Italian-American Billionaires

October 23, 2010

As far as I can tell, 16 out of the 400 billionaires on Forbes' 2010 list of the richest people in America are Italian or have Italian ancestry. That puts them at 4% of the total, which is not too far from the 5.6% of Americans who report Italian ancestry. Here they are in order of wealth (click each name for a bio):


Rank Photo Name Net
Worth
Age Home Source of
Wealth
#55 Ray Dalio $5 B 61 CT hedge funds
#66 John Paul DeJoria $4.2 B 66 TX hair products,
tequila
#95 John Sobrato & family $3.3 B 71 CA real estate
#124 Philip Falcone $2.8 B 47 NY hedge funds
#136 James Leprino $2.6 B 72 CO cheese
#164 A. Jerrold Perenchio $2.2 B 79 CA Univision
#182 Daniel D'Aniello $2 B 64 VA leveraged
buyouts
#221 Fred DeLuca $1.8 B 63 FL Subway
#252 Leandro Rizzuto $1.6 B 72 WY Conair
#269 Edward DeBartolo $1.5 B 63 FL shopping
centers
#308 Stephen Bisciotti $1.3 B 50 MD outsourcing,
football
#332 Joseph Mansueto $1.2 B 54 IL Morningstar
#332 Tom Golisano $1.2 B 68 FL Paychex
#365 Frank Fertitta $1.1 B 48 NV casinos, UFC
#365 Kenneth Langone $1.1 B 75 NY investments
#385 Lorenzo Fertitta $1 B 41 NV casinos, UFC

8 comments

Anonymous said...

I'll bet that none of these worthies has given a dime to Italian causes. I'll also bet that between them they can't sling more than a couple of words in Italian. And finally, I'll bet that none of them use their power and influence to promote and advance fellow Italians within their own organizations or in society in general.

Italianthro said...

1) They don't owe anything to any "causes". 2) They're American, so there's no reason they should speak Italian. 3) Their "fellow Italians" are doing just fine and don't need any charity.

Anonymous said...

"They don't owe anything to any "causes".

"Owe" is a rather misleading term in this context. Did Maecenas "owe" it to Rome to sponsor Vergil?

"They're American, so there's no reason they should speak Italian."

I thought they were "Italian-American"? What sort of reason do you require to learn one of the most elegant languages in the world?

"Their "fellow Italians" are doing just fine and don't need any charity."

It is not a question of need, much less charity. It goes well beyond them. And how fine are the IA's really doing? Are you paying attention to economic affairs? Are IA's immune to the economic turmoil surrounding the developed world? Finally, however "fine" IA's are doing or not, they could certainly do better with some ethnic solidarity backing them.

Italianthro said...

>>> "Owe" is a rather misleading term in this context. Did Maecenas "owe" it to Rome to sponsor Vergil?

The context is you thinking that people have an obligation to donate to "Italian causes", whatever that means. Vergil wasn't a "cause". He was an artist. And Maecenas was a patron the arts, as are many wealthy people today.

>>> I thought they were "Italian-American"? What sort of reason do you require to learn one of the most elegant languages in the world?

They come from America, so they speak English. Whatever other languages they choose to learn or not learn is their own business and not remotely related to the topic of this blog post.

>>> And how fine are the IA's really doing? Are you paying attention to economic affairs?

Are you paying attention to this discussion? Italians are doing fine in America compared to other ethnic groups. The current state of the economy is an entirely different subject.

Caudium said...

True. Northern Italians don't need charity as they are among the richest Europeans. Southern Italians could use the money, but it would be a waste since all efforts towards their development has fallen flat and they've never (and never will) get their act together.

Anonymous said...

@Italianthro,
You are wrong, Italians should help other Italians-look how far the Jews have gone thanks to inter-ethnic help. (unfortunately when italians help each other it is called Mafia and immediately broken up by Feds).

@Caudium,
It is not true what you say about northern italians who do not need charity. You are wrong, they have squandered their wealth selfishly. I have lived there and can testify that northern italians have done well because of economic cycles but the past few years they have suffered tremendously. During this "greatest depression" we are in northern italians will need more help than southern italians.

Northern Italians will pay for their arrogance. Sourthern Italians better wake up and reclaim their sovereignty, but even more important: dignity.

Regards,
Italian Expat.

eee66 said...

Italian Americans DO NOT SUPPORT FINE ARTISTS or SCULPTORS or any of the VISUAL ARTS in any significant way.
They should be ashamed for not being PATRONS of the ARTS because it is their effing duty to do so to promote and sponsor fine art...it is their genetic and moral duty to buy art from talented Italian artists and be patrons, period.

And what the other poster said about JEWS PROMOTING AND HELPING OTHER JEWS is exactly right and why they have succeeded and prospered so incredibly well for centuries. They HELP each other, unlike Italians.

Lorenzo di Medici is cursing the last 500 years of stingy Italians who have the finances but who do not patronize and support the fine arts!




Anonymous said...

Helping each other out is fine but for godsake, I don't want to see Italians resort to the constant 'victim status' technique the jews use in order to focus their ethnic solidarity.

The Italians could well have become a dominant minority in the USA had they been so 'ideologically/ethnically' obsessed but no... despite some initial hostilities, we prefer to respect the host culture for their hospitality rather than revolt against it.