Inside the Peltz Family: Billionaire's 10 Children Forge Diverse Paths

While billionaire investor Nelson Peltz is widely recognized for his aggressive tactics in the boardrooms of America's largest corporations, his most enduring legacy may be the diverse careers of his 10 children. The 83-year-old cofounder of Trian Partners has amassed a $1.6 billion fortune by shaking up companies like Wendy's and Procter & Gamble. However, his family life is equally dynamic, spanning industries from Wall Street to Hollywood.

Peltz shares eight children with his wife, former model Claudia Heffner Peltz, and two with his first wife, Cynthia Abrams. While some of his offspring have remained out of the public eye, others have carved out significant names for themselves in business, acting, and fashion. This article explores the unique paths of the Peltz siblings, a family defined by ambition and high-profile achievements.

Before becoming a father to 10, Nelson Peltz navigated a non-traditional path to wealth. A college dropout from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, he initially worked for his family's food-distribution company. In a 2022 interview, Peltz candidly admitted his disinterest in academia.

I was quite bored at Wharton. I felt that was the wrong place. What I really wanted to do was ski.

After a period as a "ski bum," Peltz returned home and began investing using his bar mitzvah money. By 1973, he had grown the family business and taken it public. Decades later, in 2005, he co-founded Trian Fund Management, an activist investment firm that now manages an estimated $8.5 billion in assets. His strategy involves taking large equity stakes in companies he believes have "lost their way" and helping them return to greatness.

Several of Peltz's children have followed him into the world of high finance. Matthew Peltz is a prominent example, having joined his father's firm, Trian, in 2008 after a brief stint at Goldman Sachs. He made the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2013 and has served as vice chairman of Wendy's since November 2021. His success is evident in his real estate holdings, including a $10.5 million waterfront mansion in Gulf Stream, Florida.

Brad Peltz took a different route initially, playing professional ice hockey for the Ottawa Senators after being drafted in 2009. He later pivoted to entrepreneurship, founding Mymo, an automated scheduling platform for patients and doctors. He joined the Wendy's board of directors in July 2025. Meanwhile, Brittany Peltz Buerstedde founded Sena Lifestyle Studio, an interior-design firm, after studying at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.

• Matthew Peltz: Vice Chairman of Wendy's
• Brad Peltz: Former NHL player and Mymo founder
• Brittany Peltz Buerstedde: Founder of Sena Lifestyle Studio

The Peltz family has a strong presence in the entertainment and fashion worlds. Nicola Peltz Beckham, perhaps the most famous of the siblings, is an actress with roles in Transformers: Age of Extinction and Avatar: The Last Airbender. She married Brooklyn Beckham in 2022 at the Peltz family estate in Palm Beach. The wedding later became the subject of a lawsuit filed by Nelson Peltz against the event planners, though the dispute was eventually settled.

Another sibling, Will Peltz, has built a career as a model and actor. He has appeared in films such as Sierra Burgess Is a Loser and walked the runway for designers like Philipp Plein. He described runway modeling as intimidating but gratifying.

You only have around 30 seconds or so to get it right. You have to make your walk convincing and make the clothes look damn good.

The entrepreneurial spirit extends to the younger Peltz siblings. Diesel Peltz co-founded Twenty, a mobile app designed to eliminate FOMO by alerting users to their friends' locations. He was named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 for consumer technology in 2019 and serves as CEO of Healthy Together, a health-tech app.

The youngest siblings, Zachary and Gregory Peltz, have largely stayed out of the spotlight but share a passion for hockey. Zachary played for a AAA team at Mount St. Charles Academy, while Gregory attends the University of Miami Herbert Business School. The family's younger generation appears to maintain a close bond, often seen together on social media.

• Diesel Peltz: Tech entrepreneur and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree
• Zachary Peltz: Youth hockey player at Mount St. Charles Academy
• Gregory Peltz: Student at the University of Miami Herbert Business School

The Peltz family represents a modern dynasty where wealth is not just inherited but actively expanded through varied ventures. From the boardrooms of Wendy's to the sets of Hollywood films and the competitive world of tech startups, Nelson Peltz's children have established independent identities while carrying on their father's legacy of ambition.

As the family navigates public scrutiny and personal milestones, their collective story highlights the intersection of old-school finance and new-generation creativity. Whether in business, sports, or the arts, the Peltz name remains synonymous with high achievement.