Smith, Wes

Born in Queens, New York, the son of working-class parents, Lou Pearlman got his start in the aviation industry as a young boy fascinated with blimps. Today he heads Trans Continental Companies, a global aviation and entertainment conglomerate. He is best known as the creator of the wildly popular boy bands The Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC and as the producer and occasional guest on the ABC/MTV reality show "Making the Band.

Wes Smith has written or collaborated on more than 20 books. A veteran journalist and author, he has yet to make his first billion dollars.