Stewart Resnick

Resnick is the farmer turned billionaire and philanthropist whose name is well known across California’s Central Valley. He and wife, Lynda Resnick, own The Wonderful Company, parent company to health-focused brands such as Pom Wonderful, Fiji Water and Wonderful Pistachios.

The privately held firm refers to itself as a $6 billion business with its holdings spanning more than 185,000 acres of farmland growing almonds, oranges and other crops. Companywide, the business counts 10,000 employees across California, Texas, New Jersey, Arizona, Oregon, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mexico and Fiji. About 3,000 of those workers are based in the Central Valley.

The Resnicks also hold a stake in the Kern Water Bank, an underground storage facility running 32 miles in the San Joaquin Valley.

Stewart got his start in business with a janitorial services firm that he grew until making the move to acquire Paramount Citrus in the late ’70s — a deal which landed him 1,000 acres and pushed him into agriculture.

As of late January, Forbes had Stewart’s net worth pegged at about $5.4 billion, with the couple’s combined estimated wealth at roughly $10.8 billion.

— Kari Hamanaka