Joe Mansueto

13. Dick Durbin 15. Sam Zell 14 Joe Mansueto Age: 56 Occupation: CEO, Morningstar Next Back Information is power, and this self-made billionaire controls some key taps through which it flows. Not content to have created the most trusted source around for mutual fund research and related data, Mansueto has built Morningstar into a one-stop … Read more

Linda Johnson Rice

59. Michael Kasper 61. Susan Crown 60 Linda Johnson Rice Age: 54 Occupation: Chairman, Johnson Publishing Co. Next Back This extroverted media magnate (Ebony, Jet) has more than magazines on her mind. With plans to revive the historic Ebony Fashion Fair, she and Desirée Rogers (No. 84) are making a heel print in the style … Read more

Robert Clifford

76. Andrew McKenna Sr. 78. Matt Hynes 77 Robert Clifford Age: 61 Occupation: Principal partner, Clifford Law Offices Next Back This pitbull is the unofficial dean of the Chicago legal community, with an enviable string of victories and high-profile leadership roles in law groups. Last June, he won a whopping $181 million verdict against ConAgra.

Rahm Emanuel

2. Michael Madigan 1 Rahm Emanuel Age: 53 Occupation: Mayor, City of Chicago Next “We got the longer school day. Done! We’ve been debating grid garbage for a decade. Done! We’ve been debating competitive bidding. Done! We talked about bringing recycling throughout the whole city. Done!” No one can accuse the most powerful man in … Read more

Eric Lefkofsky

18. John Rogers Jr. 20. Lisa Madigan 19 Eric Lefkofsky Age: 43 Occupation: Investor and tech entrepreneur Next Back As the largest single shareholder in the daily deals firm Groupon, which he founded in 2008 with Brad Keywell (No. 35) and Andrew Mason (No. 100), Lefkofsky suffered a blow to his personal wealth in 2012: … Read more

Grant Achatz

25. Tom Pritzker 27. John Canning Jr. 26 Grant Achatz Age: 38 Occupation: Chef/partner, Alinea, the Aviary, and Next Next Back With restaurants across the globe scrambling to emulate his cuisine, his ever-changing concepts, and his team’s tech-brilliant reservation system, this boundary-pushing chef is content to lead and let the rest follow. Achatz continues to … Read more

Mellody Hobson

40. J. Christopher Reyes 42. Patrick Ryan 41 Mellody Hobson Age: 43 Occupation: President, Ariel Investments Next Back George Lucas’s bride-to-be was an inimitable force even before the ring. The money manager, financial commentator for CBS, and chief of After School Matters (the late Maggie Daley’s charity) saw her career reach new heights in October … Read more

Christopher Kennedy

85. Brendan Sodikoff 87. Glenn Tilton 86 Christopher Kennedy Age: 49 Occupation: Chairman, Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises Next Back In 2011, he left his job running the Merchandise Mart to launch a nonprofit that brings fresh food to low-income Chicago neighborhoods. But this Kennedy is still all Kennedy: He is the force behind the $1 … Read more

John Rowe

95. Joanne Smith 97. Tony Hu 96 John Rowe Age: 67 Occupation: Chairman, Field Museum Next Back This straight-talking former CEO cemented his considerable reputation by steering Exelon to big profits; last year, with business slowing, he decamped to focus on philanthropic and corporate board work (see “It’s Cozy at the Top”). Photograph: JOEL WINTERMANTLE/CHICAGO … Read more