Gayle Marie LaJaunie Bird Benson has a name almost as long as the list of all the businesses she’s founded or currently runs. She branched from real estate into sports, owning both the New Orleans Saints and the Pelicans. There’s more, including a brewing company and a thoroughbred racing stable, but her philanthropic endeavors get her into the Worthy 100. Here, the list is even longer, ranging from the Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium in Texas to ongoing health and cancer research donations culminating in the 343,000 square-foot Gayle and Tom Benson Ochsner Children’s Hospital.
