Net Worth: $7.62 billion, up 31.4 percent
LAST YEAR: $5.8 billion
AGE: 36
RESIDENCE: Holmby Hills
SOURCE OF WEALTH: Facebook, Plaxo, Spotify, and angel investing
THE MONEY: Lion’s share of wealth comes from more than 66 million Facebook shares he presumably still owns. Social media giant’s stock price has soared to $110. Has invested in more than a dozen budding tech companies by himself and as managing director of Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, including Spotify, Yammer, and downtown L.A.’s NationBuilder.
THE BUZZ: After drawing ire of music industry early in his career for creating Napster, has recently drawn ire of Hollywood for proposed in-home movie viewing service Screening Room. Technology would allow customers to view films in theatrical release on TV at home for $50 each. Parker has always had knack for advancing new ideas and creating discord. Fired three times by companies he helped found or grow: Napster, Plaxo, and Facebook. Beyond his film venture, also donated $600 million to Parker Foundation, which will fund life sciences, global public health, and civic engagement causes. Foundation also granted $250 million to Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, which funds efforts to use patients’ own immune systems to fight disease.