Thanks to Reinsdorf’s patience with Derrick Rose’s injuries and some of his shrewd player moves (Pau!), the Bulls are again real contenders. His big bet on Cuban defector turned AL Rookie of the Year Jose Abreu—plus some aggressive off-season signings (Samardzija, LaRoche)—has the Sox on an upswing. And he’s had some wins on the business … Read more
His businesses have been chugging merrily along, with Pritzker Group Venture Capital (which J.B. runs with his L.A.-based brother Tony) recently doubling down on existing investments in promising cloud-computing companies. Plus: The local tech startup scene he’s been nurturing for years had a banner 2014, with a record $1.6 billion in funding raised, per Built … Read more
The ultimate mensch—the ex–Wall Street whiz takes a salary of just $1—is City Hall’s go-to number cruncher behind the city’s biggest deals, from the United Center’s $400 million West Side expansion to doling out TIF funding for the new DePaul arena and a Marriott hotel near McCormick Place.
The billionaire brothers have officially made no-income-tax Florida their primary residence, their rep recently informed us. Still, there’s no denying the presence the spotlight-shy siblings maintain here. They have homes on the North Shore and company headquarters in Rosemont and sit on numerous local boards.
With about 170 federal prosecutors at his disposal, the question is not whether this newcomer to the list has power but how he will wield it. So far, the Tennessee native has reorganized the office and appointed a team of attorneys to focus on violent crime—much of it gang related. There are new issues, too: … Read more
He runs an investment firm that punches far above its weight class. He gets to boss Mellody Hobson (No. 14) around. And he remains the best-connected, most influential black businessman in town.
How’s this for a year? In 2014, the 16,000-employee company he and his younger brother, Jude, run dethroned Anheuser-Busch as the nation’s biggest beer distributor and became the exclusive bottler and distributor for Coca-Cola in the Chicago area.
He keeps a relatively low profile, but his $3 billion net worth still wields influence, some of which he uses for the greater good. Last year, he donated Hyatt space for a Robin Hood Investors Conference, where Wall Street’s deepest pockets fight poverty, and his long-term philanthropy earned him a spot in the American Academy … Read more
His company (and ample personal fortune) may have taken a hit last year—Morningstar’s market value plunged 22 percent—but not his ambition. He recently said his goal is to make Morningstar "ubiquitous" to investors—and he's been investing heavily in tech to make that happen.
He’s the man everyone calls. Including the mayor, like, 50 times a day. Spielfogel, say those at City Hall, is “Mini-Rahm,” spearheading virtually all of the mayor’s policy initiatives. He left the office in January to work on the mayor’s campaign but says he’ll be back in the spring (resuming his customary spot inside Emanuel’s … Read more
