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Five notable billionaires reside in NC’s Research Triangle Park, an area that includes Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh. Do you know them and what they do?
Without knowing it, you might be rubbing shoulders with a billionaire.
We might assume the rich and famous live somewhere other than the places we call home, but the truth is, North Carolina is a great place to live, work, and raise a family. And billionaires (despite the difference in the number of zeroes in their bank accounts) want the same things as us.
Five notable billionaires reside in Research Triangle Park, an area that includes Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh — with Morrisville and Cary in the mix. Originally developed in 1959, RTP’s 7,000 acres include 375 companies and more than 60,000 employees.
If you call this area home, you might want to learn a thing or two about your uber-wealthy neighbors. Here are the fast facts:
Dennis Gillings, Retired, IQVIA
Durham
Gillings founded IQVIA (formerly Quintiles Transnational), a clinical research firm, while he was teaching at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He served as its director until 2018.
Net worth: $2.2 billion, #1,410 wealthiest in the world
Grew up: London, England
Education: University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England
Philanthropy: Gillings School of Public Health, Gillings Innovation Labs at UNC-Chapel Hill
Awards: Lifetime Achievement Award by Scrip Intelligence
Title: Gillings was knighted in 2004 by Queen Elizabeth.
James Goodnight, CEO, SAS Institute
Cary
Goodnight co-founded the SAS Institute with John Sall while he was a student at North Carolina State University. SAS is one of the largest privately held software companies in the world, with more than 12,000 employees. Goodnight has served as the CEO since 1976.
Goodnight owns The Umstead Hotel and Spa, a luxury hotel on 12 acres in Cary. He also owns Prestonwood Country Club, the home to SAS Championship Champion Tour.
Net worth: $10.1 billion, #200 wealthiest in the world
Grew up: Greensboro, Wilmington
Education: North Carolina State University
Philanthropy: Founded the Cary Academy, which provides need-based financial assistance to students.
Awards: CEO Great Place to Work For All Leadership Award in 2020
Mark Rein, Vice President of Business Development, Epic Games
Raleigh
Mark Rein cofounded Epic Games with Tim Sweeney in 1991. Four hundred million gamers play Epic’s Fortnite, one of the world’s most popular video games.
Rein was co-owner of the Carolina Hurricanes, a professional hockey team competing in the National Hockey League, until Thomas Dundon purchased all the minority shares in 2021. Rein remains a fan of the team.
Net worth: $1 billion, #2,578 wealthiest in the world
Grew up: Toronto, Canada
Philanthropy: Rein donated 83 acres of land in southern Granville County to the Tar River Land Conservancy.
Awards: Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences in 2012
Social: Mark Rein
John Sall, Executive Vice President, SAS
Cary
John Sall co-founded the SAS Institute with James Goodnight in 1976. SAS Institute in Cary offers an on-site health care center, pharmacy, and daycare services.
Net worth: $4.9 billion, #588 wealthiest in the world
Grew up: Rockford, Illinois
Education: Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin; Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois and NC State University in Raleigh
Philanthropy: Sall supports education, global public health, and poverty reduction through the Sall Family Foundation.
Awards: 2017 Distinguished Alumnus Award from NC State University
Tim Sweeney, CEO, Epic Games
Cary
If you’ve bought a skin (outfit) for Fortnite, you’ve contributed to Tim Sweeney’s wealth. He co-founded Epic Games, a private game-developing company based in Cary, with Mark Rein in 1991.
Epic’s new headquarters were slated to move to the former site of Cary Towne Center by 2025. Although the old buildings have been razed, no construction has started.
Net worth: $4.1 billion, #729 in the world
Grew up: Potomac, Maryland
Education: University of Maryland
Philanthropy: Sweeney donated 7,500 acres in the Roan Highlands of western North Carolina to the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. He assisted with the expansion to Mount Mitchell State Park by donating 1,500 acres.
Awards: Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame Award in 2012
Social: TimSweeneyEpic
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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