David Murdock
Category Billionaires
Industry Investment/Real Estate
Company Dole Food Company, Inc./Castle & Cook
What Makes Him Haute This high school dropout made a tidy fortune in the real estate industry, then he bought portions of Dole Food Company, Inc. and Castle & Cook. The two combined companies result in one of the largest privately held entities in the U.S., with 63,000 employees in more than 90 countries. Its portfolio includes development and ownership of real estate, leasing of transportation equipment, manufacture of brick and building materials, oil and gas holdings, aviation services, and ownership of public warehouses. In Hawaii the company also owns a significant portion of the 90,000-acre island of Lana’i and two award-winning Four Seasons Hotels.
Sam Nazarian
Category Entrepreneurs
Industry Entertainment/Real Estate
Company SBE Entertainment Group
What Makes Him Haute In 2006 he was the youngest executive to be named one of the “Top 100 Most Powerful People in Southern California,” and his empire has only continued to grow. From nightclubs, hotels, and casinos to real estate, finance, and films, Nazarian has mastered them all. He delves into his latest venture, SLS Hotel Beverly Hills, on the back page of this issue.
Igor Olenicoff
Category Billionaires
Industry Real Estate
Company Olen Properties
What Makes Him Haute On the list of “The World’s Wealthiest Tax Cheats,” Olenicoff paid $52 million in back taxes as part of a plea deal with the U.S. government in 2008 for fibbing about the state of his overseas accounts. His company owns 6.4 million square feet of commercial space and 11,200 residential units in L.A., Las Vegas, and Florida.
Michael & Judy Ovitz
Category Power Couples
Industries Film and Television
What Makes Them Haute As the former-head of CAA, Michael has been one of Hollywood’s most influential talent agents since the ’70s. He also had a stint at Disney that resulted in a $140 million severance package. Wife Judy appeared in classics films such as Back to the Future II and Ghostbusters II. Together, they’re Hollywood gold.
Chuck Pelly
Category Thinker
Industry Industrial Design
Company Pelly Design Management
What Makes Him Haute In a region that boasts the world’s largest concentration of auto design studios, Pelly is the dean-he’s been mentoring, judging, lecturing, and imagining innovative cars for more than 40 years. As the founder of Designworks/USA, which became a BMW subsidiary, he turned it into one of the top industrial design consultancies in the world. He continues to work on projects for Nokia Design, LA Auto Show, and BMW Group, to name a few.
A. Jerrold Perenchio
Category Billionaires
Industry Television/Communications
Company Univision Communications
What Makes Him Haute This talent-agent-turned-network-mogul is a self-made billionaire. The UCLA grad’s first big break was when he sold the TV and film company he founded with Norman Lear, Embassy Communications, to Coca-Cola for $485 million in 1985. He then made a quick turnaround profit of $140 million from buying and selling Lowes movie theaters. Currently, he is best known for his reign over the Hispanic broadcasting market thanks to his purchase of Univision Communications Inc., the nation’s largest Spanish-language TV network. He lives a private life in Malibu (where he is one of the city’s largest private land owners), and is known for his generous donations to charity and politicians.
Wolfgang Puck
Category Entrepreneurs
Industry Cuisine
Company Wolfgang Puck Companies
What Makes Him Haute This Austrian-born restaurateur and celebrity chef has built a culinary empire that includes fine dining establishments, franchise restaurants, catering, cookbooks, and products. His flagship restaurant, Spago, is still the go-to establishment for Hollywood’s elite, and in 2008, the James Beard Foundation nominated Puck for the Outstanding Restaurateur award.
David Pyott
Category Entrepreneurs
Industry Pharmaceuticals
Company Allergan Incorporated
What Makes Him Haute Nearly in the top 20 of Forbes executive pay list for 2008, this pharmaceutical mastermind serves as the CEO, chairman of the board, and director of Allergan Incorporated, a multi-billion-dollar specialty healthcare company. He also serves as director for Avery Dennison Corporation and director of Edwards Life Sciences Corp., all of which are publicly traded companies.
Brett Ratner
Category Thinkers
Industry Film
Company HSI Productions
What Makes Him Haute The billion-dollar director is behind a slew of action packed blockbusters, including X-Men, The Last Stand, Red Dragon, and the Rush Hour trilogy. His Beverly Hills home is the stomping grounds for the area’s A-listers, many of whom have sat for pictures in his black and white photobooth. The shots, which include everyone from Michael Jackson to Chelsea Clinton, were published in Hilhaven Lodge: The Photo Booth Pictures.
Sumner Redstone
Category Billionaires
Industry Media
Company National Amusements Inc.
What Makes Him Haute The 85-year-old Redstone is still one of the most powerful media moguls in the industry. His National Amusements, Inc., is the parent company of Viacom and CBS Corporation; Redstone serves as executive chairman of both.
News
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