This content is from: Portfolio
The 2017 Pension Political Power 25: Laura and John Arnold
No. 4 Laura & John Arnold, Founders, Laura and John Arnold Foundation



Laura and John Arnold Foundation
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
![]() 2. Bruce Rauner Governor of Illinois ![]() 3. Betsy DeVos Secretary of Education ![]() 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 |