Explorers & Business
53 entries in the Historical Figures compendium.
Andrew CarnegieScottish-American industrialist and philanthropist who led the expansion of the American sHenry FordPioneer of affordable automobiles and FordismHoward HughesAviator, filmmaker, and business magnate who shaped aviation and Hollywood.Bill GatesCo-founder of Microsoft and philanthropistWarren BuffettThe Oracle of OmahaJay CookeFinancier of the Union and pioneer of American investment banking.Carl IcahnAmerican businessman and investor, founder of Icahn Enterprises, known as a pioneer of actAndrew MellonBanker, Treasury secretary, and art patron who shaped 1920s fiscal policy.Michael MilkenThe 'Junk Bond King' who reshaped finance, faced conviction, and turned to philanthropy.J. P. MorganThe financier who shaped America's industrial age.Paul AllenCo-founder of Microsoft, philanthropist, and investor.Steve BallmerFormer Microsoft CEO and owner of the Los Angeles Clippers.Jeff BezosFounder of Amazon, Blue Origin, and owner of The Washington Post.Michael BloombergBusinessman, philanthropist, and 109th mayor of New York City.Sergey BrinCo-founder of Google and Alphabet Inc.James H. ClarkPioneer of computer graphics and the internet boomMichael DellFounder, chairman, and CEO of Dell Technologies; pioneer of direct-to-consumer PC sales.Melinda French GatesAmerican philanthropist and former co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationLarry PageCo-founder of Google and creator of PageRankClive SinclairEnglish inventor and entrepreneur who pioneered home computing.Thomas J. WatsonThe IBM chairman who built a global tech giant while navigating controversial ties to NaziJerry YangCo-founder of Yahoo! and founding partner of AME Cloud Ventures.King C. GilletteInventor of the bestselling safety razor and founder of the Gillette company.Robert BoschGerman engineer and founder of the Bosch company.Akio MoritaJapanese entrepreneur and co-founder of Sony.Matthew BoultonEnglish businessman, inventor, and partner of James WattWilliam Knox D'ArcyBusinessman who founded the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, later BP.J. Paul GettyAmerican petroleum industrialist and founder of Getty Oil CompanyCalouste GulbenkianArmenian-British oil magnate and philanthropist known as 'Mr. Five Per Cent'H. L. HuntOil tycoon, patriarch of the Hunt dynasty, and one of the world's richest men.Mikhail KhodorkovskyExiled Russian oligarch and opposition activistJohn D. RockefellerOil magnate and philanthropist who founded Standard Oil and shaped modern philanthropy.John D. Rockefeller Jr.Financier, philanthropist, and developer of Rockefeller Center.George WestinghouseInventor of the railway air brake and AC power pioneer.Freddy HeinekenDutch businessman who transformed Heineken into a global brand and survived a famous kidnaHenry J. HeinzThe man behind the 57 varietiesMilton S. HersheyThe man who made milk chocolate a mass-market delight and built a company town.Ray KrocBusinessman who built McDonald's into a global fast food empire.Roger AilesTelevision executive and media consultant who shaped conservative media and advised RepublWilliam CaxtonFirst English printer, translator, and promoter of Chancery Standard.Aldus ManutiusThe printer who revived Greek classics and invented the portable book.Rupert MurdochAustralian-born American media mogul and former business magnateKerry PackerAustralian media tycoon who founded World Series Cricket and built a vast media and gambliDavid SarnoffPioneer of radio and television broadcasting, and controversial RCA executive.Ted TurnerThe media mogul who founded CNN, revolutionized cable television, and became a leading phiÉleuthère Irénée du PontFounder of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and CompanyBasil ZaharoffThe 'merchant of death' who sold faulty arms to both sides.Meyer GuggenheimPatriarch of the Guggenheim family, who built a fortune in mining and smelting.Marc RichBelgian-American commodities trader and founder of Glencore, indicted for tax evasion and John Jacob AstorThe first multi-millionaire in the United States, who built his fortune on fur, opium, andG. D. BirlaIndian businessman and member of the Birla FamilyRichard BransonEnglish business magnate and founder of the Virgin GroupMohamed Al-FayedEgyptian businessman who owned Harrods and the Ritz Paris, later accused of sexual assault
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