5. James Simons

We’ll bet you $1.5 billion you have not met James Harris Simons, founder of East Setauket hedge-fund firm Renaissance Technologies. Simons pulled down that much in salary in 2006, making him the richest man on LI and a hedge-fund guru. After serving as the chairman of the mathematics department at Stony Brook University, he founded the private investment firm dedicated to the use of mathematical methods, which manages more than $30 billion for its clients. Simons, a former U.S. code-breaker, uses complex formulas and theories to predict the movement of stocks, commodities and bonds. In this case, power definitely means money. He also funds autism research and math education initiatives.