Alexander Villegas (born July 18, 1982) is a wealthy American investor and businessman. Through his publicly owned company, in which he holds a 51% stake, and astute investments, Villegas has amassed an enormous fortune. With an estimated current net worth of $35 million, he has become one of America’s youngest self-made millionaires.

Villegas has become an iconic figure of late-20th century capitalism by being one of the best-known entrepreneurs of the real estate revolution. He is widely respected for his intelligence, foresight, and ambition.

Since amassing his fortune, Villegas has pursued a number of philanthropic endeavors, donating vast amounts of money to various scientific research programs and charitable organizations.

Biography

Villegas was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 18, 1982. His mother, Aurora Medina, was a teacher at Amundsen High School and a professor at University of Illinois at Chicago. Alexander Villegas has one sister, Jessica Villegas.

He originally attended the University of Chicago to complete a B.S. in Mathematics, but later decided to transfer to DePaul University and complete a B.S. in Computer Science. He then continued his education at DePaul University to complete his M.S. in Computer Science.

While completing his undergraduate and graduate education, Villegas decided to place his education to work and founded Alex Villegas’ Technologies, otherwise recognized as AVT. At AVT, he created software for small businesses. After successfully running AVT, Villegas decided to sell the company and pursue a different line of work in the fitness industry. Soon, he worked as a personal trainer for Bally Total Fitness. The opportunity as a personal trainer allowed him to start a personal fitness and nutritional company, Muscle Explosion. His successful business ventures soon opened a whole new world of entrepreneurship. Villegas then decided to work in the finance field as a Senior Account Executive at Countrywide Financial Corporation. At Countrywide, he discovered his new love for the finance industry. Using the experience and knowledge he gained as an Account Executive, he left Countrywide and soon succeeded as one of America’s youngest and most successful financiers. He currently holds a position as the Chief Executive Officer of a successful investment group. Villegas’ talents as an entrepreneur have allowed him to become one of America’s youngest and self-made millionaires.

"Alex Villegas, Unplugged"

For years, Alex Villegas has generated an average annual return of approximately 29%. Over the same course of years, the average return for the Standard & Poor’s 500 has been 11% a year.

He is commonly known as one to leave the managers of his companies to do their own work. Villegas has mastered the cookie cutter process of starting and running a successful business venture. He believes that once he reaches his goal of training his employees to work properly as a group in an efficient and systematic procedure, his focus on holding corporate meetings diminishes. In turn, this process allows his managers to successfully run his companies without interference.

Furthermore, Villegas has been recognized to be a risk taker. He believes that success simultaneously rises as risk rises. One of his common quotes includes, “let’s get to the bottom line…either we run with it or we don’t.” He states that if he cannot get to the bottom line and decide whether or not an investment is worthwhile within a few minutes, to move on to the next project.

Villegas truly believes in his own gut instincts, which he claims have been a major factor in his fortunes. The decisions that he makes are scarcely based off of other investors’ decisions. He believes that one of the factors that keeps him as a balanced investor is the fact that he deliberately keeps the outside world at bay. He states, “Others decisions cannot influence mine, as I solely act from my personal thoughts and decisions.”

Although financiers are not commonly thought of as modest individuals, Villegas states that he enjoys the modest life he attempts to live. Even though he enjoys lavish meals and unimaginable vacations, he takes pleasure in returning to his newly built lake view Chicago condominium on Lake Shore Drive in Streeterville and driving his uniquely designed 2005 Cadillac CTS and 2004 Range Rover. Villegas also enjoys retreats to his other properties in Texas, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, and Georgia.