Victoria Zoellner

Victoria Zoellner chairs $1.8 billion (assets) hedge fund Alpine Associates, which she cofounded in 1976 with her late husband Robert (d. 2014). The couple started the firm with $400,000, and wrote the partnership and offering agreements in the living room of their Manhattan apartment. A former portfolio analyst, Victoria focused on merger arbitrage, while Robert headed the trading activities. Alpine, which has mostly grown its capital from profits, still retains its original investors from more than 40 years ago.