Page 34 - Forbes - USA (October 2019)

Near Misses

Book Value
NOT QUITE Leaders from the worlds
of business, academia,
entertainment and
A record 221 American billionaires didn’t make The Forbes 400
30 politics share what’s on
this year. Here are four who are still too poor but on their way up. their bedside table.

Michael Jordan
R
E
N $1.9 BIL
N CHARLOTTE HORNETS,
U ENDORSEMENTS
R
T His Airness’ kingdom covers
N
O the hardwood—he owns the Jim Breyer
R
F NBA’s Hornets—packages Founder and CEO,
of Hanes underwear Breyer Capital
(complete with Jordan LEONARDO DA VINCI
trading cards inside),
restaurants, Gatorade and,
of course, sneakers. The
kicks alone generate
$3 billion in annual sales.

Safra Catz Tom Steyer
$1.1 BIL $1.6 BIL
ORACLE HEDGE FUNDS
Catz sits alone atop Oracle Will America elect
after her co-CEO, Mark Hurd, another billionaire
took a leave in September. as president? Steyer On my most recent trip to Italy,
I carried Walter Isaacson’s
She’s the rare hired hand to sure hopes so. He biography Leonardo da Vinci
become a billionaire, and made his money partly (Simon & Schuster, 2017) with me.

I couldn’t have picked a better
she has been richly rewarded by investing in fossil traveling companion.

by Oracle: In fiscal 2018 her fuels, but that hasn’t Within the broader arc of Isaac-
compensation package totaled stopped him from son’s masterpiece lies a profound
more than $108 million. making climate change lesson: Our most pressing
a major campaign problems require multidisciplinary
solutions. Leonardo played many
issue. Another dose roles: At times he was an engi-
of irony: Steyer, who neer; at others an artist. He was
Jay-Z obsessed with science but also de-
donated $123 million voted to Dante. The thing that set
$1 BIL
to Democrats in him apart from his peers wasn’t
MUSIC his interest in a variety of disci-
2018, is also a vocal
plines but how he pursued all his
“Generational proponent of reducing interests in parallel so each would
wealth, that’s the the influence of the inform the others. Leonardo’s abil-

key,” Jay-Z rapped in wealthy in politics. ity to make connections across
2017’s “Legacy.” “My disciplines—arts and sciences,
humanities and technology—was
parents ain’t have the wellspring for his imagination,
s–t, so that shift creativity and genius.
started with me.” This multidisciplinary approach
remains relevant, even essential,
His fortune includes today. As we think about solving NEAR MISSES BY CATHERINE PERLOFF AND NOAH KIRSCH
his ownership of some of humanity’s greatest
Armand de Brignac problems, we must think like Leo-
nardo. We must approach prob-
champagne, worth lems from multiple perspectives
$310 million, and and use a diversity of approaches.

We must, most significantly, cre-
a $70 million art DAVID MAHONEY
ate room for creativity to thrive.
collection.

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