As the first list of its kind, the research team at Health Fitness Revolution created a list of the billionaires in America and how they stay fit. Given their strong influence on society, these great minds do a great deal to also take care of their bodies. Leading by example, these top entrepreneurs, media moguls and celebrities are showing the world that a healthy and fit body is essential to being successful in their career.
“The billionaire’s contribution to American economy is imperative for the further growth of the United States,” said HFR founder Samir Becic. “There is another great avenue the billionaires can take in order to improve American economy, creativity, discipline, positivity and a winning spirit, and that is by being fit and spreading the message of the importance of a healthy lifestyle.”
Here are how the Top 20 Billionaires stay fit, from Health Fitness Revolution and author of the book ReSYNC Your Life Samir Becic:
Michael Bloomberg, CEO of Bloomberg LP;
Former NYC Mayor
- As mayor, encouraged citizens of New York City to get healthy and fit with a “Make NYC Your Gym” movement. “New York City is a great place to get healthy and keep fit — anyone can make the parks, streets and sidewalks into their own personal gym.”
- Plays golf
- Runs for nearly an hour every day on a treadmill
- Limits unhealthy takeout lunches, eats a lot of salads and snacks on popcorn
- HFR named Bloomberg as one of the top fittest mayors in America
Donald Trump, Real Estate
- “You’ve got to take care of your body and stay healthy. You don’t want to be a liability. You don’t want to become somebody’s patient. Taking care of your body is a great thing for love.”
- Takes long walks
- Golfs regularly
- Plays tennis
- Does not keep desserts at home
Mark Cuban, Investor
- “I try to do cardio for at least an hour, six or seven days a week, knowing I’ll miss a day or two now and then because of travel,” he tells the Dallas Morning News. “I do elliptical and the stair gauntlet; play basketball; and take kickboxing and Latin fusion aerobic classes at Lifetime Fitness.”
- Does both cardio and weightlifting for circuit workout routines.
- Eats high-protein, high-fiber, low-carb breakfast cookies each day from Alyssa’s Bakery, a company he invested in because he liked the cookies so much.
- The Dallas Mavericks owner also plays basketball for cardio work.
Jan Koum, 34 – WhatsApp Co-Founder
- Has said he was inspired to start WhatsApp due to his gym’s restrictive no-call policy.
Evan Williams, 41- Twitter
- “My focus is usually great first thing in the morning, so going to the gym first is a trade off of very productive time. Instead, I’ve started going mid-morning or late afternoon (especially on days I work late).It feels weird (at first) to leave the office in the middle of the day, but total time spent is nearly the same with higher energy and focus across the board.”
- Used to work out first thing in the morning because it is a great energy booster- but switched to working out in the middle of the day
- Works out mid-day because it is the time he is least productive and he says it helps him focus
- Specifically picked an office space near a gym so it was convenient for both him and his employees
- Meditates
- Yoga
- Does not eat snacks after 9 p.m.
Kenneth Feld, 65, Ringling Brothers
- Is an exercise and running enthusiast
- Runs marathons
- “When I was 39, somebody said however you are when you’re 40 is how you’re going to be the rest of your life. So I frantically changed. I had about six months to change all of my habits. I never exercised, so I started exercising. I changed my diet. So that sort of changed things for me. Then, I started running in my early 50s. Bill Powell, our regional vice president for this area, talked me into running and it was right when the circus was starting, the beginning of January. I did the Gasparilla run, the 15K. I didn’t know if I could make it then, and it was exhilarating. I started becoming a running addict and I figured for my 55th birthday, I was going to run the New York City Marathon. In the first year, we did it in 3:58 and we beat our goal. I’ve run five marathons: New York twice, Chicago twice and the Marine Corps marathon, all under four hours.” “Whenever there is a marathon and I’m not running in it, I have a marathon envy. It is the most positive experience. You’re running a race you know you’re not going to win, but all the runners are rooting for each other and all the spectators are rooting for every person. I think outside of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, it’s maybe one of the most positive experiences that anybody can ever have. There’s not a negative thought that exists out there. So there’s a lot of pleasure that’s derived from that, and you’re doing it. No one can run that 26.2 for you. So, it’s one of the greater feelings of satisfaction you can get.”
Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle
- He races sailboats, which require plenty of strength and stamina to maneuver.
- He is also known to hit the gym regularly to keep up that fit appearance.
- Plays tennis (and owns the Indian Wells professional tennis tournament in California)
Brian Chesky, Co-Founder of Airbnb
- Former competitive bodybuilder.
- Believes in eating right.
Sergey Brin, Google Co-Creator
- Enjoys skydiving
- In his spare time, he likes to push his body to the limits in any way he can, from roller hockey and ultimate frisbee to gymnastics, springboard diving, and even high-flying trapeze. “I like to do a variety of acrobatic things,” he has said.
- Takes trapeze classes at a local circus gym
- Roller blades
- Brin’s mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and he estimates that with increased exercise and a healthy diet, he could potentially cut his risk in half, to about 25%
Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder
- Insists on 8 hours of sleep a night
- Works out with strength training regularly
Elon Musk, Founder of Tesla and SpaceX
- Swims
- Plays tennis
- Works out at the gym regularly. To save time on his commute, he’s packed his 20,000 plus square feet home with most health club amenities.
Jack Dorsey, Twitter Founder
- Follows the Paleo diet (advocates avoiding gluten, alcohol, dairy and sugar).
- Hits the gym regularly
- Runs three miles daily
- Does six sets of 20 squats and pushups every day.
- Drinks only lemon water and red wine, and avoids beer and hard liquor on weekdays.
John Paul DeJoria, Founder of Paul Mitchell, Patron Spirits
- Has a home gym in which he installed a rope to hang from the ceiling, which he uses as part of his fitness regimen
- Does military pushups twice a week, alternating with pull ups twice a week
- Eats organic
- Limits meat intake
- Eats small meals
Vince McMahon, 68, WWE
- Typically trains four days a week (depending on his work schedule)
- Trains each body part once a week.
- He alternates between “Heavy” and “Not-So-Heavy” days for each body part.
- Trains calves every third day and abs twice a week.
- His son-in-law has said he likes to train at 2 a.m.
Erin Lauder, 44, Cosmetics
- Does not like pasta
- Eats salad or sushi for lunch
- Likes chicken and burgers
- Loves walking and running in Central Park
- “ I’ve never done a cleanse; they just don’t appeal to me. I think it’s better to eat healthy and exercise.”
- Does pilates with a trainer 3 times a week
Jane Lauder, 41, Cosmetics
- Practices yoga daily
- Follows healthy, organic and natural diet
Patrick Soon-Shiong, 63, CEO of the Chan Soon-Shiong Institute for Advance Health
- Minority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers
- Plans to build a 1.2 billion dollar football stadium to return pro football to the nation’s second largest city
- Believes that owning a National Football League would give him a platform to promote wellness by having players mentor younger fans on exercise and healthy eating, and sharing training and medical techniques with local doctors
Michael Dell, 49, Chief Executive of Dell
- Works out in a home gym in private because he wants to take the time to concentrate on the “exercise” he feels are most important in order to come out looking like he wants
- Wears a digital fitness tracker
Sheryl Sandberg, 44, Facebook
- Wakes up daily before 6 a.m., works out at her home gym
Charles Ergen, 61, Founder of DISH Network
- Avid mountain climber who scaled Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Aconcagua in Argentina and Mount Everest base camp in Nepal
- Member of the Colorado Mountain Club and has climbed all of Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks
- Other than mountain climbing, his interest includes pickup basketball
