< 25 Top Pension Power Players

Since 2011 the Laura and John Arnold Foundation (LJAF) has established itself as the most powerful voice among not-for-profits fighting to reform public defined benefit pensions in the U.S. The Arnolds’ considerable wealth aids in these efforts. John Arnold, 42, made his multibillion-dollar fortune as a natural-gas trader, first at Enron Corp. and then running his own hedge fund. The couple is willing to give big bucks to candidates and campaigns that support the type of pension reform they endorse: a reduction of the burden on state and municipal coffers. The Texas-based LJAF has worked with state lawmakers to help shape pension policy, most recently in Arizona. The foundation’s top pension executive, Josh McGee, is emerging as a pension power player in his own right: In addition to his day job, he’s a senior fellow with conservative think tank the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research (see Paul Singer, No. 15) and chairman of the Texas Pension Review Board. — Imogen Rose-Smith

 
The 2017 Pension Political Power 25

1. Andy Puzder Secretary of Labor 2. Bruce Rauner Governor of Illinois 3. Betsy DeVos Secretary of Education Advisors and Their Clients Call for New Asset Classes in Model Portfolios Sponsored by BlackRock May 6, 2025 4. Laura & John Arnold Founders, Laura and John Arnold Foundation 5. Steven Mnuchin Secretary of the Treasury

6. Wilbur Ross Secretary of Commerce 7. Tani Cantil-Sakauye California Chief Justice 8. Paul Ryan Speaker of the House 9. Anthony Scaramucci Founder, SkyBridge Capital 10. Kevin de León California State Senator and President Pro Tempore

11. Mike Enzi Chairman, Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security 12. Steve Sweeney President, New Jersey State Senate 13. Jerry Brown Governor of California 14. Corey Lewandowski Co-founder, Avenue Strategies 15. Paul Singer President, Elliott Management Corp.

16. Randel Johnson Senior Vice President, Labor, Immigration, and Employee Benefits, U.S. Chamber of Commerce 17. Joe Manchin U.S. Senator 18. Kenneth Feinberg Founder and managingpartner, Feinberg Rozen 19. Scott Walker Governor of Wisconsin 20. Richard Trumka President, AFL-CIO

21. Mike Rawlings Mayor of Dallas 22. Elizabeth Warren U.S. Senator 23. Kent Mason Partner, Davis & Harman 24. Bernie Sanders U.S. Senator 25. Randi Weingarten President, American Federation of Teachers