21. CURRIER FAMILY
The Plains. Daughters of philanthropists Stephen and Audrey Bruce Currier, sisters Andrea B., 44, and Lavinia M., 43, serve on board of nonprofit Friends of Bull Run. Together have loaned or donated more than $2 million to Virginia Outdoors Foundation to help preserve land in Bull Run area. Have acquired nearly 1,000 acres from foundation.
Andrea B. Currier: $320 million
Lavinia M. Currier: $320 million
Confidence: C

22. THE MERRICKS
Burke. Australian-born Phillip Merrick, 37, founded webMethods Inc. in 1996 with help from an angel investor and by maxing out credit cards. A year after its start, the Fairfax-based company had a measly $31 in its bank account. Today webMethods, a business-to-business software provider, has more than 160 customers worldwide and offices in U.S. and Europe. Wife, Caren DeWitt, 39, is the company’s marketing VP. Merrick is president, chairman and CEO.
Phillip Merrick: $320 million
Caren DeWitt: $310 million
Confidence: A

23. OHRSTROM FAMILY
Middleburg and The Plains. Magalen Ohrstrom Bryant, 71, and brother George L. Ohrstrom, 72, invested a small fortune left by their father. Own stakes in Dover Corp. and Carlisle Cos. in New York along with O’Sullivan Corp., a Winchester-based plaster maker. Other investments for the media-shy family include a toll road from Leesburg to Dulles.
Magalen O. Bryant: $400 million
George L. Ohrstrom: $140 million
Confidence: C

24. ALICE DU PONT MILLS
Middleburg. 87. One of the country’s first licensed pilots, she inherited a fortune from her father, A. Felix DuPont, a major shareholder of chemical giant E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co.
Net Worth: $540 million
Confidence: C

25. GENE RIECHERS
Great Falls. 44. Managing director, Tech-nology Venture Partners L.P. of Friedman, Billings, Ramsey Group in Arlington. MBA from Loyola College. Was CFO at CyberCash Inc., COO of Transaction Network Services Inc. and CFO of Systems Center Inc. before joining FBR. Under his leadership, Systems Center Inc. grew from $2 million to $110 million in revenues. He is a director of several companies, including Varsitybooks.com, Lifeminders.com Inc., webMethods.com Inc.
Net Worth: $523 million
Confidence: A

26. CARL W. SMITH
Charlottesville. 72. Now that Virginia coal operations are mined out, Smith is roving for new business. His mine in Fola, W.Va., the second-largest surface coal mine in the eastern U.S. and highly profitable. Smith believes natural gas — especially methane extracted from coal seams — will gain market share. His company, Amvest Corp., recently acquired 580,000 acres of gas drilling rights in Nova Scotia, plus another 160,000 for coal-bed methane — just before plans were announced to build a pipeline past his property from an offshore gas field to Boston. Also bought or optioned 240,000 acres of natural gas and methane reserves in the central U.S. Smith has assembled a "private equity" team.
Net Worth: $520 million
Confidence: A-

27. WES FOSTER
McLean. 65. Firm he started in 1968 with partner Hank Long has grown into the nation’s third largest real estate firm and the largest in the five-state mid-Atlantic region. Foster, who bought out Long in 1979, has ridden a strong economy to record sales — $12.1 billion in 1998 and $13.3 billion in 1999. Firm’s hottest region: Northern Virginia, with $4.4 billion in sales in 1999. Foster doesn’t expect the torrid pace of real estate market to continue and predicts a 10 percent drop in sales this year. He might be wrong: In March alone the firm garnered $1.6 billion in sales on 8,000 properties — a new one-month record.
Net Worth: $500 million
Confidence: C

28. ROBINS FAMILY
Richmond. Late E. Claiborne Robins Sr. created Robins Foundation in 1957. Since then, family’s philanthropic contributions have benefited University of Richmond to tune of $175 million, plus Maymont, Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, Virginia Historical Society, Children’s Museum of Richmond and Richmond SPCA. Son E. Claiborne Robins Jr., 56, spearheads family’s activities, but matriarch Lora Robins, 87, remains active with Red Cross and Lewis Ginter. Sister L. Elizabeth Robins Porter lives in Vermont but sister Ann Carol Marchant lives in Richmond and is on board of The Steward School and trustee of University of Richmond.
Net Worth: $450 million
Confidence: B

29. IRWIN WAYNE URAN
Loudoun County and Beverly Hills, Calif. 74. Eccentric New York native came to Virginia five years ago. Owns lots of stock — including Coca-Cola holdings — but little property. Has lived in apartments or hotels entire adult life. Surprised the town of Leesburg three years ago with $1 million donation meant to "help children." Latest philanthropic ventures include a $250,000 donation to the Marion DuPont Scott Esquire Medical Center in Leesburg.
Net Worth: $450 million
Confidence: C

30. LEWIS FAMILY
Richmond and Middleburg. Heirs of railroad and oil investor Henry Flagler include Mary Wiley of Middleburg, her sister-in-law, Janet Patton Lewis, and nieces, Janet Lewis Sauer and Kenan Lewis White of Richmond. Janet Patton Lewis’ late husband, Lawrence, passed along money he made from stocks in everything from General Electric to Intel.
Net Worth: $415 million
Confidence: C