Meet 22 of the Philadelphia area's super-rich
The list of heirs and entrepreneurs who have lived, worked and donated money around the region is more impressive than ever.
THE LIST OF HEIRS AND ENTREPRENEURS who have lived, worked and donated money around the region is more impressive than ever.
More than 50 billionaires spent part of their lives in the Philadelphia area, with more than half having their connection through the University of Pennsylvania, especially its Wharton School.
The gallery above focuses on those with the closest local ties: 20 of the ultra-wealthy who have lived or run businesses in the city or its suburbs -- plus two whose influence has been felt in the greater region -- beer baron Richard Yuengling, who hails from Pottsville, and Wharton grad Donald Trump, who became a major player in Atlantic City.
Almost all of them were declared billionaires by Forbes or Bloomberg this year, all of them within the last five.
The names are ranked not by wealth but by the strength of their area connections, beginning with current residents.
The list includes:
Two men who live and run major businesses in Philadelphia.
A man who lives in Bryn Mawr and runs a major business in the burbs.
A woman who lives in Chester County, her two brothers, and a cousin who's well-known for her support of local causes.
A home-grown Temple grad and a home-grown Penn grad known for their philanthropy.
A man who owns a major sports franchise here, his city-raised predecessor, and the head of another local big-league team's ownership group.
An Abington High grad who cofounded a global investment firm.
The founder of a West Chester company -- and, reportedly, his daughter.
A divorced couple who grew up in the area and made their fortunes in fashion.
A couple of names famous in car racing and the movies.
Part Two: Billionaires who went to Penn, Princeton and other area schools
Contact staff writer Peter Mucha at 215-854-4342 or pmucha@phillynews.com. Follow @petemucha on Twitter.