Jonathan Nelson is CEO of Providence Equity Partners, the private equity firm he founded in 1989. Nelson took a job straight of college with Boston-based Wellman International and later got his M.B.A. from Harvard. So far, his philanthropy has largely centered on Rhode Island. BACKGROUND: Jonathan Nelson, a native Rhode Islander and the state's richest man, got his B.S. Jonathan Nelson, the 1,030th person on the billionaires list, represented Rhode Island. He joined Narragansett Capital in 1983. Jonathan Milton Nelson (born 1956) is an American businessman and investor. He is the founder of Providence Equity Partners, a global private equity firm based in Providence, Rhode Island, which manages funds with US$40.7 billion (inflation-adjusted) in commitments. in economics from Brown University. The 60-year-old CEO of Providence Equity Partners is worth …