No Tie, No Problem

Charitable Dallasites chase a sugar high at artful annual fundraiser

There were many sweet reasons to celebrate during this year's No Tie Dinner & Dessert Party, which held its 12th annual shindig on April 8. More than 1,500 guests poured into the Frontiers of Flight Museum, all intent on raising funds for AIDS Services of Dallas (ASD) — and looking casually chic while doing so.

Presented by Purple Foundation and chaired by David Nelson and honorary co-chairs Tricia Sims and Dr. Alan Berg, this year's event honored ASD's 30th anniversary with the mod theme "An Artful Life." A trio of Andy Warhol impersonators mingled with the crowd, while a pair of models dressed as Roy Lichtenstein-inspired superheroes posed for pictures when not grooving atop a cupcake platform at the entrance.

That cupcake signified No Tie's signature refreshment: table after table of desserts from some of Dallas' best bake shops and eateries. Crush Sweets, Daisy Cakes, Dr. Sue’s Chocolate, Frosted Art Bakery & Studio, and many others brought an abundance of cupcakes, cookies, cheesecakes, and brownies, ensuring everyone got a sufficient sugar high. The night's signature cocktail, The Warhol, helped balance all the sweets with a refreshing mixture of Reyka Icelandic vodka, club soda, and angostura bitters.

DJ Mark Ridlen provided the beats as guests watched artists Christina D. Yielding and Clay Austin create works of art on the main stage. The live auction was heavy on one-of-a-kind experiences — everything from a week's stay in southwest France to a Steamboat Springs ski trip to a New York City excursion for Bruno Mars' 24k Magic World Tour — while the silent auction offered up valuable sports and entertainment collectibles, local experiences, and more than a few tempting baskets of wine.

ASD's 30-year mission to deliver quality, affordable, service-enriched housing for individuals and families in need was honored with a moving video. Wayne Thomas was awarded the Sheila Dolezal Humanitarian Award, while Mary Beth O’Connor was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The talented Hedda Layne then took the spotlight, singing from across the room and giving an explosive performance as she made her way through the crowd to the stage.

Notable attendees spotted in that crowd included ASD president and CEO Don Maison; ASD chairman of the board Don Neubauer; ASD board member and founder of No Tie Dennis Kershner and his partner John Moreno; past honorary chair LeeAnne Locken of The Real Housewives of Dallas; radio host Nicole Barrett; and Purple Foundation's Blake Baker, Chris Huffstutler, Sara Fangmeyer, and Dylan Orwell.

Rusty Hampton

Photo by Crystal Chatmon

Rusty Hampton

galas desserts charity fundraisers

Tops in Texas

Dallas makes top 10 list of cities with most millionaires in America

Photo courtesy of Dallas Cowboys

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Dallas is rolling in millionaires and a new list offers the proof: A study of the Top 10 Wealthiest Cities in USA by residency and citizenship consultant Henley & Partners puts Dallas at No. 6 — home to 72,400 millionaires as of December 2024.

As if that's not enough, Dallas also has 135 centi-millionaires — meaning they're worth $100 million or more — and 16 billionaires.

According to the study, the number of millionaires in Dallas grew 85 percent from 2014 to 2024.

The study pointed out that Dallas “has seen very strong wealth growth over the past two decades, driven in part by the relocation of several major corporate headquarters to the city. Prominent companies based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area include AT&T, CBRE, Caterpillar, American Airlines, Charles Schwab, and Texas Instruments.”

Houston was the richest city in Texas, coming in at no. 5 and beating Dallas by one place. Austin just squeezed in at 10th place but is rushing to catch up: It had the greatest increase in number of richy-rich in the past decade.

Here’s the rundown for Houston and Austin:

Houston — 81,800 millionaires, 210 centi-millionaires, and 16 billionaires. Millionaire growth rate from 2014 to 2024: 75 percent.
Austin — 32,000 millionaires, 90 centi-millionaires, and 10 billionaires. Millionaire growth rate from 2014 to 2024: 90 percent.

In its comments about Houston, the study pointed out that “America’s energy capital, Houston, is a global leader in engineering and aeronautics. It is also home to 24 Fortune 500 companies — the third-highest number among U.S. cities, after New York and Chicago."

Regarding Austin, the study said: “With its booming tech sector, Austin has been dubbed ‘Silicon Hills.’ Several major tech companies have moved their headquarters to the city over the past decade, most notably Tesla. Texas’s low state taxes add to Austin’s appeal. While wealth growth in the city has slowed over the past couple of years, it remains very impressive when viewed over the past decade as a whole.”

New York City topped the overall list, boasting 384,500 millionaires, 818 centi-millionaires and 66 billionaires. But Texas is the only state with three millionaire hubs in the top 10.

On a separate Henley & Partners list, Houston took the No. 5 spot for the most centi-millionaires in the U.S. Dallas ranked seventh and Austin ranked 12th.

study reports