Richard Chilton

Chilton grew up in New Jersey. Raised with three siblings, he is the oldest son of Richard Chilton Sr. and Elizabeth Chilton. His father was an advertising executive in New York City and his mother was a historic preservationist, artist and horticulturalist.[6][7]

Chilton received a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Economics from Alfred University.[8]

Chilton began his career at Merrill Lynch in mergers and acquisitions. In 1983 he became an analyst for Alliance Capital, and in 1990 he worked at Allen & Company, a private bank.[9][8]

In 1992, Chilton left Allen & Company to form Chilton Investment Company with $5 million.[9] The company is headquartered in Connecticut with offices in New York City, Palm Beach, London, and Hong Kong.[10]

Chilton stated that his two main priorities are the environment and culture.[10] Chilton and his wife serve as directors of the Chilton Family Foundation, which prior to 2012, gave $2–5 million annually. The Chilton Family Foundation has donated at least $30 million.[10]

Chilton sits on the board of trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 2010, Chilton donated approximately $200,000 to the museum and in 2011 donated over $2 million. Chilton and his wife are also on the Director’s Roundtable at the Pierpont Morgan Library, where the Chilton Family Foundation donated substantially in 2009. In 2006, he gave $1.2 million to the land trust in Darien, CT. Chilton is also Chairman Emeritus of the Darien Foundation for Technology and Community, which funds projects for technology and education, where he donated $300,000 in 2011.[10]

Chilton is a former board member of the Robin Hood Foundation, a charitable organization which attempts to alleviate problems caused by poverty in New York City, to which he gave nearly $6 million. He is also Chairman Emeritus of Greenwich Academy, a girls' school in Greenwich, Connecticut.[10][11] Chilton and his wife also run scholarship programs for students at universities in Chengdu, China.[10]

In 2012, Chilton made the Forbes 400 list and in 2015, he ranked #1533 on Forbes' list of wealthiest people.[12][10]

He is also a landowner in Dorset, England, with an interest in the Crichel Down estate. [13]

In 2006, Chilton co-founded Hourglass Wine Company in Napa Valley, and in 2017 authored Adventures with Old Vines: A Beginner’s Guide to Being a Wine Connoisseur.[14][15]

Chilton is married to his wife Maureen and together they have 4 children. Chilton resides in Darien, Connecticut.[12]