The co-founder and CEO of the popular social networking website, Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg is also amongst the richest men in the world. Fascinated by computer since his early life, Zuckerberg co-created TheFacebook while still in college and later even dropped out to devote more time to it. At 23, he became the youngest self-made billionaire in history at that time.
Eric Schmidt is an American software engineer and technology businessman who served as Google's CEO from 2001 to 2011. From 2011 to 2015, he served as the executive chairman of Google. A well-known philanthropist, Schmidt and his wife Wendy established the Schmidt Family Foundation in 2006. The foundation aims at educating people on the importance of natural resources.
Oskar Schindler was a German industrialist who displayed extraordinary dedication and courage to save the lives of 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust. Oskar Schindler's act is viewed by many as the kind of act that restores faith in humanity. His inspirational and heart-warming story was adapted into an Oscar-winning film titled Schindler's List.
William Randolph Hearst was an American newspaper publisher, businessman, and politician. He is credited with developing America's largest newspaper chain, Hearst Communications. Today, Hearst Communications has grown into a multinational business information and mass media conglomerate. William Randolph Hearst’s life and work inspired the creation of Charles Foster Kane, the main character in the 1941 drama film, Citizen Kane.
Charles Kushner is a former attorney. He was sentenced to two years prison after he was convicted of tax evasion, illegal campaign contributions, and witness tampering in 2005. The father of Ivanka Trump's husband Jared Kushner, Charles Kushner received a federal pardon by Donald Trump in 2020. A real estate developer, Kushner is credited with founding Kushner Companies LLC.
Rohan Marley is a Jamaican entrepreneur and son of the legendary reggae artist Bob Marley. A former football player, Marley played for the University of Miami, where he was teammates with Dwayne Johnson, Ray Lewis, and Warren Sapp. He then went on to play professional football for the Ottawa Rough Riders in the Canadian Football League.
Born to a farmer, Ferruccio Lamborghini started fiddling with his father’s tractors and was soon able to make full tractors out of scratch. He gradually created an auto empire named after him that is world-renowned for its luxury sports cars and SUVs. He retired to devote himself to winemaking later.
James Dyson is a British industrial designer, inventor, entrepreneur, and landowner. He is credited with founding the popular technology company, Dyson Ltd. He is also credited with inventing the Dual Cyclone bagless vacuum cleaner. Also known for his philanthropic activities, Dyson established the James Dyson Foundation to support engineering education and to inspire young people.
Adam Neumann is an Israeli-American businessman. He is credited with co-founding the popular commercial real estate company, WeWork, which he established in 2010 alongside his wife Rebekah Neumann and Miguel McKelvey. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Adam Neumann had aspirations like becoming the first trillionaire, living forever, and becoming president of the world.
Fredrik Eklund is a Swedish real estate broker, TV personality, and former IT entrepreneur. He achieved international recognition when he became one of five brokers to be featured on the popular American reality television series, Million Dollar Listing New York. Fredrik Eklund is also credited with founding a real estate brokerage firm called Eklund Stockholm New York.
Best known for his appearances on shows such as MasterChef and Hell's Kitchen, Gary Rhodes later also launched his own series, Rhodes Around Britain. He owned several restaurants in the UK and the Middle East. The celebrity chef shocked everyone with his untimely death at age 59 due to brain hemorrhage.
Amadeo Giannini was an American banker best remembered for founding the Bank of Italy, which later became Bank of America. He is credited with inventing numerous modern banking practices. Amadeo Giannini is also credited with establishing one of the first trans-national institutions.
Mikhail Prokhorov is a Russian billionaire, former owner of the American professional basketball team Brooklyn Nets, and politician. One of Russia's most prominent industrialists, Prokhorov is credited with helping Norilsk Nickel become the largest producer of palladium and nickel in the world.
Bill Ackman is an American hedge fund manager and investor. He is credited with founding the popular hedge fund management company, Pershing Square Capital Management. Also a philanthropist, Ackman has donated millions of dollars to various charitable causes like the Center for Jewish History. In 2006, he founded the Pershing Square Foundation, which supports various sectors like education and healthcare.
Martin Eberhard is an American entrepreneur, inventor, and engineer. He is credited with co-founding Tesla, Inc. in 2002. He then served as the company's chairman and CEO. Martin Eberhard was inducted into the University of Illinois Engineering Hall of Fame in 2015.
Apart from being the first solo balloonist to circumnavigate the world, Steve Fossett also competed the first non-stop solo flight across the world. The adventurer also owned a securities company. His plane went missing on a 2007 mission in western Nevada, and he was declared dead on the discovery of the wreckage.
Susanne Klatten is a German businesswoman and billionaire heiress. The daughter of Herbert Werner Quandt, who is credited to have saved BMW from near bankruptcy, Klatten inherited her father's 50.1% stake in chemicals and pharmaceutical manufacturer Altana after his death. According to Forbes magazine, Klatten is the richest woman in Germany.
Once an inspiring journalist, Walter Isaacson now teaches history at the Tulane University. Educated at Harvard and Oxford, he has been the chair of CNN, the CEO of Aspen Institute, and an editor at Time. He has also penned biographies of personalities such as Steve Jobs and Leonardo da Vinci.