Murdock Holding Company · Los Angeles, CA United States

Every time a mother wheedles her little ones into eating their veggies, a cash register's "ka-ching" must ring in billionaire David Murdock's ears. He heads up one of the nation's largest privately held businesses, Murdock Holding Company, which operates through two main subsidiaries: Dole Food Company and Castle & Cooke. Founded in 1851, Dole is the largest producer of fresh fruits and vegetables in the US. The company, which operates in nearly 100 countries, also offers fresh produce and packaged and frozen foods. Castle & Cooke has its figurative fingers in multiple pies, including real estate development, transportation equipment leasing, manufacturing, and hotel management. To read the full description, subscribe now.