It’s likely that the Catholic Church will get a black pope or a Canadian one to replace Benedict, who’s wanted to retire for a couple decades now. The odds that they’ll appoint a Chicago pope, however, are lower than the Cubs’ odds for winning the World Series.
79. Barbara Byrd-Bennett 81. Christopher Crane 80 Joseph Ferguson Age: 52 Occupation: Inspector general, City of Chicago Next Back The inspector general should be a royal pain in the ass, prodding the mayor and city agencies to be open, accountable, and ethical. Ferguson just won jurisdiction over the new infrastructure trust, expanding his reach over … Read more
22. Ed Burke 24. Karen Lewis 23 Ken Griffin Age: 44 Occupation: CEO, Citadel Next Back In the rarefied hedge fund world, Griffin is Chicago’s biggest star. The company he founded has some $14 billion in assets under management and cranks out market-beating returns: Citadel’s two largest funds returned about 25 percent in 2012 (versus … Read more
87. Glenn Tilton 89. Joe Berrios 88 Byron Trott Age: 54 Occupation: Chairman and CEO, BDT Capital Partners Next Back Elite families—the Crowns, the Pritzkers, the Wrigleys—trust this discreet ex-Goldman investment banker. So does his friend Warren Buffett. Don’t be surprised to see Trott succeed the Oracle of Omaha someday at Berkshire Hathaway. Photograph: PHOTO … Read more
20. Lisa Madigan 22. Ed Burke 21 Jeff Smisek Age: 58 Occupation: Chairman and CEO, United Continental Next Back Thanks in part to the CEO’s skillful handling of pilot contract negotiations last year, the world’s largest airline showed Smisek the love, more than tripling his compensation (to nearly $15 million) and adding “chairman” to his … Read more
92. Richard Posner 94. James Bell 93 Jesse Ruiz Age: 48 Occupation: Partner, Drinker Biddle & Reath Next Back A rising power broker in the Latino community, this attorney will need all his skills to help manage the school board’s plans to close undercapacity schools. And you thought the teachers’ strike was exhausting.
88. Byron Trott 90. Michelle Boone 89 Joe Berrios Age: 61 Occupation: Assessor, Cook County Next Back Also chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party, Berrios has been the target of investigations into ghost payrolling, nepotism, and more—and yet he managed to get 1.8 million property tax bills out on time. Photograph: HEATHER CHARLES/CHICAGO TRIBUNE
39. Bruce Rauner 41. Mellody Hobson 40 J. Christopher Reyes Age: 59 Occupation: CEO, Reyes Holdings and Martin-Brower Company Next Back “If no one knew me, I’d be just as happy,” this Lake Forest billionaire told Crain’s Chicago Business back in 2005. But anonymity is impossible when the beer distributing empire you built with your … Read more
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
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
