Haute 100: Aby Rosen, Alex Rodriguez, André Balazs, Bill & Hillary Clinton and more

As the publication of choice for New York City’s most affluent and influential individuals, we thought it apropos to create a list of the notable characters who literally define our target demographic. The powerful, the entrepreneurs, the philanthropists, and the thinkers: the Haute 100 provides a thorough cross section of the people who run the Big Apple. Some of those listed have been profiled on the pages of our magazine during the two years since our launch; some we are hoping to include in the near future. But all are notable New Yorkers who continue to make an impact on the most powerful city in the world. This inaugural Haute 100 will be revised for our three-year anniversary October 2009. So if your name is missing from the ranks, don’t worry: there is always next year.

Category: Originators
Aby Rosen
Company: RFR Holding
Industry: Real Estate
What makes them Haute: This superstar German-born developer is a New York real estate mogul with a contemporary art collection that rivals some museums.

Category: Athletes
Alex Rodriguez
Company: New York Yankees
Industry: Sports
What makes them Haute: The highest paid Yankee is also the highest paid professional baseball player in history.

Category: Originators
André Balazs
Company: André Balazs Properties
Industry: Hotels
What makes them Haute: In New York (The Mercer, The Standard, Sunset Beach, 40 Mercer Residences, One Kenmare Square, William Beaver House) and across the country, Balazs properties are a beacon for the haute bourgeoise.

Category: Entrepreneurs
Andrew Farkas
Company: Island Global Yachting
Industry: Real Estate
What makes them Haute: The chairman of Island Global Yachting redefined the megayacht marina in Montauk and around the world.

Category: Thinkers
Anna Wintour
Company: Vogue
Industry: Media
What makes them Haute: The Vogue editor-in-chief is a fashion icon and institution.

Category: Thinkers
Arthur Sulzberger Jr.
Company: New York Times
Industry: Media
What makes them Haute: Chairman and publisher of the New York Times has been running the paper’s day-to-day operations since 1992.

Category: Billionaires
Barry Rosenstein
Company: JANA Partners, LLC
Industry: Finance
What makes them Haute: This corporate takeover specialist is the founder and managing partner of JANA Partners LLC, a $5 billion event-driven hedge fund that launched in April 2001.

Category: Power Couples
Bill & Hillary Clinton
Company: United States of America
Industry: Politics
What makes them Haute: The former president and the current senator continually work to make New York a better place.

Category: Athletes
Brett Favre
Company: New York Jets
Industry: Sports
What makes them Haute: One of the greatest players in NFL history, Favre’s gunslinging swagger has reinvigorated the Jets.

Category: Entrepreneurs
Bruce Wasserstein
Company: Lazard Ltd and Lazard Group
Industry: Finance
What makes them Haute: This financial wizard is also the owner of the venerable New York magazine.