Thomas Barrack founded Colony Capital in 1990. His firm, which boasted $34B in assets under management, completed a merger with NorthStar Asset Management Group in January, creating the fifth-largest global real estate management firm in the country with $58B in assets under management. The new REIT is called Colony NorthStar.
He is the owner of the Neverland Ranch in Southern California, made famous as Michael Jackson’s carnival-like personal resort. In 2010, he issued a $24M loan to Annie Leibovitz after the celebrity photographer ran into financial trouble. Barrack served as deputy undersecretary during the interior during the Reagan administration. He is a close friend of President Donald Trump and spoke at the 2016 Republican National Convention. — Scott Klocksin
