John Arnold started the hedge fund Centaurus Energy with $8 million of his own money.
More than half of the 17 traders at the company, including Mr. Arnold, once worked at Enron
(photo via NYT)

The newest Houston richie-rich? John Arnold, a former energy trader at Enron, who made his fortune as head of the energy-market hedge fund Centaurus Energy. Newcomer to the Forbes 400 targets for lobbyists and charities, Arnold posts a net worth of $1.5 billion and ranks 317th. At 33 years old(!) he also holds the distinction of being the youngest billionaire on the list.

The Chron sez: "Nearly half of those making their debut on the list made their wealth in hedge funds, according to the magazine."; "Nine Houstonians made the list."