Richard Peery and Ellen DeGeneres
There’s a point in every successful life when the question changes. It stops being “How do I get there?” and becomes “What do I do now that I’m here?” Richard Peery and Ellen DeGeneres reached that point from opposite directions.
Peery spent six decades as one of Silicon Valley’s quietest billionaires, building office parks while tech giants grew around him. DeGeneres spent decades as one of the loudest, most visible personalities on American television. Today, both are in a later chapter of life, one marked by giving back, stepping away from old roles, and starting fresh.
There’s no known business deal or personal relationship between Richard Peery and Ellen DeGeneres. But their stories make an interesting pair. This article looks at their backgrounds, careers, charitable work, and where each one stands in 2026.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Richard Peery | Ellen DeGeneres |
|---|---|---|
| Born | 1938 or 1939 | January 26, 1958, Metairie, Louisiana |
| Age in 2026 | About 87 | 68 |
| Education | Bachelor’s, Brigham Young University; left Stanford MBA program | Atlanta High School, Texas; attended University of New Orleans for one semester |
| Known for | Silicon Valley commercial real estate | The Ellen DeGeneres Show |
| Wealth | About $3.6 billion (Forbes, 2024) | Hundreds of millions, by most estimates |
| Charitable focus | Peery Foundation | Wildlife and gorilla conservation |
| Lives in | Palo Alto, California | England |
Richard Peery: The Quiet Builder
Early Life and Education
Richard Peery grew up in a family that already understood property. His father, Taylor Peery, was a Stanford graduate, banker, and real estate investor. Richard earned his bachelor’s degree at Brigham Young University and enrolled in Stanford’s MBA program, but he left before finishing to take over his father’s property holdings while still in his 20s.
Career Timeline
- Late 1950s to early 1960s: Took over management of his father’s real estate portfolio.
- 1960s: Partnered with John Arrillaga to buy orchards and farmland in the Santa Clara Valley.
- 1970s to 1990s: As semiconductor and computer firms grew, the Peery-Arrillaga team built office parks and leased space to fast-growing tech companies.
- 2000s: Became one of the largest private landlords in Silicon Valley.
- 2022: Lost his longtime partner, Arrillaga, who died at 84.
- 2024: Ranked No. 374 on the Forbes 400 with an estimated net worth of $3.6 billion.
Today, he owns about 3.3 million square feet of office space, with tenants including Intuit.
The Peery Foundation
Peery and his wife, Mimi, have four children, and the family gives through the Peery Foundation. The foundation supports youth and families and invests in social entrepreneurs working to solve problems like poverty. Like Peery himself, the foundation tends to work out of the spotlight, backing leaders and organizations rather than chasing headlines.
Ellen DeGeneres: From Talk Show Queen to New Chapter
Early Life and Education
Ellen DeGeneres was born in Metairie, Louisiana, just outside New Orleans. After her parents divorced, she moved with her mother to Texas and graduated from Atlanta High School. She studied communication at the University of New Orleans for one semester before dropping out. She then worked a string of jobs, including legal clerk, waitress, house painter, and oyster shucker.
Career Timeline
- Early 1980s: Began doing stand-up comedy in New Orleans.
- 1986: Appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, where Carson invited her to sit on the couch after her set.
- 1994 to 1998: Starred in her own ABC sitcom, Ellen.
- 1997: Came out, both in real life and through her sitcom character, in a historic TV moment.
- 2003: Voiced Dory in Pixar’s Finding Nemo.
- 2003 to 2022: Hosted The Ellen DeGeneres Show for 19 seasons, winning dozens of Daytime Emmys.
- 2008: Married actress Portia de Rossi.
- 2016: Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
- 2022: Ended her talk show after reports of a toxic workplace culture behind the scenes.
- 2024: Released the Netflix stand-up special For Your Approval and moved to England with de Rossi.
Ellen’s Charitable Work
DeGeneres became known for on-air generosity, surprising guests with cash, cars, and scholarships. Off camera, her biggest cause has been wildlife. For her 60th birthday, de Rossi set up the Ellen DeGeneres Wildlife Fund. Its biggest project is the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in Rwanda, which opened in 2022. The campus supports mountain gorilla research, conservation, and education.
Two Very Different Ways of Giving
Richard Peery and Ellen DeGeneres both give back, but their styles mirror their personalities.
| Giving Style | Richard Peery | Ellen DeGeneres |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility | Private, low-key | Public, often on camera |
| Focus | Youth, families, social entrepreneurs | Wildlife, gorillas, conservation |
| Approach | Long-term grants and investment | Big projects and public campaigns |
| Vehicle | Family foundation | Named wildlife fund |
Peery’s giving reflects how he built his wealth: with patience, little fanfare, and a long view. DeGeneres’s giving reflects her career: big, visible, and built to inspire an audience to join in.
Why People Search for Richard Peery and Ellen DeGeneres Together
At first glance, the pairing seems random. A private real estate developer in his 80s and a famous comedian don’t often show up in the same sentence. But searches for Richard Peery and Ellen DeGeneres tend to come from a few shared interests: lists of wealthy Americans, stories about real estate fortunes, and curiosity about how rich people spend their money in later life.
Both also have ties to California property. Peery’s fortune rests on Silicon Valley office parks. DeGeneres spent years buying, renovating, and selling luxury homes in Southern California before her move abroad. Different scales, different goals, but the same broad field.
Last, there’s the contrast itself. Richard Peery and Ellen DeGeneres show two extremes of wealth: one almost invisible, one impossible to miss.
Life in 2026
Richard Peery Today
In his late 80s, Peery still lives in Palo Alto, near the land he helped transform. His family continues to manage its real estate holdings and philanthropy. He remains one of the least-known billionaires in America, which seems to suit him fine.
Ellen DeGeneres Today
DeGeneres now lives in England full time. She has said she and de Rossi chose to stay there after the 2024 US election. In October 2026, she told Graham Norton that she misses being on TV and the laughter of working with writers and audiences. She hinted she’s open to projects in the UK, joking that British TV hosting gigs look easy to land.
After the way her talk show ended, the idea of a comeback is a big talking point for fans. For now, no specific project has been announced.
Starting Over at Any Age
Comparing Richard Peery and Ellen DeGeneres shows that a “second act” can look many ways, and that there’s no single right way to do it.
- Stepping back can be a choice. Peery let the next generation take a bigger role in the family business and philanthropy.
- Starting fresh can mean moving. DeGeneres crossed an ocean to begin a quieter life in the English countryside.
- Giving can define a legacy. Peery’s foundation and DeGeneres’s gorilla campus may outlast both of their business careers.
- Reputation shapes the next chapter. Peery’s privacy protected his name, while DeGeneres has had to rebuild hers in public.
Final Thoughts
Richard Peery and Ellen DeGeneres came from different worlds. One built a fortune leasing offices to tech companies. The other built hers making millions of people laugh every weekday afternoon. Both now face the same question that comes with lasting success: what to do with it.
Peery has answered without fanfare, through a family foundation and decades of steady work. DeGeneres is still writing her answer, from a farmhouse in England, with a gorilla conservation campus in Rwanda and maybe a new TV project on the horizon. Their paths show that how you give and how you start over says as much about you as how you got rich.
Key Takeaways
- Richard Peery, born in 1938 or 1939, earned a bachelor’s degree from BYU and left Stanford’s MBA program. Ellen DeGeneres, born January 26, 1958, spent one semester at the University of New Orleans.
- There’s no known business or personal connection between Richard Peery and Ellen DeGeneres. They’re compared for their wealth and later-life choices.
- Peery partnered with John Arrillaga in the 1960s to build Silicon Valley office parks, and Forbes estimated his net worth at $3.6 billion in 2024.
- DeGeneres hosted The Ellen DeGeneres Show for 19 seasons and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.
- Peery gives through the Peery Foundation, which supports youth, families, and social entrepreneurs.
- DeGeneres’s wildlife fund built the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in Rwanda, which opened in 2022.
- In 2026, Peery lives in Palo Alto, while DeGeneres lives in England and has said she misses TV and is open to UK projects.
