The Billionaires Club in Greenwich

Forbes magazine released its 30th annual list of billionaires and again, Greenwich is at the top of the financial heap when it comes to the number of billionaires living in town.

There are 13 billionaires in Connecticut and eight of them live in Greenwich. And that’s not counting two ex-residents — including Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump.

According to Forbes, “For our 30th annual guide to the world’s richest, we found 1,810 billionaires, down from a record 1,826 a year ago. Their aggregate net worth was $6.48 trillion, $570 billion less than last year. It was also the first time since 2010 that the average net worth of a billionaire dropped – it is now $3.6 billion, $300 million less than last year.”

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So how does Greenwich fare in all this worldly wealth?

The eight billionaires are worth a total of $50.57 billion, according to the statistics provided by Forbes.

Here’s the breakdown:

• Ray Dalio, 66, founder of the hedge fund Bridgewater Associates that’s based in Westport, is number 48 on the list. He was number 60 in 2015. Dalio and his wife have supported several parks projects around town, including last year's upgrade at Bruce Park. They also sponsor the annual Greenwich Town Party concert on Memorial Day weekend. Net worth: $15.6 billion.
• Steve Cohen, 60, who appears to have risen from the ashes of the insider trading scandal that forced the shuttering of his SAC Capital, is number 72. He and his wife Alexandra support many causes in town including Neighbor to Neighbor and they often loan works from their fabled art collection to The Bruce Museum. He’s now the CEO of his hedge fund Point 72 Asset Management in Stamford. Last year he was number 109. Net worth: $12.7 billion.
• At number 88 is Thomas Peterffy who has $11.1 billion of net worth from his discount brokerage. Peterffy lists his address as Palm Beach, FL but it’s unclear whether he’s sold his 80-acre Conyers Farms estate in Greenwich’s backcountry that housed his home office and went on the market last year for $65 million. Last year he was #114 on the Forbes list.
• Another hedge fund founder, Paul Tudor Jones, who enthralls thousands of locals with his annual Christmas light display at his Belle Haven home, again made the list. This year he is #308 with a net worth of $4.7 billion. Last year he was #352.
• Another hedge fund king, Stephen Mandel Jr. is on the list at # 688. The founder of Lone Point Capital has a net worth of $2.5 billion. Last year, he was # 810 on the Forbes list.
• The only Greenwich woman to make the list is Lucy Stitzer, who at 56, is the chair of Waycrosse Investment Co. which oversees the investments of the Cargill and MacMillan families. She’s the great-granddaughter of food magnate W.W. Cargill, according to Forbes. Her net worth is $1.5 billion — putting her at #1198 on the list.
• At # 1275 is money manager Mario Gabelli with a $1.47 billion net worth. The founder of Gamco donated $10 million in December to Boston College, the alma mater of his four children. Last year he was listed at #1118.
• Insurance company founder William R. Berkley, whose W.R. Berkley is based in his hometown of Greenwich, is ranked at #1577. He moved up on the list from last year when he was #1638. His net worth: $1.1 billion.

And also on the list are two former Greenwich residents – Trump and corporate turnaround king C. Dean Metropoulous who’s credited with reversing the misfortunes of Hostess, Chef Boyardee and Pam cooking spray.

Trump, the billionaire cum presidential politician based in New York, is ranked at # 324 with $4.5 billion net worth with his television and real estate investments. In 2015, he was listed at 405. Metropoulous is at #722. The Palm Beach, FL resident has a net worth of $2.4 billion. Last year he was ranked at #847 on the billionaires list.

The complete Forbes billionaires list can be found here.

Photo credit: Miran Rijavec via Flickr.com.