Dan Friedkin is owner and chairman of Gulf States Toyota, joining the 400 list when it comes to time that is first doing transfer of assets from daddy, Thomas Friedkin.

He’s got been intimately included for the previous two years in growing their business, a car distributorship with the exclusive legal rights to import and distribute Toyota cars in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Oklahoma. It is the biggest business that is private Houston. He and their daddy, creator and chairman emeritus associated with business, have experienced a hand into the processing and circulation of each and every Toyota offered during these states since 1968, profiting through the purchase of vehicles in addition to vehicle components. The initial and highly lucrative company — $7 billion in profits in 2012 — is certainly one of just two staying separate Toyota suppliers into the U.S. Friedkin also owns and oversees a number of automotive opportunities, including two Lexus dealerships in Houston. Dan, 48, recently assumed the ownership mantle from their daddy. Business acumen isn’t the thing that is only inherited. Both Friedkins share a desire for restoring and flying vintage armed forces war plans and acquire together one of many biggest such fleets in the united states, usually traveling in commemorative occasions to honor those who work in the armed solutions. Tom had been a previous hollywood stunt pilot and star, with credits in 11 films. Through family-owned luxury travel and safari operators plus the Friedkin Conservation Fund — an organization that is charitable by the family members to store the habitat and wildlife in over seven million acres of Tanzania — the Friedkins have additionally added over $100 million to aid wildlife preservation and anti-poaching efforts in East Africa. Dan can also be earnestly involved with ecological stewardship in their house state of Texas, where he functions as chairman regarding the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission.

The business owner of “eatertainment.” Tilman Fertitta, 56, had been a partner in the first Landry’s restaurant in 1980 and purchased managing fascination with the organization 1986.

This season he took Landry’s private in deal worth $1.4 billion. In June Landry’s bought the 11-unit steak and seafood string Mastro’s Restaurants of Ca for the price that is undisclosed. In February, he offered $22 a share to acquire Ark Restaurants, simply to have their proposal refused by Ark’s board of directors. Along with restaurants, Landry’s has the Golden Nugget gambling enterprises, Houston’s Kemah Boardwalk, Tower associated with Americas in San Antonio and San Luis Resort in Galveston, Tex. Altogether Landry’s has 63 brands–including Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Morton’s Steakhouse and Rainforest Cafe–with total 500 areas. a university dropout, he acts regarding the board of regents when it comes to University of Houston system.

The San Antonio gas tycoon’s fortune arises from their wells on 500,000 acres of south Texas, a lot of it smack dab within the heart associated with Eagle Ford shale. But their passion is without question airplanes. The son of an Air Force pilot, he purchased their first in 1981 (an Aeronca Chief) because he had been sick and tired of driving Texas’ wide-open areas to test gauges on coal and oil wells. Following a bout with esophageal cancer tumors in 2004, he began purchasing up other planes in earnest. Lewis, 59, now has two dozen Warbirds — World War II-era planes — including A p-51 mustang and another of just two surviving T-6G trainer planes employed by the Tuskegee airmen. Their racer that is famed Rare holds the short term loans in Illinois rate record for piston-driven aircraft. He has also a B-25 bomber which he travelled at a meeting honoring the anniversary that is 70th of’s raid. “But i am simply traveling around,” he states. “these people were really fighting and attempting to save yourself their ass and fighting for the nation.” The jewel associated with the collection is Glacier Girl, a P-38 Lightning dug out from the Greenland ice and restored to mint condition. Additionally drills for oil in Colombia. (we profiled Rod and their Warbird collection here.)