Michael Dell – $30 billion Source: Technology Entrepreneur Michael Dell is the founder, chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of the computer company Dell Inc. Michael knew that he wanted to go into business very early in life. He eventually dropped out of college, where he had been pursuing a medical degree in order to run his computer repair business. This $1,000 venture eventually grew to become Dell, Inc. These days, Dell is the sole owner of MSD Capital and owns 65 percent of MSD Partners, which manages more than $16 billion in combined assets. Robert F. Smith – $5 billion Source: Private Equity Robert F. Smith is the Founder of Vista Equity Partners LLC. Founded in 2000, today Vista Equity Partners controls more than $46 billion in assets and has delivered an average annual return north of 30% since its inception. He is best known recently for paying off student loans for students at Morehouse College. Bert “Tito” Beveridge – $4 billion Source: Vodka Bert Beveridge is the founder of Tito’s Vodka. Bert “Tito” Beveridge was born in San Antonio, Texas. He started out producing spirits as a hobby and formed Fifth Generation, Inc. and the Mockingbird Distillery in 1997. He started the company with $90,000 he borrowed using 19 credit cards and during that time he slept on floors and couches. In 2001, Tito’s got its big break by winning the World Spirits Competition against 72 other vodkas. Tito’s Vodka is one of the fastest-growing brands of spirits in the United States. John Paul DeJoria – $4 billion Source: Hair Care and Tequila John Paul DeJoria is co-founder of the Paul Mitchell line of hair products. Some of his other business ventures include the tequila brand Patron, founding partner of the House of Blues, as well as interests in Pyrat Rum, Ultimate Vodka, Solar Utility, Sun King solar, and Touchstone National Gas. Joe Liemandt – $3 billion Source: Software Entrepreneur Joe Liemandt is the founder of Trilogy Software and ESW Capital, an investment company that buys software companies. He dropped out of Stanford to start Trilogy Software. He was the youngest self-made person on the list of 400 richest Americans in 1996. Thai Lee – $2 billion Source: Technology Entrepreneur Thai Lee is the CEO and co-founder of Software House International (SHI). Lee and her ex-husband bought a failing IT company for less than $1 million in 1989 and turned the company into a $6 billion dollar business with customers including Boeing, AT&T, and Johnson & Johnson. Jim Breyer – $2 billion Source: Venture Capitalist Jim Breyer is best known as the founder and CEO of Breyer Capital, a global diversified investment firm, as well as a partner at Accel Partners, a global venture and growth equity firm. Breyer recently relocated from Silicon Valley to Austin. Brian Sheth – $1.1 billion Source: Private Equity Brian Sheth is the President and co-founder of Vista Equity Partners alongside fellow Austin billionaire Robert F. Smith. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, Sheth spent a year working for Deutsche Bank, a year at Goldman Sachs, and six months at Bain Capital. He was approached by Robert F. Smith who hired him at Goldman about starting up Vista Equity Partners and the rest is history.
