This is the richest man in NJ and it’s not who you expect

Anytime I’ve ever read about the wealthiest families in New Jersey. It’s always been someone named Newhouse, Krishna, or Johnson. But this one took me by surprise, probably because I’ve never heard of him.

So, who’s the richest person in New Jersey right now?

That would be John Overdeck, a Millburn resident who just topped the Forbes list for the Garden State.

If you’ve never heard of him, don’t worry. He’s not exactly a household name. But with a net worth of $7.4 billion, he’s someone worth knowing about.

Overdeck co-founded Two Sigma, a massive quantitative hedge fund that handles a mind-blowing $60 billion in assets. Basically, their job is to take mountains of data and turn it into investment predictions.

He and his co-founder, David Siegel, stepped back from day-to-day duties last year. They moved into chairman roles… probably so they can focus more on things like math, philanthropy, and, I don’t know, being billionaires.

And here’s where it gets extra Jersey. Overdeck’s not just rich… he’s smart. Like, math prodigy smart. He won a silver medal in the International Mathematical Olympiad at 16.

SEE MORE: Yes, this New Jersey town just won another big award

Now, he gives back through his family’s charitable foundation, which has donated nearly $400 million. Most of it goes toward education. He also chairs the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.

This year’s Forbes list ranks billionaires by state, and almost every state had at least one. New Jersey saw Overdeck take the top spot back from Rocco Commisso; he’s the cable guy-turned-billionaire behind Mediacom.

Nationwide, Elon Musk still leads the pack. Because, of course, he does. But here in Jersey, it’s Overdeck flying under the radar.

He’s quietly making billions, giving it away, and representing the Garden State with a whole lot of brainpower. Not too shabby for a guy who made his fortune crunching numbers.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco only.

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