Virginia Business Magazine: 2007 Virginia 100

KIRBY FAMILY
Claremont
The Kirby family's philanthropic efforts date back to the 19th century after the late Fred Morgan Kirby created the family's fortune when he merged a string of variety stores with F.W. Woolworth. Since then, the family has offered support to many charitable organizations with a focus on educational institutions, libraries, churches and hospitals. In Virginia, the family's Guilford Foundation supports institutions such as the Massey Cancer Center, James River Association, Explore Park in Roanoke, Sacred Heart Center, St. Christopher's School, Hampden-Sydney College and the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. The family owns 9 percent of the stock of Alleghany Corp., a New York-based holding company with primary investments in financial and industrial companies. Roger H.W. Kirby is president of Guilford Co., a private investment firm in Richmond. He serves as a trustee at his alma mater, Hampden-Sydney.
Net worth: $350 million*
Confidence: B

BERTRAM AND DIANA FIRESTONE
Upperville
Bertram R. and Diana Johnson Firestone, both 75, remain regulars on the equestrian circuit. They have thoroughbreds training with Michael Matz, a three-time equestrian Olympian; Bill Mott, who won the Breeders Cup Turf with one of their homebred champions, Theatrical; and Dermot Weld, who trains for the Firestones in Europe and has won the English and Irish Oaks with their dual champion, Blue Wind. Bertram's fortune comes from real estate and breeding and racing horses. Diana is an heiress to the Johnson & Johnson fortune. Their daughter, Alison Firestone Robitaille, 30, is an accomplished equestrian and has won many grand prix events. The Firestones support the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation as well as the Virginia Tech Foundation through the Marion DuPont Scott Equine Medical Center.
Net worth: $330 million
Confidence: C

RUSSELL W. RAMSEY
Great Falls | Age: 47
Ramsey is the former president and co-CEO of Friedman, Billings, Ramsey Group, which he co-founded in 1989. He remains a director of the real estate investment trust and is also chairman and CEO of Ramsey Asset Management LLC, a private hedge fund. A member of George Washington University's Board of Trustees since 1998, he will become its chairman in July. At his alma mater, he oversaw the consideration of more than 100 candidates for university president. A native Washingtonian, Ramsey earned his bachelor's degree on a baseball scholarship and captained the team his senior year, when he broke the school record for stolen bases in a season. Ramsey and his wife, Norma, have supported the university financially, including a $1 million gift to establish the Ramsey Student Investment Fund, an investment portfolio managed by MBA students in the Applied Portfolio Management course. The Venture Philanthropy Partners they helped found has invested nearly $70 million in nonprofits in the Washington area over the past five years.
Net worth: $330 million
Confidence: A

MICHAEL SAYLOR
McLean | Age: 42
The chairman, CEO and co-founder of MicroStrategy got a raise last year and a $2 million bonus in February based on the company's performance in 2006, and Saylor's continuing visionary role. The stock price of the business intelligence software provider rose and revenues increased 17 percent to $313.8 million last year. That's good news for Saylor, who owns more than 2.7 million shares, or a nearly a 23 percent controlling stake of the company. MicroStrategy's net income was up $6 million. The company unveiled MicroStrategy 8.1, its latest interactive dashboard. Besides being the technical architect for MicroStrategy's enterprise software, Saylor is an inventor with 18 patents in the areas of business intelligence, electronic security and speech automation. He also created the Constitution Foundation, which supports the arts, education and other charitable activities. It distributed about $300,000 of $14 million in assets in 2005 and set aside another $500,000 for a project to develop a free education Web site that will feature math, science, English and other courses from kindergarten to college level.
Net worth: $326 million
Confidence: B

NICEWONDER FAMILY
Bristol
After the $316.2 million sale of Nicewonder Coal Group to Alpha Natural Resources in 2005, the Nicewonders have shifted their focus to real estate interests. Don Nicewonder still serves as a consultant for Alpha. He and his brother J.D. Nicewonder have interests in various golf courses in Virginia and in other states. J.D.'s 2005 proposal to convert 1,500 acres of wetland into two 18-hole courses raised concerns from the Environmental Protection Agency. However, Don's conversion of a former mountaintop mine in Wharncliffe, W.Va., into a golf course has been well-received. Nicewonder's Premium Energy Corp. once contracted for coal on the site. Several members of the Nicewonder family have donated hefty sums to Republican candidates since 1996 including a collective donation of $55,000 to fund Jerry Kilgore's unsuccessful run for governor in 2005. J.D. and Don Nicewonder are also life members of the Virginia Tech Foundation.
Net worth: $300 million+
Confidence: C

ROBERT M. ROSENTHAL
Middleburg | Age: 79
Chief Executive Officer of Rosenthal Automotive Organization, one of Washington area's largest car dealerships, with about $1 billion in annual sales. Wards Dealer Business ranks the company as the 32nd largest dealer in the country. Rosenthal serves on the Trustee Council of the National Gallery of Art. Over the past three years, he has pledged more than $3 million to charities primarily in the arts and medical sciences, including the Eisenhower Medical Center in California, the National Gallery of Art, the Phillips Collection and the Washington National Opera.
Net worth: $300 million
Confidence: A

BETTY KNIGHT SCRIPPS
Charlottesville, East Hampton, N.Y., and Lyford Cay, Nassau, Bahamas.
Chairwoman of Charlottesville-based Scripps Enterprises Inc., a private firm with holdings in publishing, real estate, oil and gas. This newspaper heiress (she and her late husband, Edward W. Scripps, owned Scripps League Newspapers which they sold in 1996) stays busy with philanthropic interests. For the past several years, Scripps has chaired the Washington National Opera Ball and the Candlelight Ball for the Scripps Hospital in La Jolla, Calif., donating $1 million plus to each organization each year. The Washington, D.C., ball - the opera's biggest fundraiser - is one of the most prestigious social events in the nation's capital, drawing a broad group of people from the arts, government and diplomatic communities. The Scripps League Newspapers Education and Research Fund continues to provide financial assistance to journalism students at various universities.
Net worth: $300 million
Confidence: B

RODNEY P. HUNT
McLean | Age: 45
Founder, president & CEO of RS Information Systems, Inc. (RSIS), specializing in information technology, science, engineering and management consulting. Founded in 1993, the company has grown to nearly 2,000 employees, 30 offices around the United States and generates annual revenue of more than $300 million. A joint venture formed by RSIS and a small business partner teamed with the US Department of Energy in 2005 to win a seven-year, $1 billion technology services contract. That same year Hunt was honored as Small Business Champion of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration. In 2004, he was recognized as Executive of the Year in the mid-size company category by Professional Services Council and Washington Technology. Hunt also was the first recipient of the Parren J. Mitchell Lifetime Achievement Award, Black Engineer of the Year, and the SBA's Small Business Person of the Year for the District of Columbia and the Mid-Atlantic Region. Philanthropic activities include serving on the board of directors at The Perry School in Washington, DC; founder and president of Virginia Pride, Inc.; and founder, president and chairman of the board of the Rodney P. Hunt Family Foundation, all focused on youth development. In addition, Hunt made a personal investment in 2006 of over $1 million to establish the Capital Sports Complex, a community center for sports, fitness and learning in Capital Heights, Md.
Net worth: $290 million
Confidence: A

JOSEPH E. ROBERT JR.
McLean | Age: 56
The chairman and CEO of the J.E. Robert Cos. made his money buying distressed properties, but his true passion is helping children. "They can't change the school system, they can't cure diseases that afflict them, and they can't mentor themselves. Somebody who really cares has to do that for them," Robert says on the Web site Fight for Children, a nonprofit he founded to raise money for children's charities. It has leveraged $190 million in support of more than 150 youth- and family-serving organizations. His success as a businessman has paved the way for his philanthropy. Founded in 1981, his private firm manages or invests in real estate valued at more than $40 billion in 20 countries. One of his largest philanthropic enterprises is The Joseph E. Robert Center for Surgical Care at Children's National Medical Center. It performs more than 8,000 procedures each year on infants, children and adolescents, including kidney transplants. Robert serves on the National Health Museum Board and chairs the $250 million Comprehensive Campaign of Children's National Medical Center. He is also a director of the Peter G. Peterson Institute for International Economics, which studies international economic policy, and he has traveled to Iraq at least three times to observe reconstruction.
Net worth: $260 million
Confidence: C

SAUER FAMILY
Richmond
The family-owned C.F. Sauer Co. is celebrating its 120th anniversary of manufacturing spices and extracts. Its landmark incandescent sign of a baker pouring vanilla towers over Richmond's West Broad Street. Family patriarch Conrad F. Sauer III is chairman of the board. His son Conrad F. Sauer IV is president and CEO, and Conrad IV's brothers, Bradford and Mark, are executive vice presidents of properties and sales, respectively. The company has about 900 employees and brings in annual revenues of $294.6 million. It manufactures 250 extracts and seasonings and is the nation's largest private-label mayonnaise and salad-dressing manufacturer. Sauer also owns Richmond's popular Pleasants Hardware store. The Sauers support several charities, but the family won't discuss its philanthropy.
Net worth: $250 million+
Confidence: C

ALBERT G. VAN METRE SR.
Burke
Albert G. Van Metre Sr., 81, remains as chairman and CEO of Van Metre Cos., a real estate firm he founded in 1955. The firm has built more than 15,000 residential units in the greater Washington, D.C., area. The firm's management team includes Vice Chairman Beau Van Metre (Albert's son), President Rick Rabil, Group Presidents Brad Gable (Albert's stepson) and Ken Ryan and family trustee Larry Bensignor, each of whom have ownership stakes in the company. Last year the Washington Business Journal and Greater D.C. Cares named Van Metre Cos. a Top Corporate Philanthropist at their 2006 Business Philanthropy Summit. The Van Metre firm raised and donated $600,000 to Northern Virginia charities, including Loudoun Community Free Clinic and Prince William Interfaith Caregivers. An annual run sponsored by the company has raised more than $1 million for the Children's National Medical Center since the 1990s.
Net worth: $250 million
Confidence: B

NICHOLAS D. CHABRAJA
Falls Church | Age: 64
Chabraja is in his 10th year as chairman and CEO of General Dynamics Corp., one of the nation's largest defense contractors. The company ranks 93rd on this year's Fortune 500 list with $24.2 billion in annual revenues in 2006, up 14.7 percent compared with 2005. Chabraja started his career with the Fortune 500 company in 1993 as its corporate counsel. General Dynamics continued to rack up major defense contracts over the past year, including a $144 million deal to develop an amphibious assault vehicle for the U.S. Marine Corps. Chabraja earned a salary of $1.3 million last year, a bonus of $3.2 million, and he exercised stock options worth $21.5 million. At press time, he owned 1.6 million shares of the company valued at about $122.9 million. Chabraja also serves as a director for Ceridian Corp., a Minneapolis-based human resources and information services company, and The Northern Trust Co., a Chicago-based multibank holding company.
Net worth: $231 million
Confidence: B

NIGEL W. MORRIS
Alexandria | Age: 48
Morris has been busy .since leaving Capital One Financial Corp. in 2004. A native of the United Kingdom, he was vice chairman at Capital One., which he co-founded with Richard Fairbank. In 2006, he joined the advisory board of Alexandria-based Columbia Capital, a venture capital firm specializing in the communications and information technologies industries. He serves on the board of governors for the London Business School (from which he earned a master's degree) and on the board of New Philanthropy Capital, a London charity. He's also on the board of The Economist Group, publishers of The Economist magazine. He serves on the board of trustees of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation.
Net worth: $200 million
Confidence: C

MARK R. WARNER
Alexandria | Age: 52
After dropping out of the Democratic presidential-nomination race last October, former Virginia Gov. Mark R. Warner has been visible on the hustings this spring. He's still being mentioned as a potential 2008 vice presidential candidate, although some political analysts expect that he would demur since the reason he gave earlier for dropping out was a desire to spend time with family. There's speculation that he would consider running for Sen. John Warner's seat in 2008 or seek another term as governor in 2009. Warner raised $9.8 million last year through his political action committee, Forward Together, and donated $711,000 to Democratic congressional candidates, campaigning in 28 states during the 2006 elections. Warner lives with his family in a $6.2 million home in Alexandria's Old Town district. He made his fortune in the cellular phone business.
Net worth: $200 million
Confidence: C

DANIEL F. AKERSON
McLean | Age: 58
"You can just never, never quit," the managing director of The Carlyle Group, the world's largest private equity group, told Washingtonian magazine of the life lessons that he had learned from a mentor. Akerson is the former president and COO of MCI Communications and the former CEO of XO Communications and Nextel Communications. A 1970 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he still enjoys the water at his Annapolis home, which tax records value at more than $5.9 million, when he's not in McLean. Akerson was a member of the NATO 50th Anniversary Summit Host Committee and serves as a director of the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation, American Express, Hawaiian Telcom and United Components as well as on the boards of recent acquisitions: The Nielsen Co., owner of Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter; Freescale Semiconductor; and MultiPlan.
Net worth: $190 million
Confidence: C

THE REV. M. G. "PAT" ROBERTSON
Virginia Beach | Age: 77
Robertson continues his reign as CEO of the Christian Broadcasting Network and its "700 Club" as well as serving as chairman of Operation Blessing and president of Regent University. CBN, the largest producer of Christian-themed Arabic language programs in the world, opened a studio in New Delhi to produce Hindi language programs. Its television audience is estimated at 300 million and includes 17 foreign language centers, 75 overseas counseling centers and 33 foreign language Web sites. Last year, Operation Blessing opened a clinic serving the citizens of Katrina-ravaged East New Orleans with medical and dental care and free medicine. According to Robertson, cumulative donations by OB to the world's poor exceed $1.1 billion worth of medicine, food and other supplies. Regent University enjoyed a record enrollment this year, graduating 975 students in May. Robertson also is the sole director of Freedom Gold, which has mining rights in Liberia and owns a 200,000-acre gold concession there.
Net worth: $190 million
Confidence: B

HARRY H. HUNT III
Blacksburg | Age: 73
Even with a cooled down housing market, Hunt's net worth increased $20 million during the past year. Diversification of his private real estate and development company seems to be key to Hunt's financial success. HHHunt Corp. owns more than 4,000 multifamily rental units with an additional 2,400 units planned during the next 12 months. It also has 22 assisted-living facilities in 17 cities with two more under contract. The company also owns home-building companies in Richmond and Hampton Roads, and it plans to expand operations to Raleigh, N.C., and Charleston, S.C. Its new Richmond project, Wilton on the James, will offer a 1,185-acre smart-growth village in eastern Henrico County, including land for a county park. HHHunt is ranked as one of the nation's top builders by Builder Magazine and one of the top 50 largest multifamily rental builders by Assisted Living Today magazine.
Net worth: $189.1 million*
Confidence: A

PAUL C. SAVILLE
Reston | Age: 51
Saville is principal executive officer at NVR, Inc., one of the country's largest home-building and mortgage banking companies. In April, NVR announced a stock repurchase program, with the company planning to buy $300 million of the NVR's outstanding common stock, about 7.8 percent of the 5.6 million available shares. The stock repurchase is part of an ongoing effort to reduce NVR's debt-to-book capital ratio and to bolster shareholder value, which dropped over the past year in response to a cooled- down housing sector. After reaching a low of $386.55 per share last summer, stock prices had rebounded to $780.00 per share by this May. First quarter earnings for 2007 were down compared to the same quarter last year. Diluted earnings per share of $12.96 dropped 33 percent compared with last year's figure of $19.48 per share, and net income was down 36 percent. Saville earned more than $4 million in compensation in 2006 and owns about 300,000 shares of stock.
Net worth: $189 million*
Confidence: B

RICHARD L. SHARP
Richmond | Age: 60
Sharp retires this month as chairman of Richmond-based CarMax Inc., but he's still is involved in innovative businesses. He serves as chairman of Crocs Inc., a maker of brightly colored footwear that softens with body heat and molds to the wearer's foot. Colorado-based Crocs had revenue of $354.7 million last year, up 236 percent from 2005, while profits rose 395 percent to $20.8 million. The company's stock has doubled in the past 12 months and was trading around $53 in late April. Sharp also is a board member and former chairman of Singapore-based Flextronics International Ltd., which had 2006 revenues of $15.3 billion. Sharp is credited with revolutionizing the used-car industry with the introduction of the CarMax superstore concept while he was CEO of Richmond-based Circuit City Stores Inc. The Sharp Foundation had assets of more than $7 million and made donations of $441,957 in 2005. President Bush visited Sharp's home in Goochland County in May for a private fund-raising event for the Virginia Republican Party.
Net worth: $170 million
Confidence: C

JOSEPH W. LUTER III
Smithfield | Age: 66
The longtime CEO of Smithfield Foods Inc. stepped down last August but remains chairman of the board. Under his 31-year tenure, company's sales rose from $115 million to more than $11 billion. Smithfield Foods is the leading processor and marketer of fresh pork and processed meats in the United States, as well as the largest producer of hogs. Luter expanded the business primarily through acquisitions, buying 53 companies in the last 25 years. Last year the company acquired the assets of ConAgra Foods Inc., which includes packaged meats and turkey products sold under Armour, Butterball and other well-known brands. Smithfield Foods also bought the European meats business of Sara Lee Corp. Luter received a bonus of nearly $3.9 million last year, about 82 percent of his total cash compensation in fiscal 2006. According to the company's most recent proxy, Luter owns about 7 million shares or 5.9 percent of the company (including unexercised stock options). He serves on the board of trustees of Wake Forest University, his alma mater, and helped establish a business school bearing his name at Christopher Newport University with a personal grant of $5 million.
Net worth: $169 million
Confidence: B

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