Who

Alagappan is the founder of Advantage Testing, the company responsible for turning one-on-one SAT tutoring into a rite of passage for well-to-do teenagers at New York's elite private schools.

Backstory

The Bangkok-born son of a United Nations diplomat (who also happened to be the founder of New York's first major Hindu temple), Alagappan majored in philosophy at Princeton and graduated from Harvard Law before joining white-shoe law firm Sullivan & Cromwell. In 1986 he gave up law to found Advantage Testing, serving not only as the company's corporate leader, but also as its highest-priced tutor. Dozens of competitors have sprung up in the two decades since, but demand for Advantage's $175-per-hour lessons remains overwhelming, spurred by reports of SAT score gains as high as 400 points. And though Alagappan wrote a prize-winning college thesis entitled "Humanism: Directing and Unifying the Marxist Philosophy," it's doubtful he remains much of a Marxist—the rate for his private tutorials has climbed to $685 per 50 minute session. He nevertheless boasts a two-year waiting list.

Personal

He and his wife Fran were married at precisely 9AM on September 2, 1992—the date and time Alagappan's father had determined to be most auspicious by consulting Hindu religious elders. The couple has three young children at Manhattan's Trinity School; the family lives on East 80th Street.

Pet causes

Alagappan and his wife helped fund the construction of a Hindu temple in India in 2005. He sits on the board of the Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America and Prep for Prep.

Off hours

Alagappan is a rated tournament ping-pong player.

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