Profiles in Wealth: Bahram Akbadi, $180 million

"I basically had a problem following orders," says Bahram Akbadi of his pre-entrepreneur life. So he founded Life Time Fitness Inc. in 1992, after having worked at U.S. Swim & Fitness clubs for several years. A native of Tehran, Iran he came to the U.S. at age 17 and held various odd jobs while attending the Univ. of Colorado. He was ahead of the curve in seeing that consumers would want full-service fitness clubs with amenities like flat screen TVs, nutrition counseling, and cafes. His goal was to create "a sense of place that appeals to all the senses." 

Now with the more than 114 Life Time Fitness centers around the country, Akradi in March agreed to sell his company. His take: $180 million. "I tell people, 'Watch your customer. See what they want. If you can react fast enough, you can't go wrong."

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