Rick Rubin — The Beard Who Reinvented Every Genre

Rubin co-founded Def Jam Records in his NYU dorm room, produced the Beastie Boys' Licensed to Ill, then pivoted to producing Johnny Cash's American Recordings, Red Hot Chili Peppers' Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Jay-Z's 99 Problems, Adele's 21, and Metallica's Death Magnetic. He's the only producer who's made classic records in hip-hop, country, metal, alternative rock, and pop. His production style is "subtraction" — strip everything away until only the essential remains. Net worth: $250 million. The barefoot, bearded minimalist with the most maximalist discography in history.