OUR 2015 HAUTE LIST OF LOS ANGELES AND ORANGE COUNTY’S MOST INFLUENTIAL BILLIONAIRES, ATHLETES, POWER COUPLES, PHILANTHROPISTS, ENTREPRENEURS, AND, OF COURSE, ENTERTAINERS. L.A. IS THE HOME OF HOLLYWOOD, AFTER ALL!
Category: THE A-LIST ATHLETES
1. Blake Griffin: Blake Griffin is truly an all-star player for the Los Angeles Clippers. Since being drafted by the team in 2009, he quickly secured a spot on the NBA All-Star team as a rookie in 2011, winning the Slam Dunk Contest and Rookie of the Year in that same season; he has played on the All-Star Team every year since. In addition to being a key player for the team, he’s also a charitable one: Griffin’s worked with Stand Up To Cancer to help fundraise, create awareness and target research for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
2. Chris Paul: Chris Paul isn’t just one of the best basketball players in the world, he’s also one of the most philanthropic. The Los Angeles Clippers captain—named NBA Rookie of the Year (2006) and NBA All-Star Game MVP (2013)—is also a seven-time NBA All Star, four-time All-Defensive First Team and a two-time Olympic gold medalist (2008, 2012). When he’s not playing ball, he gives back through his CP3 Foundation.The point guard, whose endorsement portfolio includes Jordan Brand, State Farm Insurance, Kaiser Permanente and Foot Locker, is also the National Basketball Players Association President as well.
3. Kobe Bryant: Kobe Bryant is an NBA all-star. In his 19 years with the Los Angeles Lakers—the only team, incidentally, that he has ever played for—he continues to break records every single year. He is a 16-time All-Star, a 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, a 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, and holds two Olympic gold medals. This season, he became just the fourth player in NBA history to reach the 32,000-point plateau. Bryant, an ambassador for the Swiss watch brand Hublot, is also the co-founder of the Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation alongside his wife; the organization is dedicated to improving the lives of youth and families in need.
4. Maria Sharapova: Maria Sharapova is the total package. She’s a world-renowned tennis star, winning five WTA Grand Slam tournaments. Off the court, Sharapova’s tremendous international fan base led to major commercial endorsements with companies including Nike, Porsche, Tag Heuer, Evian, Supergoop, Head, and Avon. The Russian beauty is also 100 percent charitable. In 2007, she became a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme and has donated more than one million dollars to Chernobyl-related projects. Through her Maria Sharapova Foundation, she commits herself to helping children around the world achieve their dreams through scholarships and more. She also founded her own candy company, Sugarpova, with a percentage of proceeds benefitting the Maria Sharapova Foundation.
CATEGORY: THE ENTERTAINERS
1. Pharrell Williams: Pharrell Williams has had a long and storied career as a musician, songwriter and record producer (he was part of the outfits The Neptunes and N.E.R.D.), but it wasn’t until he went solo and wore “that hat”—the Vivienne Westwood Mountie affair that he first donned at the 2014 Grammy Awards—that the world truly seemed to be his oyster. Not only has he collaborated with a plethora of designers, he has also co-composed the music for The Amazing Spiderman 2 alongside Hans Zimmer. He also appeared as a mentor on The Voice, and is the founder of the non-profit organization From One Hand to AnOTHER.
2. Lupita Nyongo: 2014 was the year of Lupita. After dazzling on every single red carpet during awards season, the Kenyan-Mexican ingénue cleaned up, winning everything from the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award, to a Screen Actors Guild and Film Independent Spirit Award for her work in 12 Years a Slave. Because of her success, she became the newest face of Lancôme cosmetics, and also scored a major role in Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens. She will also voice “Rakcha” in The Jungle Book come 2015.
3. Mark Wahlberg: Mark Wahlberg always seems to have a dozen different projects on his plate, and all are diverse. After appearing in the franchise Transformers: Age of Extinction and the crime drama The Gambler in 2014, he’ll star in the comedies Ted 2 and Daddy’s Home, as well as have a cameo in Entourage in 2015. He will continue to appear in the A&E reality series Wahlburgers, about his family’s Massachusetts burger joint, and executive produce shows such as HBO’s Ballers, a series centered around a former pro football player. Additionally, the two time Academy Award nominee acquired an equity interest in the Barbados Tridents cricket team in 2013.
4. Matthew McConaughey: If you’re not already involved with the McConaissance, you will be by 2015. 2014 was Matthew McConaughey’s year. After taking home his first Academy Award for The Dallas Buyers Club (as well as virtually every other major award last year), the Texan star also appeared in the most-buzzed-about series of the year, HBO’s True Detective—and received an Emmy nod for it, to boot. To top it all off, McConaughey gives back through his just keep livin foundation, an organization that is dedicated to empowering high school students and encouraging them to lead active lives and make healthy choices.
5. Jennifer Lopez: From the Block let it all hang out in 2014, literally and figuratively. With the release of her autobiography, “True Love,” she faced her fears, reflected on her life, and revealed that she had to love herself completely, flaws and all, before she could love someone else. She also literally “let it all out” by teaming up with gal of the moment Iggy Azalea to release the sexy single (and accompanying leotard-heavy music video), “Booty.” In 2015, she will return as a judge on the 14th season of American Idol, continue to produce the successful ABC Family series, The Fosters, and appear onscreen in the Universal/Blumhouse romantic thriller Boy Next Door.
6. Kevin Hart: Kevin Hart makes it his business to make you laugh. The actor, comedian, writer, and producer is hilarious—a fact that hasn’t gone unnoticed by Hollywood heavyweights. After starting a successful career in standup, he released several comedy albums, including “Seriously Funny” in 2010 and “Laugh at My Pain” in 2011. He has also appeared in successful films like Think Like a Man, Ride Along, About Last Night, and Little Fockers. In addition to starring as himself on Real Husbands of Hollywood, he will release two films in 2015, The Wedding Ringer and Get Hard.
7. Bradley Cooper: Bradley Cooper has exploded in recent years, reaching A-list status seemingly overnight. The two-time Academy Award nominee has had a massive last few years thanks to roles in David O. Russell films like American Hustle and Silver Linings Playbook, and in the coming years he’ll be working with some of the greatest directors in the world. In 2014 he teamed up with frequent co-star Jennifer Lawrence yet again in Serena and worked with Clint Eastwood on American Sniper; in 2015, he’ll join Emma Stone and Rachel McAdams on Cameron Crowe’s still-untitled project, and appear in John Wells’ upcoming comedy. The sky is the limit for young blue eyes.
8. Robert Downey, Jr.: Robert Downey Jr. consistently tops Hollywood’s hot list of the highest-grossing actors, due to his sheer likeability and his sheer talent. The two-time Oscar nominee released The Judge in 2014, and will reprise his role as Tony Stark in what’s sure to be a box office smash with Avengers: Age of Ultron in 2015. The generous movie star supports charities such as March of Dimes, the Motion Picture and Television Fund Foundation, and The Robin Hood Foundation. He is also responsible for producing Paying It Forward, a series of pop-up concerts in the name of music education.
9. Jennifer Lawrence: Jennifer Lawrence is, hands down, America’s sweetheart. The world is her oyster. Given the fact that she has already won one of three Oscar nominations in the past three years and has starred in two of the biggest movie franchises around (The Hunger Games and X-Men), she clearly has a winning formula. It’s easy to see why J-Law, who also happens to be the face of Dior, has discovered the secret recipe for success.
10. Tom Hanks: Tom Hanks is Hollywood’s nicest guy, a trait that has worked in his favor for almost four decades. He has two Academy Awards sitting on the shelf at home, and is one of the highest-grossing and most well-respected actors of all time. He is a quadruple threat in the entertainment industry as he acts, writes, produces, and directs. 2015 is going to be a big year for the 58-year-old star: he’s teaming up with Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail co-star Meg Ryan for her directorial effort, Ithaca, starring in the drama A Hologram for the King, and filming a Cold War spy thriller with Steven Spielberg. Additionally, he’ll reprise his role as Robert Langdon in the adaptation of Dan Brown’s Inferno.
11. Meryl Streep might just be the greatest living actress today. You only need to look at the variety of her roles and the sheer number of accolades she has to see the truth of that statement. At press time, she has been nominated for 18 Academy Awards total—starting with the 1979 film, The Deer Hunter—and has won three for her work in The Iron Lady, Sophie’s Choice and Kramer vs. Kramer. It should come as no surprise that the 65-year-old has more nominations than any other actor in the history of the Oscars and The Golden Globes. In 2014, she tackled Stephen Sondheim with Into the Woods as well as Lois Lowry’s The Giver; in 2015 she’ll appear in Diablo Cody and Jonathan Demme’s latest, Ricki and the Flash, as well as the drama Suffragette.
12. Asking why Jennifer Aniston is haute is like asking why she’s a good “friend.” This wildly successful star is one of the most recognized faces on the planet thanks to her ‘90s-era sitcom, Friends, as well as a string of feel good romantic comedies. In 2014, she changed things up and laid her soul (and face) bare in the indie drama Cake, which is already garnering early awards buzz. She is also a strategic businesswoman: she is the co-founder of production company Echo Films, and also co-owns the hair care line Living Proof. She is currently the face of Smart Water and Aveeno.
CATEGORY: THE TRIPLE THREATS
1. Ryan Seacrest: What doesn’t make Ryan Seacrest haute? He’s hands-down the hardest-working man in Hollywood thanks to his American Idol hosting duties; an agreement with NBCUniversal that includes on-air broadcasting duties; his syndicated radio show, “On Air With Ryan Seacrest”; and his work producing shows like Keeping Up With the Kardashians through his own Ryan Seacrest Productions. He has also launched his first fashion line, Ryan Seacrest Distinction, and is an investor in media and technology companies like Civic Entertainment Group, TYPO Keyboards and Pinterest, among others. Somehow, he still manages to find the time for charitable commitments through his Ryan Seacrest Foundation.
2. Sofia Vergara: Everything Sofia Vergara does looks effortless and relaxed (yet glamorous, of course), which might be the secret to her success. In addition to starring on one of the hottest shows on television, ABC’s Modern Family, the four-time Emmy-nominated and four-time Golden Globe-nominated Colombian actress has her own fragrance and earns top marks—and dollars—for endorsing brands like CoverGirl, Rooms to Go and Kay Jewelers.
3. Leonardo Dicaprio: Leonardo DiCaprio isn’t just an actor—though he’s clearly amazing at it, as his five Oscar nominations prove. He also tirelessly devotes his life to the environment through his Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which seeks to find and implement solutions to save the Earth. He donated $2 million in 2014 alone to ocean conservation efforts. But a guy’s got to have a little fun in his life too—the 40-year-old actor (can you believe it?) also announced a $2 million grant to Oceans 5 and a $3 million grant to Oceana, which support an array of ocean conservation projects across the globe, as well as a $1 million donation to the Elephant Crisis Fund.
4. Peter Guber: Peter Guber has his fingers in many different pies, all of which taste really, really good. The partner of Guggenheim Baseball Management became a co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012, and is owner and co-executive chairman of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors as well as the owner and the executive chairman of the Los Angeles Football Club. Additionally, he is the chairman and CEO of Mandalay Entertainment, a multimedia entertainment and new media company formed in 1995. Oh, and there’s more: he’s also the chairman and co-owner of the Dick Clark Company. We’re exhausted just writing this.
5. Jessica Alba: Jessica Alba makes everything she does look effortless—and beautiful. After getting her start as an actress, the 33-year-old turned entrepreneur and founded The Honest Company, her line of non-toxic, family-friendly products. The Golden Globe nominee also finds time to devote herself to a series of charitable organizations such as Baby2Baby, the Children’s Defense Fund, Feeding America, March of Dimes, ONE, Project Home, Stand Up to Cancer, The Art of Elysium, and Habitat For Humanity.
6. Adam Levine: Everyone knew Adam Levine as the handsome frontman of pop outfit Maroon 5, but very few knew the 35-year-old crooner as a media personality until he began appearing as a mentor on The Voice in 2011. Since then, his world has been, well, rocked. He appeared in Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story: Asylum, and had his first feature film role alongside Keira Knightley in Begin Again. As an entrepreneur, he launched his own eponymous fragrance, and has also developed clothing collections for both men and women with Kmart. Oh, and by the way, he (along with the rest of Maroon 5) has received three Grammy Awards, two Billboard Music Awards, two American Music Awards, and a World Music Award.
7. Channing Tatum: Channing Tatum is one to watch. The 34-year-old actor and film producer has had a stellar few years, picking projects that have created major buzz, such as Magic Mike, the G.I. Joe films, 21 and 22 Jump Street and the latest, Foxcatcher. He and his production partners Reid Carolin and Peter Kiernan recently announced their new production company, Free Association.
8. Gwyneth Paltrow: Gwyneth Paltrow may have “consciously uncoupled” with husband Chris Martin in 2014, but in all other respects, 2014 was her year. She opened two successful pop-up shops (in Brentwood and Dallas, respectively) of her digital media and e-commerce company, Goop, and will also create her first Goop-branded clothing line. She also returns to film in 2015 in a big way, starring in the action/comedy Mortdecai alongside Johnny Depp and Ewan McGregor. After spending the last several years in London, she is really embracing making L.A. her home again, even hosting a fundraiser for President Obama at her Brentwood manse.
9. James Franco: Does James Franco sleep? We’re not so sure. The 36-year-old star has hosted the Academy Awards, written several books, made his debut in dance theatre, directed several films, and released a single with his band, Daddy. He taught a class at NYU in feature filmmaking and production as well as a class at USC and a class at UCLA, and became a Ph.D. student in English at Yale University. He is also an artist who has professionally presented his first gallery exhibition, is active in charities like The Art of Elysium, and created the AOL web series “Making A Scene with James Franco.” Did we mention that he’s a Golden Globe Award winner and an Oscar nominee?
10. Sean Penn: Sean Penn is so much more than a mere actor. The two-time Oscar winner is an actor, director, and producer of films such as Mystic River and Milk. Though entertainment is in his blood—he’ll appear in the dramatic film The Gunman with Javier Bardem and Idris Elba in February 2015—his focus is predominantly his J/P Haitian Relief Organization. For his philanthropic efforts, Penn was named Ambassador at Large for Haiti and was also presented with the 2012 Peace Summit Award at the 12th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates.
11. Brett Ratner: Brett Ratner is taking Hollywood by storm. The film director, producer, music video director, and photographer best known for movies like Rush Hour, X-Men: The Last Stand, and Tower Heist, formed RatPac with billionaire James Packer with a first-look deal at Warner Bros. in addition to forming RatPac-Dune Entertainment with financier Steven Mnuchin and co-financing Warner Bros.’ upcoming slate of films.
12. George Clooney: We’d say that George Clooney’s lack of bachelorhood makes him haute, though that would be a lie (but the fact that he tied the knot with top human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin in 2014 certainly doesn’t hurt any). The eight-time Oscar nominee and two-time winner isn’t just a triple-threat actor, director, and producer—he’s also an A-list humanitarian, having founded the organization Not On Our Watch with Matt Damon and Brad Pitt—and actively fights for human rights in Sudan, among other causes. He’s also in the booze biz; he founded Casamigos tequila with longtime friend Rande Gerber.
13. Eva Longoria: Producer, director, and philanthropist Eva Longoria currently guest-stars on FOX’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine and has upcoming feature films Refugio, Any Day, and Visions. Longoria is also Executive Producer of Lifetimes’ Devious Maids, the NCLR ALMA Awards, and documentaries Harvest, Food Chains and Our Time. Longoria is founder of The Eva Longoria Foundation, Eva’s Heroes, and is the national spokesperson for Padres Contra el Cancer. A brand ambassador for L’Oreal Paris, Longoria owns BESO Hollywood, the production company UnbeliEVAble Entertainment, and is a NY Times bestselling author.
CATEGORY: THE PRODUCERS
1. Quentin Tarantino: Quentin Tarantino made headlines in 2014 when he said that his tenth film, the Channing Tatum-starring spaghetti-western Hateful Eight, will be his final film. It remains to be seen if this shocking statement rings true for the two-time Academy Award winner, two-time BAFTA Award winner, two-time Golden Globe winner and Palme d’Or holder who is responsible for some of the most non-linear films of our time including Inglorious Basterds, Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs.
2. Ryan Murphy: Ryan Murphy has created three of the most popular series on television, including Nip/Tuck, Glee, and American Horror Story. The two-time Emmy winning screenwriter, director, and producer can also be credited with directing Julia Roberts in both the big screen adaptation of Eat, Pray, Love, as well as the Emmy-winning HBO TV movie, The Normal Heart. His current season of the cult series American Horror Story: Freak Show is already earning rave reviews.
3. Shonda Rhimes: Hello, Shonda Rhimes. We love your series—and so does everyone else. Rhimes is a screenwriter and producer best known as the creator of Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, and the political thriller series Scandal. Her most recent hit is How to Get Away with Murder, a legal series starring Viola Davis on which she serves as executive producer. It’s no surprise that Rhimes’ production company is called Shondaland: after all, it is her world…we’re just living in it (and watching it).
4. Tyler Perry: Tyler Perry has some kind of magic touch. He is an actor, director, screenwriter, playwright, producer, author, and songwriter who has been named the highest paid man in entertainment. Here’s why the 45-year-old truly has the “Midas Touch”: in addition to his successful directing career, he’s also in cahoots with Oprah Winfrey: he struck a multi-year partnership with her Oprah Winfrey Network that has resulted in series like The Have and the Have Nots and If Loving You Is Wrong. Most recently, he received rave reviews for playing a slick lawyer in David Fincher’s big screen adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl.
5. Judd Apatow: Judd Apatow is taking over Hollywood, one comedy at a time. It feels like every major mega-earning comedic picture has had Apatow’s name attached to it, from HBO’s Girls, to Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues. The man responsible for Knocked Up, Get Him to the Greek, Superbad, and Pineapple Express is currently developing projects though his film company, Apatow Productions, and is releasing the surefire hit Trainwreck as director and producer with Amy Schumer in 2015.
6. James Cameron: James Cameron is the man responsible for the top two highest-grossing films of all time, Avatar and Titanic, which makes him a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood. He has announced plans to release three sequels to his highest grosser, Avatar, as well as a long-term $400 million agreement to bring Avatar-themed lands to Walt Disney World. Cameron, a true environmentalist, is also a huge supporter of Global Green USA, an organization that fosters a global shift toward a sustainable future.
7. Kathryn Bigelow: Kathryn Bigelow is a trailblazer. She is the first woman ever to win a Best Director Academy Award (she did so in 2010 for The Hurt Locker). Her follow-up was the equally provocative Zero Dark Thirty, which earned Bigelow a Golden Globe award for best director. She is currently working on another project with her Zero Dark Thirty and The Hurt Locker writing partner, Mark Boal. Additionally, this groundbreaker also sits on the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors.
CATEGORY: THE REAL (ESTATE) DEALS
1. Rick Caruso: Rick Caruso is hard at work making Los Angeles more recognizable as a cultural destination, with developments like The Grove, The Americana at Brand, The Commons at Calabasas, and 8500 Burton Way. The Caruso-affiliated chief is also hard at work making Las Vegas a more family-friendly locale with his new development, The Linq, and plans on redeveloping Montecito’s Miramar Beach Hotel as well as Palisades Village in Pacific Palisades. Caruso is also a renowned philanthropist; he is the founder of Caruso Family Foundation, which seeks to improve the lives of at-risk children in Los Angeles.
2. Mohamed Hadid: Mohamed Hadid has been a force in real estate development for over 30 years, earning the bulk of his net worth building mega-mansions and the hotels of the Ritz-Carlton chain through his company, Hadid Development. Last year he developed the $195 million Beverly Hills manse Palazzo di Amore; he is currently building the largest IMX home theater in the world as well as the Royalton project: the most exclusive ridge land left in Beverly Hills which will house eight haute homes.
3. Joyce Rey: Joyce Rey is often referred to as the “leading lady of luxury real estate” for a reason: the head of Coldwell Banker’s Estates Division is responsible for selling some of the most expensive homes in America. She is definitely the agent behind America’s most expensive home, Palazzo di Amore in Beverly Hills, which has just hit the market for $195 million. Rey is also an active philanthropist, serving on the Southern California Executive Board for the US Fund for UNICEF, and has served on the Board of Directors for the Blue Ribbon Committee at the Music Center, among other organizations.
4. Rick Hilton and Jeff Hyland: Rick Hilton and Jeff Hyland are founders of the Beverly Hills luxury real estate firm Hilton & Hyland. Chairman Hilton is responsible for developments like the Brentwood Country Estates and both sides of the sale of Aaron and Candy Spelling’s $85 million mansion, The Manor, to Petra Ecclestone Stunt. President Hyland is the founding member of Christie’s International Real Estatesand currently sits on the organization’s advisory board; he is also a renowned architectural historian and author.
5. Frank Symons: Frank Symons is a real estate leader. He serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Western Region at Sotheby’s International Realty. Frank has over 30 years of real estate experience, having owned and operated his own his firm, and in 1995 he opened the Western Region headquarters of Sotheby’s International Realty which has since expanded operations from Santa Fe to San Francisco. He is a member of the Beverly Hills/Greater Los Angeles Board of Realtors, and was also named the Board’s Realtor of the Year. Most recently, Frank was appointed as a director on the NAR Board of Realtors for 2015.
6. Sam Nazarian: Sam Nazarian is the king of the hospitality industry. As the Founder and Executive Chairman of sbe, he has revolutionized “the scene” in L.A. thanks to brands like Katsuya by Starck, the SLS Hotels, The Bazaar by José Andrés, and Hyde Lounge with its most recent location Hyde Sunset Kitchen + Cocktails. In 2014, he brought his flagship SLS property to Las Vegas, and also plans on opening several residential developments in Los Angeles, Miami, and The Bahamas.
CATEGORY: SO-CAL ALL-STARS
<img width="753" height="502" src="http://hauteliving.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Ludo-Lefebvre-credit-Dale-Berman-e1421858300482-753x502.jpg" class="attachment-rtp-gallery-slider-image colorbox-542108 " alt="Chef Ludo Lefebvre is revolutionizing the culinary landscape of L.A. After traveling around the City of Angels with his wildly successful Ludobites, he opened his first brick-and-mortar restaurant, Trois Mec