Biography
He received a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Psychology from the University of California, Davis. After obtaining his JD/MBA from Stanford University in 1977, Bechtel worked for the law firm of Thelen, Marrin, Johnson & Bridges. He joined Bechtel full-time in 1981, was elected President and COO in March 1989, and became CEO in June 1990. In January 1996 he also became Chairman of Bechtel. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2001.
Mr. Bechtel is a director of the following companies:
- The International Council of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. (since 1995)
- The Fremont Group (owned by the Bechtel corporation)
- and The Fremont Group, in turn runs Trinity Ventures, LP
- Fremont Investors, Inc. (owned by the Bechtel corporation)
- Sequoia Ventures, Inc. (limited partner of Bechtel corporation)
He is also a member of the Trilateral Commission and has been appointed to the President's Export Council by George W. Bush. In 1998, he and his father Stephen, Jr., were presented with the Honor Award from the National Building Museum for their company's contributions to America's built environment.
Bechtel resides in California with his wife Susan. He is a member of the exclusive Augusta National Golf Club, as well as the all-male Bohemian Club in San Francisco and attends its annual encampment, the Bohemian Grove.
With a net worth of over $5.5 billion, Riley Bechtel is consistently ranked in the top 200 richest people in the U.S. and the top 500 richest people in the world by Forbes Magazine.
Read more about this topic: Riley P. Bechtel
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