36. NICOLAS BERGGRUEN
THE MONEY: Berggruen, an investor and philanthropist, manages his family fortune through Berggruen Holdings Inc. He has a diverse portfolio that includes investments in hotels, publishing, health care, and for-profit education. Berggruen also has a huge real estate portfolio as well as developments across the globe. In addition, he’s a frequent angel investor in tech startups. His net worth went up with the general market upturn. In April, he purchased the Edith Mayer Goetz estate in Holmby Hills for $40 milion.
THE BUZZ: Berggruen was born in Paris and holds dual U.S. and German citizenship. The son of a wealthy international art dealer, he founded Berggruen Holdings in 1985. Long known as the “homeless billionaire” for his itinerant lifestyle, he owns a reported nine units and maid’s quarters in the exclusive Sierra Towers on the Beverly Hills-West Hollywood border. He created the Berggruen Institute, to which he donated $500 million in May of last year to establish an endowment. He told the Los Angeles Times he purchased 450 acres in Brentwood for $45 million for the institute’s campus. Berggruen joined the Giving Pledge and plans to give away the majority of his wealth. He sits on the board of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
NET WORTH: $1.9 billion (+25.8%)
LAST YEAR: $1.51 billion
AGE: 55
RESIDENCE: West Hollywood
SOURCE OF WEALTH: Private equity
