Haute 100: New York City

The most influential people in the world’s most powerful city

Herbert Allen, Jr.
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
COMPANY: Allen & Company Inc, Coca-Cola
INDUSTRY: Media, Finance
What Makes Him HAUTE: He’s widely known for being advisor to some of the top media moguls and the man who helped Google go public back in 2004. He’s been director of Coca-Cola since 1982, and is the president and CEO of his private investment company Allen & Co. Earlier this year, Allen purchased approximately $8 million worth of Coke shares, making him the largest individual owner of the stock.

Woody Allen
CATEGORY: Thinkers
INDUSTRY: Film
What Makes Him HAUTE: New York’s greatest auteur always presents his beloved Big Apple in a sophisticated and romanticized way. He has won three Academy Awards and has been nominated 21 times, with more nominations for screenwriting than any other writer. His recent projects include the screenplays for Midnight in Paris and You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, both for which he directed himself. Allen is worth an estimated $40 million.

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony
CATEGORY: Power Couples
INDUSTRY: Entertainment
What Makes Them HAUTE: While she may also have homes in Miami and LA, to us, she will always be Jenny from the Block. She’s worth an estimated $110 million thanks to her box office flicks, album sales, perfumes, and endorsement deals (which include recent contracts with L’Oreal and Gucci). And if that wasn’t enough, J-Lo joined America’s most notorious panel of judges for season ten of “American Idol.” Her husband Marc is the top tropical salsa artist of all time; he’s earned a total of five Grammy Awards and has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.

André Balazs
CATEGORY: Originators
COMPANY: André Balazs Properties
INDUSTRY: Hospitality
What Makes Him HAUTE: The famous hotelier currently owns seven trendy hotels throughout New York, LA, and Miami, which are amongst the most stylish and luxurious in the country, frequently visited by celebrities and trendsetters. His hotels include The Mercer, Chateau Marmont, Sunset Beach, and four Standard Hotels. Balazs’ Company also owns several luxury New York City residences that include 40 Mercer, One Kenmare Square, and the William Beaver House.

Maria Bartiromo
CATEGORY: Thinkers
COMPANY: CNBC
INDUSTRY: Media
What Makes Her HAUTE: In 1995, she became the first journalist to report live from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange and has since been revered as one of the top business news broadcast journalists. She is currently anchor and co-producer of CNBC’s “Wall Street Journal Report.” Bartiromo also penned two books: The 10 Laws of Enduring Success and Use the News: How to Separate the Noise from the Investment Nuggets and Make Money in Any Economy. And if that wasn’t enough, she also landed a role in this year’s sequel to the classic Wall Street film, playing herself in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, opposite Michael Douglas.

Mercedes & Sid Richardson Bass
CATEGORY: Power Couples
COMPANY: Bass Brothers Enterprises
INDUSTRY: Oil
What Makes Them HAUTE: Sid Richardson Bass, an American investor and billionaire, controls one of the country’s largest privately owned oil companies. He and his philanthropist and socialite wife, Mercedes, split their time between their Texas and New York homes.

Francois-Henry Bennahmias
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
COMPANY: Audemars Piguet
INDUSTRY: Jewelry
What Makes Him HAUTE: He’s been president and CEO of Audemars Piguet North America since 1999, overseeing all financial, operational, sales and marketing for the brand. In his time as CEO, the brand has experienced rapid sales growth and has opened up several stores throughout the U.S., securing North America as the number one market for the 100-year-old luxury Swiss watch brand. Bennahmias has also been involved with many philanthropic causes, partnering with Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Tony Awards to sell watches on behalf of charities.

Brian Benstock
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
COMPANY: Paragon Motors
INDUSTRY: Automotive
What Makes Him HAUTE: He is Partner of Paragon Honda, which is the number one Honda retailer in the world. He was also recognized as 2010’s “Dealer of the Year.”

Leon Black
CATEGORY: Billionaires
COMPANY: Apollo Management, LP
INDUSTRY: Finance
What Makes Him HAUTE: He’s the founder of Apollo Management, one of the world’s largest private equity investment managing firms. Over the past twenty years, the company has grown to manage more than $50 billion, specializing in buying companies that are in debt and then selling them for a profit. His most recent gamble? A $75 million investment to gain 40 percent ownership of HFA Holdings, the parent company of Lighthouse Investment Partners.

Lloyd Blankfein
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
COMPANY: Goldman Sachs
INDUSTRY: Finance
What Makes Him HAUTE: As chairman and CEO of one of the most well known investment banks in the world, Blankfein has proven that Goldman Sachs will remain afloat despite Wall Street’s financial crisis. This year, Bloomberg ranked Goldman Sachs the number one advisor on mergers and acquisitions, with revenue that increased to $496 million. It is reported that Blankfein will soon be reaping some sweet rewards (an estimated $24 million) from grants that were made back in 2007.