Tilman Fertitta

Tilman Fertitta is the owner, chairman and CEO of Landry's, a dining, hospitality and gaming company. Its restaurant chains include Landry's Seafood House, Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, and Saltgrass Steakhouse. The Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Houston's Kemah Boardwalk and the Towers of Americas in San Antonio are all under the Landry's umbrella. Fertitta started at Landry's as a real estate specialist in 1986, took over as president and CEO in 1987, and became the controlling stockholder in 1988. He took the company private in October 2010 in a deal worth $1.4 billion. Fertitta recently acquired McCormick & Schmidt and Morton's Steakhouse. His latest project is the 1,130-foot Galveston Pleasure Pier, scheduled to open in May.