8 Sam Zell Age: 72 Occupation: Chairman, Equity Group Investments Zell rises on the list this year partly because others have fallen. But that’s how the legendary Grave Dancer plays the game. The controversial billionaire kept building his empire in 2013 by engineering a complex $16 billion real-estate deal that was stunning in size, backing a … Read more
89 Howard Tullman Age: 68 Occupation: Venture capitalist A power player and serial entrepreneur, Tullman was tapped last year to run the high-profile tech startup incubator 1871. Its alumni have created more than 300 jobs and $10 million in revenue. Jobs, jobs, jobs has been the mayor’s mantra—and Tullman is well positioned to deliver. Photo: Jose … Read more
87 Christopher Crane Age: 55 Occupation: CEO, Exelon One of the nation’s largest energy providers, $23.5 billion Exelon has weathered poor analyst predictions and is currently battling the IRS over capital gains taxes. But Crane gets credit for keeping the lights on at Exelon’s nuclear facilities in a period of prolonged and steep competition from falling … Read more
12 Jeff Smisek Age: 59 Occupation: Chairman and CEO, United Continental Holdings Everyone loves to gripe about the airline industry (been delayed at O’Hare lately?). But this full-throttle CEO moved up the list (from No. 21 last year) after helping his massive company shake its merger hangover and handily beat the Street (UAL stock was up … Read more
11 Jerry Reinsdorf Age: 78 Occupation: Chairman, Chicago Bulls and White Sox It only looked like a horrible year for the Chairman. Sure, Reinsdorf saw the second—second!—season-ending injury to one of his most important assets, Derrick Rose, and no doubt winced as fans spurned his beloved White Sox during a wretched season. But this old-timer’s portfolio … Read more
7 Patricia Woertz Age: 60 Occupation: Chairman and CEO, Archer Daniels Midland Welcome to the neighborhood! With her December announcement that she’s moving the headquarters of $90 billion agri-giant ADM from Decatur to Chicago, this ambitious Pittsburgh native (who announced as a child that she aimed to be a CEO) gave the mayor and all those … Read more
88 Martin Cabrera Jr. Age: 43 Occupation: Founder and CEO, Cabrera Capital Markets Singed by his part in the recent UNO charter school network scandal (his firm underwrote some of the bonds that fueled the group’s expansion, and he parachuted in as chairman), Cabrera held on to his public appointments, including a seat on the Public … Read more
59 Sally Blount Age: 52 Occupation: Dean, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern Since arriving in 2010 to run her alma mater, Blount has performed major feats of transformation, from shaking up the administration to luring big names to the faculty. Example: Linda Darragh, whom she poached from the U. of C.’s Booth School to lead Kellogg’s … Read more
5 Michael Sacks Age: 51 Occupation: Chairman and CEO, Grosvenor Capital Management Sacks lands high on this list not just because he runs a thriving $44 billion hedge fund but because he’s Rahm’s fixer on a range of economic issues, from underfunded city pensions to the nascent Chicago Infrastructure Trust. The unpaid adviser is said to … Read more
86 Luis Gutiérrez Age: 60 Occupation: U.S. representative This son of Puerto Rican immigrants has emerged as a charismatic speaker on immigration reform, drawing large crowds at rallies nationwide and acting as a fearless gadfly to the president on the issue. As Gutiérrez recounts in his 2013 memoir, Obama recently pulled him aside to say, “Why … Read more
