Richter, a resident of Princeton Junction, N.J., earned a double degree as a University of Pennsylvania undergraduate: a B.S. in management and a B.S.E. in civil engineering before earning his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. During summers in college, Richter worked with area builders and developers on construction sites, learning through the muddy boots route the intricacies of the business by wielding tools and taking orders from foremen.

But back then, he was determined not to join his father in the family business. "My early dream was to be an architect," says Richter. "Working with my dad was going to be my fallback position, almost the last thing on my list."

Richter was determined to be the next Donald Trump, with entrepreneurial visions fueling his ambitions. He vacillated between law school and an MBA program, but law school won out.