John Paul DeJoria

Navy vet made billions getting people clean with shampoo and sloppy with tequila. Cofounded hair-care outfit John Paul Mitchell Systems with Paul Mitchell (d. 1989) in 1980 with $700; slept in car, sold products door-to-door in Los Angeles. Annual salon product sales now approach $900 million. Created tequila maker Patron Spirits with Martin Crowley (d. 2003) in 1989. With help of celeb friends Clint Eastwood and Wolfgang Puck, made $50 bottles of tequila a necessity at high-end restaurants, nightclubs. Today company sells nearly 2 million cases a year; only Jose Cuervo sells more in the U.S. Bacardi bought minority stake for undisclosed sum in July. East L.A. native loves philanthropy: "Success unshared is total failure." Supports Food4Africa, Mineseekers, Blazer House.