tomek (I'm biased being a pole)
http://www.topcoder.com/tc
Anyway, I know a little bit behind the story of this company. The brothers who started this company, also started the custom software shop I worked at - he left when he sold it for hundreds of millions. I saw it grow from under a hundred up to 600 or so at one point.
I learned a good amount, but you kinda have to when you work 70 hours a week - at least we got paid very well and by the hour.
He was a big supporter of programmers (himself being one) and was adamant about hiring the best. At one point, 75% of new hires didn't make it through training.
I still think Carmack is the best all-around programmer I know of - 3D/graphics, networking, gameplay, multilanguages, multi-OS, etc. Some are super-smart and some are hard-working but very few are a combination of the two like him.
