President, Bridgewater Associates
The hedge fund manager's flagship macro fund, Pure Alpha, was up 38% after the first three quarters, thanks to bearish calls on the world economy. If the number holds up through the end of the year, the fund should return a record $15 billion, a windfall that will add billions to Dalio's already formidable personal fortune. The self-described hyperrealist uses computer models to help predict global economic trends. Among the prescient calls: going long on U.S. Treasuries, the Japanese yen, and gold.
--P.N.
NEXT: 10. Jeffrey Bezos
Last updated November 19 2010: 10:47 AM ET