Twenty-one members of the Long Gray Line appear on Forbes’ 2026 list recognizing 250 successful U.S. military veterans—representing 8.4 percent of the list. The West Point graduates span nearly five decades of classes, from 1967 to 2014, and have made an impact across business, technology, healthcare, professional sports, military leadership, and public service.
Created in recognition of America’s 250th anniversary, the Forbes list highlights veterans who went on to make a significant impact after their military service. To develop the rankings, Forbes consulted veterans organizations and retired military officers and did not weigh one type of military service more heavily than another. Instead, the publication focused largely on post-service accomplishments, giving additional consideration to entrepreneurship, wealth creation and philanthropy.
Among the West Point graduates recognized are eight recipients of the West Point Association of Graduates Distinguished Graduate Award, one of WPAOG’s highest honors: William “Bill” Foley II ’67, Mike Krzyzewski ’69, Robert McDonald ’75, Stanley McChrystal ’76, Vincent Viola ’77, Nadja West ’82, Alex Gorsky ’82 and Kathleen Hildreth ’83.
The West Point graduates recognized by Forbes, listed by class year, are:
- William “Bill” Foley II ’67 — Forbes #24 — 2016 Distinguished Graduate.
- Mike Krzyzewski ’69 — Forbes #150 — 2005 Distinguished Graduate.
- Jack Reed ’71 — Forbes #227
- Ken Hicks ’74 — Forbes #178
- David Petraeus ’74 — Forbes #129
- Robert McDonald ’75 — Forbes #126 — WPAOG Chairman, 2017 Distinguished Graduate.
- Stanley McChrystal ’76 — Forbes #201 — 2021 Distinguished Graduate.
- Vincent Viola ’77 — Forbes #15 — 2026 Distinguished Graduate.
- Alex Gorsky ’82 — Forbes #233 — 2022 Distinguished Graduate.
- Nadja West ’82 — Forbes #210 — 2022 Distinguished Graduate.
- Kathleen Hildreth ’83 — Forbes #22 — 2024 Distinguished Graduate.
- Jeffrey Martin ’84 — Forbes #166
- Anthony Guzzi ’86 — Forbes #182
- Mike Pompeo ’86 — Forbes #40 — WPAOG Grad News: Founders Day Gala
- David McCormick ’87 — Forbes #101
- Jen Easterly ’90 — Forbes #137
- Shane O’Kelly ’90 — Forbes #179
- Doug Philippone ’97 — Forbes #172
- Taylor Justice ’06 — Forbes #191 — WPAOG Podcast: There Are No Rules
- Grant Demaree ’13 — Forbes #153
- Brian Elliott ’14 — Forbes #163 — WPAOG Podcast: Setting Priorities and Acting on Them
From leading companies and launching new ventures to serving the nation and shaping professional sports, these 21 graduates reflect the many paths Long Gray Line members have taken beyond West Point.
