Net Worth: $2.3 Billion
Industry: Media and Technology
Notable Member(s): Reed Hastings
Claim to Fame: Netflix
You may not recognize the name Reed Hastings, but you’re definitely familiar with a little company that he runs, called Netflix. Hastings co-founded the streaming service back in 1997 when it was DVD-only. In 2007, they started streaming directly to computers.
Hastings was pretty active in the political scene in California for a while, when he became interested in improving the educational system. He donated $1 million to an educational network to help them open a new charter school in his home town. Then, in 2014, he fought to end his town’s era of elected school board officials. Very recently, Hastings sold nearly 58,000 shares of Netflix for almost $350.00 per share. That means that he closed a deal for around $20 million! The company has an average growth of about 13 percent per year – and we all know Netflix isn’t going anywhere anytime soon!
The Huizengas
Net Worth: $2.8 Billion
Industry: Waste Management/Entertainment
Notable Member(s): Wayne Huizenga
Claim to Fame: Blockbuster Video
The Huizenga’s are another family that’s made an impact in several different industries. Wayne Huizenga, for example, actually first became successful in waste management. He started a small trash pickup service that grew into 100 larger companies in just 5 years. But, that’s not how you’d recognize the name…
In 1987, Huizenga bought the company that would make him a legend – Blockbuster Video. Blockbuster may not be around much at all any more today, but it was extremely popular before streaming services coined the market. His investment in that video company ended up making him a billionaire. But he didn’t stop there! Huizenga got his foot in the door in another market when he founded AutoNation, a retail store for car parts that’s grown into an empire on its own with over 300 stores across the country. Huizenga is also responsible for the popular hotel chain Extended Stay America and owned a part of the Miami Dolphins. Unfortunately, Wayne passed away back in 2018, but his children and grandchildren continue to expand the family fortune.
The Greenbergs
Net Worth: $1.8 Billion
Industry: Finance
Notable Member(s): Maurice Greenberg
Claim to Fame: AIG
The Greenberg family has had their fair share of drama and scandals, which may be how you first heard of them, but there’s no denying that they’ve got ridiculous amounts of money. Maurice Greenberg was put in charge of the American International Group, which was originally founded by Cornelius Vander Starr.
Greenberg only worked with AIG for a few years before announcing Martin J. Sullivan would replace him. He held several other major positions over the years, including being a member of both the Trilateral Commission and the Council on Foreign Relations. These days, he’s working as the Chief Executive Officer of C.V Starr, a financial company founded by the same man that launched AIG. Robert Greenberg added to the family fortune by founding Skechers, one of the biggest shoe brands currently on the market. The Greenberg’s have a net worth of nearly $2 billion and climbing.
The Newhouses'
Net Worth: $18 Billion
Industry: Media Notable
Member(s): Donald Newhouse
Claim to Fame: Advance
The Newhouse clan is another powerhouse family that happens to control a large portion of media in the western world. The original billionaire behind the scenes was Sam Newhouse, who launched the family business – Advance Publications – back in 1922. When Sam passed on in 79’, his two sons inherited the fortune.
Advance Publications owns Condé Nast, who happens to publish some of the biggest magazines in the world. Under the blanket of the company lies Vogue, The New Yorker, and Vanity Fair. But it isn’t just magazines that the company puts out. Condé Nast owns Bright House Networks and Discovery Communications, as well, along with multiple newspapers, including The Oregonian and The Star-Ledger. The Newhouse family transmedia empire reaches all the way across the globe. Donald Newhouse himself had a net worth of around $10 billion when he passed. Today, the family business is worth an estimated $18 billion and continues to grow every day. It was recently ranked as the 44th largest private company in the country.
The Dolans
Net Worth: $5.5 Billion
Industry: Entertainment
Notable Member(s): Charles Dolan
Claim to Fame: Cablevision
Now, you may not immediately recognize the name Dolan, but if it weren’t for the Dolan family, TV would be seriously bland. Charles Dolan is responsible for Cablevision, the parent company of HBO, AMC, Sundance, IFC and more. So, this means that if it weren’t for him – there would be no Game of Thrones.
Dolan found his first cable company in the 1970s, which he named Home Box Office. He sold that company to Time Life before launching Cablevision, which would ultimately be the key to his success. He also acts as the chairman emeritus for the Lustgarten Foundation, which works diligently to research and find a cure for pancreatic cancer. Dolan has made donations to Donald Trump’s reelection campaign for 2020. He’s also donated to his alma mater – Fairfield University, which resulted in him having the School of Business there named after him. His children have used a portion of the fortune to invest in the sports world too and bought shares in several major teams, including the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Indians.