Business tycoons - from Bill Gates, Henry Ford, Martha Stewart and Walt Disney to Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Steve Jobs - achieved great success despite overwhelming odds. These and other moguls created and promoted innovative products and services, often encountering big obstacles and taking immense risks to become leaders in their fields.
Les Moonves is an American media executive who was the chairman and CEO of CBS Corp. In July 2018, a New Yorker article shared allegations from six women about Moonves subjecting them to sexual harassment.
Elizabeth Holmes is the founder and former CEO of Theranos, a health technology company that marketed a new mode of blood testing. After allegations against the company’s technology and business practices, Theranos’ valuation collapsed.
Colonel Tom Parker managed Elvis Presley’s career, turning the singer into one of the first rock superstars.
Mark Zuckerberg is co-founder and CEO of the social-networking website Facebook, as well as one of the world's youngest billionaires.
British entrepreneur Richard Branson launched Virgin Records in the early 1970s, eventually building his business into the multinational Virgin Group.
Media magnate Rupert Murdoch is the founder and head of News Corporation, a global media conglomerate. He created Fox Broadcasting Company in 1986.
Known as the "Oracle of Omaha," Warren Buffett is an investment guru and one of the richest and most respected businessmen in the world.
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American businessman J. Paul Getty built his fortune as president of the Getty Oil Company. His J. Paul Getty Trust funds the J. Paul Getty Museum and other artistic endeavors.
Entrepreneur Bill Gates founded the world's largest software business, Microsoft, with Paul Allen, and subsequently became one of the richest men in the world.
Co-founder of the successful startup Broadcast.com, Mark Cuban is known as the zealous owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and a star of the TV show 'Shark Tank.'
American entrepreneur Jeff Bezos is the founder and chief executive officer of Amazon.com and owner of 'The Washington Post.' His successful business ventures have made him one of the richest people in the world.
Helena Rubinstein was a Polish entrepreneur best known for her global cosmetics empire.
Melinda Gates, wife of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, is co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which strives to improve global health and education.
Steve Wynn has resigned as chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts after decades of sexual misconduct allegations surfaced in a WSJ investigation. The Las Vegas casino mogul denies charges and blamed “an avalanche of negative publicity” for creating “a rush to judgement.”
Former political adviser Roger Ailes transformed the cable news landscape during his reign as chief of the Fox News Channel from 1996 to 2016.
George Soros is a self-made billionaire known for his investment savvy and his vast body of philanthropic work.
Evan Spiegel is the co-founder and CEO of Snap Inc., named for its flagship product, the photo- and video-sharing app Snapchat.
Hugh Hefner created the men's adult entertainment magazine 'Playboy,' which played a role in the sexual revolution of the 1960s. Hefner built his controversial yet groundbreaking magazine into an international enterprise.
American P.T. Barnum was an immensely successful promoter who founded the circus he coined "The Greatest Show on Earth" in 1871.
Sean Parker is an entrepreneur who co-founded the music file-sharing service Napster and was the founding president of Facebook.
J.P. Morgan became one of the wealthiest and most powerful businessmen in the world through his founding of private banks and industrial consolidation in the late 1800s.