Kenny Troutt Is Rich. Now He Wants Some Respect

As a young boy, Kenny A. Troutt knew exactly what he wanted to be. His grammar school classmates wanted to be doctors, firefighters, or teachers. But Troutt, the oldest of four children in a struggling Illinois family, once told a grade-school teacher simply: "I want to be rich."

Today, Troutt, the CEO of Dallas-based Excel Communications Inc., has far surpassed his childhood dreams. Troutt's stake, comprising nearly 50% of the stock in the telecom company he started 10 years ago, is worth some $1.5 billion. And his 13,000-square-foot "country French" mansion--across the street from Ross Perot's place--is a far cry from the Mt. Vernon (Ill.) housing proj-ect where he spent his teens. But Troutt, 50, wants more: the respect that comes with being a major-league telecom player.