and home entertainment operations, including the Warner Bros. Pictures Group, Warner Premiere, and Warner Home Video. He’s reaped in the financial awards of big movie franchises, such as Harry Potter and Batman and T.V. shows like Two and a Half Men and the The Big Bang Theory. Horn also oversees New Line Cinema, which was moved into Warner Bros. in early 2008. Horn, a founding board member of the Environmental Media Association, and his wife, Cindy, are also well-known philanthropists and environmentalists.
Ron Howard
Category: Originators
Industry: Film/Television
Company: Imagine Entertainment
What Makes Him Haute: The Happy Days retiree has directed numerous films, including Frost/Nixon, The Da Vinci Code, and Angels and Demons. Howard is the co-chairman of Imagine Entertainment, which has produced outstanding projects, such as Friday Night Lights, 8 Mile, and Inside Deep Throat, and the television series 24 and Arrested Development. Howard’s latest project is a comedy entitled The Dilemma featuring Vince Vaughn.
Jeffrey Hyland
Category: Entrepreneurs
Industry: Real Estate
Company: Hilton & Hyland
What Makes Him Haute: He is currently president of Hilton & Hyland, the distinguished real estate firm in Beverly Hills that he founded with partner Rick Hilton. He has personally handled several billions of dollars worth of transactions in Los Angeles, including Candy Spelling’s $150 million estate. He is also co-author of the book, The Legendary Estates of Beverly Hills, which discusses the history of some of the most historic homes in Beverly Hills, Holmby Hills, and Bel Air.
Robert Iger
Category: Thinkers
Industry: Media
Company: The Walt Disney Company
What Makes Him Haute: CEO Iger efficiently runs and balances the matrix of Disney’s divisions. The careful development of ESPN, its animation studios, and an alliance with Apple’s Steve Jobs in both animation and digital content delivery should serve the Mouse well, even if the downturn continues. Currently, Igor is focusing his attention on remaking the Company’s ABC television network.
Phil Jackson
Category: Athletes
Industry: Basketball
Company: L.A. Lakers
What Makes Him Haute: With 11 NBA titles as a coach (six with the Chicago Bulls, and five with the Lakers), Jackson is considered one of the greatest coaches in NBA history. He will have a chance at a fourth three-peat championship when he returns for his 11th season with the Lakers and his 20th in his career.
Earvin “Magic” Johnson
Category: Athletes
Industry: Basketball
Company: Magic Johnson Enterprises
What Makes Him Haute: The retired athlete was one of the NBA’s finest players and the tallest point guard in league history at 6-foot, 9-inches. He now is a commentator for ESPN and strongly participates in HIV education. Magic Johnson Enterprises is a non-profit that represents and serves ethnically diverse communities, while Magic Johnson Foundation develops programs that support the educational, health, and social needs of the underprivileged.
Eva Longoria & Tony Parker
Category: Power Couples
Industry: Entertainment/Basketball
What MakesThem Haute: She’s best known as Gabrielle Solis on Desperate Housewives and recently received an award from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute for her philanthropy and work within the Latino community. He is San Antonio’s point guard and has helped the Spurs win three NBA championships. The good-looking pair has appeared on the London Fog fall and spring campaigns.
Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt
Category: Power Couples
Industry: Film
Company: Television
What Makes Them Haute: Brangelina is easily one of Hollywood’s most photographed, glamorous, and powerful couples. According to Forbes, in 2009 they raked in $55 million split about evenly between them. In total, the two have about $300 million in assets.
Nick Jones
Category: Entrepreneurs
Industry: Hospitality
Company: Soho House
What Makes Him Haute: He’s the founder and CEO of the exclusive Soho House, which opened its newest location in West Hollywood earlier this year. And although the savvy business executive says he fell into the club scene by accident, it’s no accident that he’s continued to have success in every market that he touches; up next, Miami Beach.
Quincy Jones
Category: Thinkers
Industry: Music
Company: Qwest Records
What Makes Him Haute: This big-shot record producer has earned 79 Grammy nominations and 27 wins, including a Grammy Legend Award in 1991. He is also responsible for producing Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album. This summer, Jones released “Soul Bossa Nostra,” his first album in nearly 15 years, with various popular artists paying tribute to classic Jones’ music.
George Joseph
Category: Billionaires
Industry: Insurance
Company: Mercury General
What Makes Him Haute: The self-made billionaire developed Mercury General insurance company for individuals having difficulty obtaining auto insurance; the company went public in 1985. Mercury General backed the June ballot initiative that would allow insurers to offer discounts to Californians who switch providers. Joseph stepped down as chief executive in 2006 at age 86.
The Kardashians
Category: Entertainers
Industry: Television
Company: DASH Store
What Makes Them Haute: Entrepreneurs, television personalities, models, and socialites, the Kardashians are a celebrity self-branding success story. The fifth season premiere of E!’s Keeping Up with the Kardashians boasted record ratings for the network, averaging nearly 4.7 million total viewers. And recently, the Kardashian clan plus Bruce Jenner received the honorable key to the city from Beverly Hills Mayor Jimmy Delshad.
Jeffrey Katzenberg
Category: Entertainers
Industry: Television
Company: DreamWorks Animation SKG
What Makes Him Haute: The CEO of DreamWorks Animation has been said to have “the hand of God” when it comes to his knack for animation. Prior to DreamWorks, he served as studio chairman for The Walt Disney Company. He’s responsible for producing some of the highest grossing animated films of all time, including all Shrek films, Bee Movie, Madagascar, Over the Hedge, and How to Train Your Dragon.
