Scott Powers
Forbes has put a new spin on its annual release of the richest people in America this week by breaking out a second list naming the richest person in each big city for the first time.
That effort, published Tuesday as “Meet The Richest Person In America’s 50 Largest Cities,” names Thomas Peterffy as Miami’s richest person, Edward DeBartolo Jr. in Tampa, David Siegel in Orlando, and J. Wayne Weaver in Jacksonville.
Each of them has, in his own way, been outspoken or financially generous in support of politics, mainly Republican politics.
Peterffy, who made his money from discount brokerage firms, drew national political attention in 2012 when he paid for his own nationally run TV commercial decrying what he said was a socialist trend in America, and urging people to vote Republican. He has also donated more than $200,000 over the years to Republicans (much of it listing Greenwich, Conn., as his home.) He’s worth $12.5 billion, according to Forbes.
DeBartolo, from the shopping center development family and a former owner of the San Francisco 49ers, has contributed at least $60,000 to candidates and political action committees. His beneficiaries are mostly Republican, but he’s also a big supporter of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California. He’s worth $3.4 billion, according to Forbes.
Siegel, a timeshare mogul, has the most modest and mixed record for campaign contributions, with about $25,000 listed by the Federal Election Commission, spread out among Republicans, Democrats and independents. Yet he drew national attention in 2012 when he sent an email to all the employees of his Westgate Resorts suggesting they needed to vote for Mitt Romney if they wanted to keep their jobs. Also famous for the 2014 documentary “Queen of Versailles,” about his wife Jackie and their mansion, he’s worth $900 million, according to Forbes.
Weaver, who made his money from shoes and is a former owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, has contributed more than $200,000 to campaigns over the years, mostly to Republicans, but also to Democrats including Florida’s U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown of Jacksonville. He’s worth $870 million, according to Forbes.
Orlando and Jacksonville were two of only 10 cities in Forbes break-out of America’s biggest 50 (based on metropolitan population) that had no billionaires.
