45 million, managed loans increased to more than $70 billion, and the company emerged as one of the top seven issuers of credit cards in the world. When one can happily waive an annual salary and live on stock options, as Fairbank reportedly does, one has it made — especially if that stock is in the 11th largest bank in the world, Capital One. Fairbank is also partner in Lincoln Holdings LLC, and one of the coowners of the Capitals pro-hockey team as well as the Washington Mystics.

PNC Bank enjoyed a banner year in 2007 due to a previous merger with Riggs Bank which increased business by 30 percent. Harreld spent 16 years at the helm in Louisville, Ky., prior to a 2005 move to the Washington area to run PNC’s operations here. Wife Susan is highly involved in civic organizations; in 2007, the Harrelds chaired the Wolf Trap Gala, among other events here.

Johnson’s presence in Washington power circles is fortified by his sheer ubiquity. He has run Fannie Mae, led the Brookings Institution, been chairman of the Kennedy Center, and has been involved in almost every Democratic presidential campaign (he’s thrown his weight behind Obama) since 1972. In addition to helming Perseus, he is a board member of Goldman Sachs, Gannett Company, Inc., KB Home, Target Corporation, Temple-Inland, and UnitedHealth Group, as well as a member of the American Friends of Bilderberg, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Trilateral Commission.

This beloved former violin teacher and BET co-founder became a power presence in Washington, where she’s the first woman to be an owner or partner in professional sports franchises: she’s co-owner of the Wizards, the Capitals, and the Washington Mystics. Johnson is also CEO of Salamander Hospitality, which encompasses the new 168 room Salamander Resort and Spa and Market Salamander, both located in Middleburg, as well as the Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Florida, which features four 18-

hole courses, including “Copperhead,” a regular stop on the PGA-tour. Johnson is also the chairman of the board of governors of Parsons The New School for Design, and she sits on the board of VH1’s “Save the Music” and Americans for the Arts. In 2007, Johnson added Hollywood credits to her résumé when she helped produce two films: Kicking It, which premiered at Sundance, and A Powerful Noise, which is opening at the Tribeca Film Festival. Johnson’s backing of Barack Obama (she serves on the Women for Obama steering committee) will likely only increase her influence if he wins.

Jordan may sit on more corporate boards than anyone else in the country, and he’s remained an active player in Washington despite spending considerable time in New York. He’s a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and was part of the Iraq Study Group. Although he is a big Clinton supporter, he also hosted one of the first fundraisers for Obama’s Senate campaign. In short, this Democratic powerbroker could play an instrumental role in healing the nomination fight over the next few months and is likely to see his influence increase should either Democrat win the presidency.

You don’t even have to live in Washington to know these two names. Their donations include $45 million to the University of Maryland (Smith) and $25 million to the Smithsonian (Kogod). These brothersin- law made their fortune in the family real estate business (Charles E. Smith) and they’re not about to take a break anytime soon. The latest big gift is a $5 million donation by Smith to sponsor the Newseum’s Big Screen Theater, but both names are visible on numerous buildings throughout the city.

After a serious plane crash in the ’80s, Leonsis sat down and made a list of 101 things to accomplish, including owning a

sports team, producing a movie, creating a net worth of over $100 million, owning a Ferrari, meeting Bill Gates, and even taking care of his in-laws. There’s little left for this vice chairman emeritus of AOL to do, since he achieved many of these things by 2007. To name one, he had an incredibly successful run at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival with his movie Nanking (which also made the Oscar nominee short list) and then followed up by getting his next film, Kicking It, into the Sundance, Tribeca and Silverdocs film festivals. But it’s the philanthropic heart beating off-camera which led to Leonsis’ coining the term “filmanthropy,” which remains the hallmark of his silver-screen efforts.

Boasting 1,100 companies and over 200,000 employees, Lee’s technology company is one of the largest in the world. So it seems a natural fit that he also leads the regions’s largest technology industry association. The N.V.T.C’s annual networking events connect area leaders and are considered to be a “hot ticket.” The Council and Lee’s influence will only continue to grow.

Since the lifelong jazz drummer took over operations for Verizon in 2005, he hasn’t missed a beat. As president of one of the city’s largest corporations, Lewis has been instrumental in helping engage his 1,400 employees from the region to give back, not only through monetary donations but by volunteering their time while staying on the clock.

Baseball teams (Texas Rangers), hotel chains (Ritz-Carlton), airlines (Northwest), real estate services (C.B. Richard Ellis): Malek, who has handled the acquisitions of all the above, is also responsible for returning baseball to the nation’s capital. He’s a frequent flier in the black-tie charity circle, close to the presidential family and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. He is a determined political player whose moniker during the Nixon administration was “Hatchet

Man.” His babies, Thayer Capital and Thayer Lodging, have given birth to seven equity funds with $1.5 billion in capital and four hotel investment funds with $1 billion committed. Malek wisely invested early in McCain’s presidential bid (even holding signs for him in South Carolina) and serves as deputy national finance chair for his campaign, for which daughter Michelle Olsen has raised $100,000.

J.W. MARRIOTT .

He’s the force behind the $4 billion and growing hotel chain. Having acquired the Ritz Carlton, among other brands, Marriott continues to grow and look for other opportunities to add to their holdings worldwide. They have over 3,000 hotels in 70 countries and recently added a new boutique, “Edition,” in collaboration with Ian Schraeger, with two slated to open in Washington.

Nicely shaped GEICO into the $21.9 billion insurance behemoth that it is today and helped expand its brand with the gecko (and most recently, the “caveman”) advertising icon, raising its policyholder count to nearly 8 million and counting.

When officials at the National Archives needed someone to buy the last privately owned copy of the Magna Carta for $21 million, it’s no surprise they called this economic powerhouse to put in the winning bid at the December Sotheby’s auction. Though his firm took plenty of heat for the collapse of two of its outsidemanaged funds, experts say losses are “minimal from a financial standpoint.” The Group quickly raised $1.35 billion to invest in debt and equity issued by distressed companies and pushed their assets to $81.1 billion in a total of 60 funds.

Through the Summit Foundation, these philanthropists have made grants of $9 million to the National Symphony Orchestra, $10 million to the Smithsonian Museum of National History, and millions