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24 Most Famous Entrepreneurs in the World
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24 Most Famous Entrepreneurs in the World
Mark Zuckerberg
"By giving people the power to share,
we're making the world more transparent"
we're making the world more transparent"
Bill Gates
"Success is a lousy teacher, It seduces smart people into.
thinking they can't lose"
thinking they can't lose"
Jeff Bezos
"A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person.
You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well."
You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well."
Michael Bloomberg
"I don't know why you should be proud of something.
It doesn't make you any better or worse. You are what you are."
It doesn't make you any better or worse. You are what you are."
Alice Walton
"One of the great responsibilities that I have is to manage
my assets wisely, so that they create value."
my assets wisely, so that they create value."
Sheldon Adelson
"A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person.
You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well."
You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well."
Phil Knight & family
"I don't know why you should be proud of something.
It doesn't make you any better or worse. You are what you are."
It doesn't make you any better or worse. You are what you are."
Mukesh Ambani
"A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person.
You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well."
You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well."
Michael Dell
"I don't know why you should be proud of something.
It doesn't make you any better or worse. You are what you are."
It doesn't make you any better or worse. You are what you are."
Amancio Ortega
"A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person.
You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well."
You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well."
Liliane Bettencourt
"I don't know why you should be proud of something.
It doesn't make you any better or worse. You are what you are."
It doesn't make you any better or worse. You are what you are."
Giorgio Armani
"A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person.
You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well."
You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well."
Oprah Winfrey
"I don't know why you should be proud of something.
It doesn't make you any better or worse. You are what you are."
It doesn't make you any better or worse. You are what you are."
Steve Jobs
"A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person.
You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well."
You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well."
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Elon Musk
Early Life:-Elon Musk was born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa, the son of Maye Musk (née Haldeman), a model and dietician from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada; and Errol Musk, a South African electromechanical engineer, pilot and sailor.
Education:-At the age of 17, Musk was accepted into Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, for undergraduate study. In 1992, after spending two years at Queen's University, Musk transferred to the University of Pennsylvania, where in May 1997 he received a Bachelor of Science degree in physics from its College of Arts and Sciences, and a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from its Wharton School of Business. Musk extended his studies for one year to finish the second bachelor's degree.
The Rise of Tesla:-Tesla, Inc. (originally Tesla Motors) was incorporated in July 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, who financed the company until the Series A round of funding.Both men played active roles in the company's early development prior to Elon Musk's involvement. Musk led the Series A round of investment in February 2004, joining Tesla's board of directors as its chairman. Musk took an active role within the company and oversaw Roadster product design at a detailed level, but was not deeply involved in day-to-day business operations.
Following the financial crisis in 2008, Musk assumed leadership of the company as CEO and product architect, positions he still holds today. Tesla Motors first built an electric sports car, the Tesla Roadster in 2008, with sales of about 2,500 vehicles to 31 countries. Tesla began delivery of its four-door Model S sedan on June 22, 2012. It unveiled its third product, the Model X, aimed at the SUV/minivan market, on February 9, 2012; the Model X launch was however delayed until September 2015.
Following the financial crisis in 2008, Musk assumed leadership of the company as CEO and product architect, positions he still holds today. Tesla Motors first built an electric sports car, the Tesla Roadster in 2008, with sales of about 2,500 vehicles to 31 countries. Tesla began delivery of its four-door Model S sedan on June 22, 2012. It unveiled its third product, the Model X, aimed at the SUV/minivan market, on February 9, 2012; the Model X launch was however delayed until September 2015.
Awards & Achievement:-In 2006, Musk served as a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board.
- R&D Magazine Innovator of the Year for 2007 for SpaceX, Tesla and SolarCity.
- National Wildlife Federation 2008 National Conservation Achievement award for Tesla and SolarCity.
- Automotive Executive of the Year (worldwide) in 2010 for demonstrating technology leadership and innovation via Tesla. Prior awardees include Bill Ford Jr, Bob Lutz, Dieter Zetsche and Lee Iacocca. Musk is the youngest ever recipient of this award.
- In February 2011, Forbes listed Musk as one of 'America's 20 Most Powerful CEOs 40 And Under'.
- In June 2011, Musk was awarded the US$250,000 Heinlein Prize for Advances in Space Commercialization.
- In 2011, Musk was honored as a Legendary Leader at the Churchill Club Awards.
- In 2012, Musk was awarded with the Royal Aeronautical Society's highest award: a Gold Medal.
- R&D Magazine Innovator of the Year for 2007 for SpaceX, Tesla and SolarCity.
- National Wildlife Federation 2008 National Conservation Achievement award for Tesla and SolarCity.
- Automotive Executive of the Year (worldwide) in 2010 for demonstrating technology leadership and innovation via Tesla. Prior awardees include Bill Ford Jr, Bob Lutz, Dieter Zetsche and Lee Iacocca. Musk is the youngest ever recipient of this award.
- In February 2011, Forbes listed Musk as one of 'America's 20 Most Powerful CEOs 40 And Under'.
- In June 2011, Musk was awarded the US$250,000 Heinlein Prize for Advances in Space Commercialization.
- In 2011, Musk was honored as a Legendary Leader at the Churchill Club Awards.
- In 2012, Musk was awarded with the Royal Aeronautical Society's highest award: a Gold Medal.
Philanthropic:-Musk is chairman of the Musk Foundation, which focuses its philanthropic efforts on providing solar-power energy systems in disaster areas.
- In 2010, the Musk foundation collaborated with SolarCity to donate a 25-kW solar power system to the South Bay Community Alliance's (SBCA) hurricane response centre in Coden, Alabama.- In July 2011, the Musk Foundation donated US$250,000 towards a solar power project in Sōma, Japan, a city that had been recently devastated by tsunami.- Ultimately, Musk agreed to donate US$1 million toward the project and additionally pledged to build a Tesla Supercharger in the museum car park.- Musk donated US$10 million to the Future of Life Institute in January 2015, to run a global research program aimed at keeping artificial intelligence beneficial to humanity.
- As of 2015, Musk is a trustee of the X Prize Foundation and a signatory of The Giving Pledge.
- In 2010, the Musk foundation collaborated with SolarCity to donate a 25-kW solar power system to the South Bay Community Alliance's (SBCA) hurricane response centre in Coden, Alabama.- In July 2011, the Musk Foundation donated US$250,000 towards a solar power project in Sōma, Japan, a city that had been recently devastated by tsunami.- Ultimately, Musk agreed to donate US$1 million toward the project and additionally pledged to build a Tesla Supercharger in the museum car park.- Musk donated US$10 million to the Future of Life Institute in January 2015, to run a global research program aimed at keeping artificial intelligence beneficial to humanity.
- As of 2015, Musk is a trustee of the X Prize Foundation and a signatory of The Giving Pledge.
The Big Moment:-In 2001, Musk conceptualized 'Mars Oasis'; a project to land a miniature experimental greenhouse on Mars, containing food crops growing on Martian regolith, in an attempt to regain public interest in space exploration. In October 2001, Musk travelled to Moscow with Jim Cantrell (an aerospace supplies fixer), and Adeo Ressi (his best friend from college), to buy refurbished Dnepr Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that could send the envisioned payloads into space. The group met with companies such as NPO Lavochkin and Kosmotras; however, according to Cantrell, Musk was seen as a novice and was consequently spat on by one of the Russian chief designers, and the group returned to the United States empty-handed. The group met again with Kosmotras, and were offered one rocket for US$8 million, however, this was seen by Musk as too expensive; Musk consequently stormed out of the meeting. On the flight back from Moscow, Musk realized that he could start a company that could build the affordable rockets he needed.
The Book:-Elon Musk first inside look into the extraordinary life and times of Silicon Valley's most audacious entrepreneur. Written with exclusive access to Musk, his family and friends, the book traces the entrepreneur's journey from a rough upbringing in South Africa to the pinnacle of the global business world. Vance spent more than 30 hours in conversation with Musk and interviewed close to 300 people to tell the tumultuous stories of Musk's world-changing companies: PayPal, Tesla Motors, SpaceX and SolarCity, and to characterize a man who has renewed American industry and sparked new levels of innovation while making plenty of enemies along the way.
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mark zuckerberg
Early Life:-Mark Elliot Zuckerber was born on May 14, 1984, in White Plains, New York, into a comfortable, well-educated family, and raised in the nearby village of Dobbs Ferry. His father, Edward Zuckerberg, ran a dental practice attached to the family's home. His mother, Karen, worked as a psychiatrist before the birth of the couple's four children—Mark, Randi, Donna and Arielle.
Education:-2002 – Graduates from Phillips Exeter Academy, a private school in New Hampshire; joins Harvard University in autumn on a psychology and computer science course. He also invented Facemash there, which compared the pictures of two students on campus and allowed users to vote on which one was more attractive.
Person of the year:- 2010 – Named Time magazine's person of the year. According to TIME, in the past year, no one else had such great impact on the world than the current winner. Mark's popularity is so high that in 2010 David Fincher shot a movie The Social Network in which the main role of the Facebook founder was brilliantly played by Jesse Eisenberg.
Social Cause:- December 2015, Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, pledged to give 99% of their Facebook stock to causes benefiting the public interest during their lifetimes. Through the newly formed Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, they plan to fund charities, companies and policies that 'advance human potential and promote equality.
The Rise of Facebook:- 2004 – Starts Thefacebook.com in February. Zuckerberg and his friends created Thefacebook.com that allowed users to create their own profiles, upload photos, and communicate with other users. The company, which Zuckerberg cofounded in 2004 when he was 19, has invested heavily in virtual reality, artificial intelligence and improving global Web access.In 2005, Zuckerberg's enterprise received a huge boost from the venture capital firm Accel Partners.
The billion users Platform:- Facebook records half a billion users on Facebook in a single day, and is expected to report $4 billion dollars revenue, double that of the previous year. Facebook announced it has passed the 1 billion user milestone. This makes Facebook the first social network to reach the 10-figure mark; one out of every seven individuals on the planet now use the service.
The Acquisition:- In 2012 when Facebook paid an astounding $1 billion to acquire Instagram. The Instagram acquisition let investors know that Facebook understood where the market was headed and was prepared to pay money to stay relevant to its clientele.In 2014, Facebook bought WhatsApp for $19 billion. WhatsApp is a social messaging service that enables users from all over the world to send free messages to one another over WiFi or data connection. These two purchases might not seem profitable on the surface but they are immensely valuable to Facebook in terms of personal data and as proof that the company is staying on the edge of technology.Facebook paid $4.59 billion in cash and 177,760,669 shares in the company. WhatsApp is an instant messaging application founded by Jan Koum and Brian Acton in 2009.
The Yahoo Merger:- 2006 – At 22 years of age, Zuckerberg turns down an estimated $1 billion dollar offer for Facebook from Yahoo.
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bill gates
Early Life:- Bill Gates was born William Henry Gates III on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington. He is the son of William H. Gates, Sr. and Mary Maxwell Gates. His father was a prominent lawyer while his mother served on the board of directors for First Interstate BancSystem and the United Way. Bill Gates grew up in an upper middle-class family with two sisters: Kristianne, who is older, and Libby, who is younger.Bill Gates is married to Melinda French (married in 1992). They have three children Jennifer (1996), Rory (1999) and Phoebe (2002).
Education:- He studied at the Lakeside School where he developed an interest in computing. He was just 13 when he wrote his first software program on the school’s computer and by the time he was in high school he, along with some of his friends, had computerized their school’s payroll system. His future business collaborator, Paul Allen, was a senior at Lakeside. At the age of 17, Gates teamed up with Allen to form a venture called Traf-O-Data, to make traffic counters based on the Intel 8008 processor. He graduated from high school in 1973. He was a National Merit Scholar and scored 1590 out of 1600 on the SAT. He enrolled at Harvard College later the same year. As a college student he spent a lot of time on the computers though he was not much interested in studying other subjects. His friend Allen suggested that Bill drop out of college to start a business.
person of the year:- JUL 19, 2005, Queen Elizabeth II bestows an honorary knighthood on Gates for his contributions to the United Kingdom. Time names him a “Person of the Year,” along with Melinda Gates and Bono, for what the magazine called his “good Samaritan” work.
Philanthropic:- In 1999, he donated US$20 million to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for the construction of a computer laboratory which was named the 'William H. Gates Building' in his honor. Along with his wife, Melinda, Bill Gates formed the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF or the Gates Foundation) in 2000. It is the largest private foundation in the world and aims to enhance healthcare and reduce extreme poverty worldwide.
The Rise of Microsoft:-Bill Gates and Paul Allen collaborated to found Microsoft (initially called Micro-Soft) in 1975. In the beginning they adapted BASIC, a popular programming language for use on microcomputers. It proved to be a success and they continued to develop programming language software for various systems. In 1980, the duo was approached by International Business Machine (IBM) with a proposal that Microsoft write the BASIC interpreter for IBM’s upcoming personal computer, the IBM PC. Microsoft created the PC DOS operating system which they delivered to IBM in exchange for a one-time fee of $50,000. Soon Microsoft’s operating systems became very popular and the company introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985, as a graphical operating system shell for MS-DOS. Over the following years Windows came to dominate the world’s personal computer market acquiring over 90% market share. The company saw phenomenal financial success, and being the company’s largest individual shareholder, Bill Gates amassed a great fortune.
Microsoft Windows:-It was through this knowledge sharing that Microsoft was to develop Windows, a system that used a mouse to drive a graphic interface, displaying text and images on the screen. In November 1985, Bill Gates and Microsoft launched Windows; nearly two years after his announcement.
Recognition:-NOV 17, 1987, Bill Gates is the Youngest billionare in the world. Time magazine named Gates one of the 100 people who most influenced the 20th century.
In 1994, he was honored as the twentieth Distinguished Fellow of the British Computer Society. In 2002, Bill and Melinda Gates received the Jefferson Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged.
In 2006, Gates received the James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award from The Tech Awards.
In 2015, Gates, along with his wife Melinda, received the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award for their social work in the country.
In 2016, President Barack Obama honored Gates and his wife Melinda with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for their philanthropic efforts.
In 1994, he was honored as the twentieth Distinguished Fellow of the British Computer Society. In 2002, Bill and Melinda Gates received the Jefferson Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged.
In 2006, Gates received the James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award from The Tech Awards.
In 2015, Gates, along with his wife Melinda, received the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award for their social work in the country.
In 2016, President Barack Obama honored Gates and his wife Melinda with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for their philanthropic efforts.
Awards & Achievements:-In 2002, Bill and Melinda Gates received the Jefferson Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged.
- Gates received the Bower Award for Business Leadership from The Franklin Institute in 2010 in recognition of his achievements at Microsoft and his philanthropic work.
- Bill and Melinda Gates jointly received India's third highest civilian honor Padma Bhushan in 2015 for their foundation's philanthropic activities in India.
- Gates received the Bower Award for Business Leadership from The Franklin Institute in 2010 in recognition of his achievements at Microsoft and his philanthropic work.
- Bill and Melinda Gates jointly received India's third highest civilian honor Padma Bhushan in 2015 for their foundation's philanthropic activities in India.
The Microsoft CEO:-Bill Gates Is Now A 'Technology Advisor' At Microsoft, Guiding Future Product Direction.
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Warren Buffett
Early Life:-Born on AUG 30, 1930, the legendary Warren Edward Buffett’s birthplace was Omaha, Nebraska. He is the second child to his parents- father Howard Buffett and mother Leila. Warren Buffett’s father was a U.S. Congressman, who was Scandinavian by origin and his mother was Spanish.Buffett married Susan Buffett in 1952. They had three children, Susie, Howard and Peter.
Education:-Buffet’s elementary education started at Rose Hill Elementary School in Omaha. He then went to the Alice Deal Junior High School and soon completed his Master of Science in Economics. From the childhood days of his life, Buffett was always deeply interested in trading and it is from the stock market that he started making and saving money.
The Richest Person:-In 2008, Buffett became the richest person in the world. He then went on to become a billionaire with an estimate of his company valuing approximately US$62 billion. In 2009, he donated billions of dollars to the charity and even after that Buffett was ranked as the second richest man in the United States with a net worth of US$37 billion.
Fordham University awarded him with a Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in 2009.
Fordham University awarded him with a Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in 2009.
Philanthropic:-In 2006, Buffet announced to give away 80% of his total fortune to five foundations, the largest contribution going to Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Big Purchase:-In 1956 Buffet saves over $140,000 and returns to Omaha and starts an investment partnership, Buffett Associates, Ltd. Buffett’s partnership had in excess of $7,178,500 out of which $1,025,000 belonged to Buffett. Merges all partnerships into one. Discovers Berkshire Hathaway. Buffett’s partnerships begin to purchase Berkshire shares aggressively. Takes control of Berkshire Hathaway and names a new President (Ken Chace) to run the company.
The Book:-The definitive work concerning Warren Buffett and intelligent investment philosophy, this is a collection of Buffett's letters to the shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway written over the past few decades that together furnish an enormously valuable informal education. The letters distill in plain words all the basic principles of sound business practices.
The Big Moment:-In 2011 Buffett was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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Jeff Bezos
Early Life:-Jeff Bezos was born on January 12, 1964, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to a teenage mother, Jacklyn Gise Jorgensen, and his biological father, Ted Jorgensen. The Jorgensens were married less than a year, and when Bezos was 4 years old his mother re-married, to Cuban immigrant Mike Bezos.
Education:-Jeff Bezos attended River Oaks Elementary School in Houston from fourth to sixth grade. Bezos started his first business at school. It was called The Dream Institute, and it was an educational summer camp for fourth, fifth and sixth graders. Bezos graduated as the school’s valedictorian, and a National Merit Scholar, securing his spot at Princeton University.He graduated with two Bachelor of Science degrees in computer science and electrical engineering from Princeton University.
person of the year:-JUL 19, 2005, Queen Elizabeth II bestows an honorary knighthood on Gates for his contributions to the United Kingdom. Time names him a 'Person of the Year' along with Melinda Gates and Bono, for what the magazine called his 'good Samaritan'work.
Philanthropic:- In July 2012, Bezos and his wife personally donated $2.5 million to support a same-sex marriage referendum in Washington, which successfully passed.- First full-scale prototype Clock of the Long Now, designed to last 10,000 years.- $42 million - Bezos Center for Innovation at the Seattle Museum of History and Industry - $10 million- Recovery of two Saturn V first-stage Rocketdyne F-1 engines from the floor of the Atlantic Ocean.- They were positively identified as belonging to the Apollo 11 mission's S-1C stage in July 2013.- Bezos Center for Neural Circuit Dynamics at Princeton Neuroscience Institute - $15 million.- Bezos Family Foundation, an educational charity.- The foundation gave $10 million in 2009 and $20 million in 2010 to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.- Bezos also donated $800,000 to Worldreader, founded by a former Amazon employee.
The Rise of Amazon:- It was at D.E. Shaw where Jeff Bezos first came across a digit that would change his life and the course of internet history Bezos quit D.E. Shaw in 1994 and moved to Seattle to tap into the potentials of the internet market by opening anonline bookstore. He made the decision by drawing up a list of possible products that he could sell via the Internet, including CDs, software, and hardware.
The Big Deal:- On August 05, 2013, Bezos was on the news for having entirely purchased The Washington Post for $250 million in cash. 'The Post could have survived under the company’s ownership,' company’s chairman and chief executive Donald E. Graham says, 'but we wanted to do more than survive. I’m not saying this guarantees success, but it gives us a much greater chance of success.' Bezos reaffirmed that he did not seek to alter the values of The Washington Post, but merely to fix its focus on the public. 'Our touchstone will be readers, understanding what they care about – government, local leaders, restaurant openings, scout troops, businesses, charities, governors, sports – and working backwards from there.'
Amazon Prime Air:- In early December 2013, Bezos made headlines when he revealed a new, experimental initiative by Amazon, called 'Amazon Prime Air' using drones—remote-controlled machines that can perform an array of human tasks—to provide delivery services to customers. According to Bezos, these drones are able to carry items weighing up to five pounds, and are capable of traveling within a 10-mile distance of the company's distribution center. He also stated that Prime Air could become a reality within as little as four or five years.
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Michael Bloomberg
Early Life:- Michael Bloomberg was born in Boston on 14 February 1942 into a Jewish family. His father, William Henry Bloomberg, was a real estate agent. Bloomberg was married to Susan Brown from 1975 to 1993. Despite the divorce, the couple are close friends and have two daughters, Georgina and Emma. Since 2000 Bloomberg has been in a relationship with banking superintendent Diana Taylor.His younger sister, Marjorie Tiven, has been Commissioner of the New York City Commission for the United Nations, Consular Corps and Protocol, since February 2002.
Education:- Bloomberg was two years old, when they moved to Brookline for the next two years, finally settling in Medford, a Boston suburb, where he lived until after he graduated from college.Bloomberg is an Eagle Scout. Bloomberg attended Johns Hopkins University, where he joined the fraternity Phi Kappa Psi. In 1962, as a sophomore, he constructed the school's mascot, the blue jay. He graduated in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. In 1966 he graduated from Harvard Business School as a Master of Business Administration.
Awards & Achievement:- In 2003, Yale School of Management honored him with 'Award for Distinguished Leadership in Global Capital Markets'.- In 2007, he was called to be the 39th most influential person in the world by Time Magazine and Vanity Fair gave him 9th rank among 100 most influential person.- He was given an honorary degree in Public Service from Tufts University in 2007. In the same year he received an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from Bard College.- At 2007 Gotham Awards, a New York based celebrator of Independent Film, he received a tribute award.- Fordham University awarded him with a Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in 2009.
Philanthropic:- He has donated over $300 million to Johns Hopkins University, where he was chairman of the board since 2002.- In 2006, he donated to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Lung Foundation and the World Health Organization, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School for Public Health and to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.- He has contributed $138 million in 2004, $144 million in 2005, $165 million in 2006, and $205 million in 2007 to ‘Chronicle of Philanthropy’ through Bloomberg Family Foundation.- In 2008, he, along with Bill Gates, donated to the Government to get control over tobacco.- In 2009, he has donated $254 million to 1400 non-profit organizations.
Rise of Bloomberg:- Bloomberg originally called his company Innovative Market Systems, and it landed its first major client in Merrill Lynch, another top Wall Street firm. Working with a team of just four employees, Bloomberg designed and programmed a stand-alone computer terminal that let Merrill Lynch traders keep up-to-date on the Treasury bond market. The company expanded to develop a proprietary computer system that provided current bond and stock prices, and could also perform the notoriously complex government bond calculations.In 1986 Innovative Market Systems became Bloomberg L.P., and its computer system was becoming a ubiquitous presence on Wall Street.
The Book:-Bloomberg by Bloomberg gives an extent of Michael Bloomberg’s accomplishments. The Book is packed with great advice about how to start a lean, hungry company-and how to keep it that way. The book makes it easy to understand what it takes to build a technology and media company that is both private and profitable.
New York Mayor:- Bloomberg entered the political arena in 2002, when he won election as the 108th mayor of New York. Considered a liberal Republican turned Independent, Bloomberg is pro-choice and favored legalizing same-sex marriage. His most popular program as mayor was establishing a 311 telephone line that put callers in contact with the city, allowing them to report crimes, trash problems, or anything else. Bloomberg was re-elected mayor in November 2005.
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Larry Ellison
Early Life:- Larry Ellison was born in New York City, to an unwed Jewish mother. His biological father was an Italian American United States Army Air Corps pilot. After Ellison contracted pneumonia at the age of nine months, his mother gave him to her aunt and uncle for adoption. He did not meet his biological mother again until he was 48. Ellison moved to Chicago's South Shore, then a middle-class neighbourhood. He remembers his adoptive mother as warm and loving, in contrast to his austere, unsupportive, and often distant adoptive father, who adopted the name Ellison to honour his point of entry into the United States, Ellis Island. Although Ellison was raised in a Reform Jewish home by his adoptive parents, who attended synagogue regularly, he remained a religious skeptic.
Education:- Ellison left the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign after his second year, not taking his final exams, because his adoptive mother had just died. After spending a summer in Northern California, he attended the University of Chicago for one term, where he first encountered computer design. In 1966, aged 22, he moved to Northern California.
Awards & Achievement:- Entrepreneur of the Year, Harvard Business School, 1990
- Science Applications International Corporation Information Technology Leadership Award, Smithsonian Institution, 1994.
- Science Applications International Corporation Information Technology Leadership Award, Smithsonian Institution, 1994.
Philanthropic:- Ellison donated $5 million to seed the Lawrence J. Ellison Musculo-Skeletal Research Center.- In order to settle an insider trading lawsuit arising from Ellison's selling nearly $1 billion of Oracle stock, he was allowed to donate $100 million to his own charitable foundation without admitting wrongdoing.- In 2007, Ellison pledged $500,000 to fortify a community centre in Sderot, Israel, after discovering that the building was not fortified against rocket attacks. - In May 2016, Ellison donated $200 million to University of Southern California for establishing a cancer research center: Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine of USC.- Ellison is one of the top donors to Conservative Solutions PAC, a super PAC supporting Marco Rubio's 2016 presidential bid. As of February 2016, Ellison had given $4 million overall to the PAC.
The Rise of Oracle:- In 1977, Ellison and partners Bob Miner and Ed Oates founded a new company, Software Development Laboratories. The company started with $2,000 of funding, $1,200 of which came out of Ellison's own pocket. Ellison and company were inspired by IBM computer scientist Edgar F. Codd's theories for a so-called relational database — a way for computer systems to store and access information. In 1979, the company renamed itself Relational Software Inc., and in 1982 it formally became Oracle Systems Corp., after its flagship product.As one of the key drivers of the growing computer industry, Oracle grew fast. On September 18, 2014, Ellison announced he would be stepping down (with Mark Hurd and Safra Catz to become co-CEOs). He plans to become executive chairman and CTO.
The Book:- Softwar: An Intimate Portrait of Larry Ellison and Oracle, The Difference Between God and Larry Ellison: *God Doesn't Think He's Larry Ellison.
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Larry Page
Early Life:- Larry Page was born to Carl Page and Gloria in Michigan in 1973. Both his parents were computer science professors. He was raised without religion. His father, Carl Page, was a pioneer in computer science and artificial intelligence, and his mother taught computer programming. He married research scientist Lucinda Southworth in 2007. His sister-in-law Carrie Southworth is an actress who has appeared on General Hospital.
Education:- Larry Page's childhood home was full of computers and science magazines,and that increased his fascination for technology at an early age. He graduated from East Lansing High School in 1991 and pursued a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from the University of Michigan. Later, he enrolled for his Master of Science in computer science from Stanford University. During his PhD at Stanford, he met fellow researcher Sergey Brin while working on a research project in 1995. By 1996 they had built a search engine - initially called ‘BackRub’. It was operated on Stanford servers for many months.
Awards & Achievement:- In 2002, Page, was named to the MIT Technology Review TR100, as one of the top 100 innovators in the world under the age of 35.
- In 2003, Page, received an honorary MBA from IE Business School.- In 2004, Page received the Marconi Foundation Prize.
- Page received an honorary doctorate from the University of Michigan in 2009.
- In 2011, he was ranked 24th on the Forbes list of billionaires and as the 11th richest person in the United States.
- In 2003, Page, received an honorary MBA from IE Business School.- In 2004, Page received the Marconi Foundation Prize.
- Page received an honorary doctorate from the University of Michigan in 2009.
- In 2011, he was ranked 24th on the Forbes list of billionaires and as the 11th richest person in the United States.
Philanthropic:- A philanthropic arm, Google.org, focuses on climate change and global issues of poverty and public health. - CEO of Google, gave stock in his company valued at nearly $177.3-million to charity in February 2014. - He has contributed $138 million in 2004, $144 million in 2005, $165 million in 2006, and $205 million in 2007 to ‘Chronicle of Philanthropy’ through Bloomberg Family Foundation. - In 2012, Mr. Page gave the foundation 200,000 shares of Google stock valued at more than $123.8-million. - The foundation, in Palo Alto, Calif., had assets of more than $539.6-million in 2012.
The Rise of Google:- As a research project at Stanford University, Page and Brin created a search engine that listed results according to the popularity of the pages, after concluding that the most popular result would often be the most useful. They called the search engine 'Google'' after the mathematical term 'googol', which refers to the No. 1 followed by 100 zeros, to reflect their mission to organize the immense amount of information available on the web. The pair launched the company in 1998. Google has since become the world's most popular search engine.
Google.org:- The Charitable arm of the company, Google.org, was formed in 2004. The organization is dedicated to finding technological solutions to help address global challenges like hunger and poverty. Google.org and Google in general has also been supportive of a number of causes, including LGBTQ rights, veterans affairs, digital literacy, refugee rights, Disabilities, Crisis Response.
Acuisitions:- Google has been acquiring, on average, more than one company per week since 2010. With each acquisition listed being for the respective company in its entirety, unless otherwise specified. The acquisition date listed is the date of the agreement between Google and the acquisition subject.
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Sergey Brin
Early Life:- Sergey Mikhaylovich Brin was born on August 21, 1973, in Moscow, Russiato Jewish to parents Michael Brin and Eugenia Brinwas. The son of a Soviet mathematician economist, His mother, Eugenia Brin, was a scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Brin and his family emigrated to the United States to escape Jewish persecution in 1979. His family migrated to the U.S when he was six as it was very difficult for Jews in Moscow to pursue higher education. Sergey Brin married Anne Wojcicki.
Education:- Brin attended Paint Branch Montessori School in Maryland. His father encouraged him to study mathematics at home. After high school, he went to the University of Maryland to study mathematics and computer science and received his Bachelor of Science in 1993.He enrolled for his graduate studies in computer science at Stanford University on the basis of a graduate fellowship from the National Science Foundation.
Awards & Achievement:- In 2002, Brin, was named as among the top 100 innovators in the world under the age of 35 by the MIT Technology Review TR100. - In 2003, Brin, received an honorary MBA from IE Business School.- In 2004, Brin received the Marconi Foundation Prize. - Brin received an honorary doctorate from the University of Michigan in 2009.- In 2011, he was ranked 21st on the Forbes list of billionaires.
Philanthropic:- A philanthropic arm, Google.org, focuses on climate change and global issues of poverty and public health. - $187-million to their Brin Wojcicki Foundation. - $32-million last year to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. - $1 million to the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society.
Philanthropic:- As a research project at Stanford University, Page and Brin created a search engine that listed results according to the popularity of the pages, after concluding that the most popular result would often be the most useful. They called the search engine 'Google' after the mathematical term 'googol', which refers to the No. 1 followed by 100 zeros, to reflect their mission to organize the immense amount of information available on the web. The pair launched the company in 1998. Google has since become the world's most popular search engine.
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Alice Walton
Early Life:- Alice Walton born on October 7, 1949 and an American heiress to the fortune of Wal-Mart Stores.She is the daughter of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton and Helen Walton, and sister of S. Robson Walton, Jim Walton and the late John T. Walton.
Education:- She completed her B.A. in economics and finance from Trinity University in San Antonio. After her graduation, she began her career as an equity analyst for the First Commerce Corporation.
Awards & Achievement:-2014 Wall Street Journal Innovators - 2009 Legion of Honor, Doctorate of Humanities - 2008 Global Environmental Citizen - 2000 Lifetime Achievement - 1997 James Beard Humanitarian.
Philanthropic:-Walton Family Foundation. - From 1998 through 2003 the WFF contributed $25,000 to the Heritage Foundation. - $15,000 to the Cato Institute. - $125,000 to the Hudson Institute. - $155,000 to the Goldwater Institute. - $70,000 to the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation. - $300,000 to the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. - $185,000 to the Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy - $350,000 to the Evergreen Freedom Foundation. - $20 million in cash and merchandise to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.
The Museum:-Crystal Bridges is as a premier venue for a national art institution dedicated to American art and artists, and a place of learning and community.
The Acquisition:-Alice Walton, recognized by Time Magazine as one of the world’s most influential people in 2012.
The Big Moment:-With a net worth of $40.8 billion she is the second wealthiest woman in the world, according to Forbes. In September 2016 she was reported to own over US$11 billion in Walmart shares.
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Sheldon Adelson
Early Life:-Sheldon Gary Adelson was born on August 4, 1933 in Boston into a low-income family and grew up in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Sarah (née Tonkin) and Arthur Adelson. His family was of Ukrainian and Lithuanian Jewish ancestry. His mother immigrated from England, and one of his grandfathers was a Welsh coalminer. His father drove a taxi, and his mother ran a knitting shop.
Education:-He started his business career at the age of 12, when he borrowed $200 from his uncle (or $2,640 in 2015 dollars) and purchased a license to sell newspapers in Boston. At age 16 in 1948, he then borrowed $10,000 (or $98,500 in 2015 dollars) from his uncle to start a candy-vending-machine business. He attended trade school to become a court reporter and subsequently joined the army. Adelson attended City College of New York, but decided to drop out to dedicate his full-time to entrepreneurship.
Awards & Achievement:- 'Theodor Herzl Gold Medallion' for his lasting and historic contribution to Zionism and the Jewish people. - He was awarded at a gala dinner by the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) in 2009. - He was honored with Chairman’s award by Nevada Policy Research Institute for his contribution in progressing free market principles in Nevada. - He, along with his wife, received ‘Woodrow Wilson Award’ given by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars of the Smithsonian Institution.
Philanthropic:- In 2007, he has donated over $1 Million to political candidates. - In 2005, Adelson, with his wife, contributed $250,000 to the second inauguration of President George W. Bush. - In 2006, Adelson donated $25 million to the Birthright Israel, a financer of Jewish youth trips to Israel. - The same year, Adelson donated $25 million to the Heroes’ Remembrance Authority and Yad Vashem Holocaust Martyrs’. - In 2007, he pledged over $25 million to the Taglit-Birthright Israel program. - In 2009, he has given more than $25 million to the M.I.S. Hebrew Academy in Las Vegas to establish a high school. - He has also funded Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Medical research foundations.
The Sands Casino:- Sheldon purchased the Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in 1988.Three years later, he demolished the hotel and replaced it with one of the first mega resorts in Las Vegas: The Venetian. Las Vegas Sands founder Sheldon Adelson heads the annual Asian Gaming Power 50 for the eighth time in nine years. He belongs at the top of the region’s gaming heap. Venetian Macao and Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands speak for themselves as extraordinary creations, reflecting favorably on their creator.
The Big Moment:- According to Forbes, Sheldon’s net worth is approx. $25.2 Billion and a honoured member of The World's Billionaires.
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Phill Knight
Early Life:-Phill Knight was born as Philip Hampson Knight on February 24, 1938, as the son of lawyer turned newspaper publisher William W. Knight, and his wife Lota. His father was a domineering though caring person who encouraged his son to push his limits. He married Penelope 'Penny' Parks in September 1968. They had four children, of whom one son, Matthew, died in a diving accident in 2004.
Education:-He attended Cleveland High School in Portland and then went to the University of Oregon (UO) in Eugene where he continued his passion for running. He graduated with a journalism degree in 1959. Then he enroll in the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University. One of the courses he studied was Frank Shallenberger’s small business class which he found very interesting. He graduated with a MBA in 1962.
Awards & Achievement:-In 2000, Knight was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame for his Special Contribution to Sports in Oregon. - In 2012, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor for being the driving force behind Nike's huge financial support of U.S. basketball and its players.
Philanthropic:-Knight donated US $105 million to the Stanford GSB in 2006, which was at that time the largest ever individual donation to an American business school. - Along with his wife, he pledged US $100 million to the OHSU Cancer Institute in 2008 which was later renamed 'OHSU Knight Cancer Institute' in his honor. - In 2012, Knight contributed US $65,000 to the higher education Political Action Committee (PAC) which aims to facilitate an increase in the autonomy of schools in the Oregon University System.
The Rise of NIke:-In 1964, Knight showcased their Tiger shoes to Bowerman. Bowerman liked shoes that much that he offered to become a partner with Knight and provide product design ideas. The two men agreed to a partnership by handshake on January 25, 1964, the birth date of Blue Ribbon Sports, the company name that would later be transformed into Nike. Jeff Johnson, a friend of Knight, suggested calling the firm 'Nike', named after the Greek winged goddess of victory.
The Book:-This is the story of Nike Co-founder Phil Knight, who turned his crazy idea into reality. The 78-year-old is telling the story behind Nike for the first time in his new memoir, 'Shoe Dog'. Shoe Dog was released on April 26, 2016.
The Big Moment:-In 1993, Philip H. Knight was the man whom The Sporting News voted 'the most powerful person in sports', the dynamic iconoclast who for nearly 30 years has shod the feet of sports legends and 'weekend warriors' alike.
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Steve Ballmer
Early Life:-Steve Ballmer was born on March 24, 1956, in Detroit, to Beatrice Dworkin and Frederic Henry Ballmer. He has a sister, Shelly. His father was a manager at the Ford Motor Company and his family was an affluent one. Ballmer is of Swiss and Jewish ethnicity.Through his mother, Ballmer is a second cousin of actress and comedian Gilda Radner.
Education:-In 1973, he attended college prep and engineering classes at Lawrence Technological University. He graduated valedictorian from Detroit Country Day School, a private college preparatory school in Beverly Hills, Michigan, with a score of 800 on the mathematical section of the SAT and was a National Merit Scholar. He now sits on the school's board of directors. In 1977, he graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a B.A. in applied mathematics and economics.
Awards & Achievement:-Steve Ballmer was made a Knight of the Legion of Honor in Paris by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. - He was the first man in history to become a billionaire from Microsoft Stock Options.
Philanthropic:-On November 12, 2014, it was announced that Ballmer and his wife Connie donated $50 million to the University of Oregon. Connie Ballmer is a University of Oregon alumna, and serves on the institution's board of trustees. The funds will go towards the university's $2 billion fundraising effort, and will focus towards scholarships, public health research and advocacy, and external branding/communications. - On November 13, 2014, it was announced that Ballmer would provide a gift, estimated at $60 million, to Harvard University’s computer science department. The gift would allow the department to hire new faculty, and hopefully increase the national stature of the program. Ballmer previously donated $10 million to the same department in 1994, in a joint-gift with Bill Gates. - Ballmer serves on the World Chairman's Council of the Jewish National Fund, which means he has donated US$1 million or more to the JNF. - Ballmer created USAFacts.org, a non-profit organization whose goal is to allow people to understand US government revenue, spending and societal impact. He is reported to have contributed $10 million to fund teams of researchers who populated the website's database with official data.
History with Microsoft:-Steve Ballmer joined Microsoft on June 11, 1980, and became Microsoft's 30th employee, the first business manager hired by Gates. Ballmer was initially offered a salary of $50,000 as well as a percentage of ownership of the company. When Microsoft was incorporated in 1981, Ballmer owned 8% of the company. In 2003, Ballmer sold 39.3 million Microsoft shares equating to approximately $955 million, thereby reducing his ownership to 4%. The same year, he replaced Microsoft's employee stock options program. From February 1992 onwards, he was Executive Vice President, Sales and Support. Ballmer led Microsoft's development of the .NET Framework. Ballmer was then promoted to President of Microsoft, a title that he held from July 1998 to February 2001, making him the de facto number two in the company to the chairman and CEO, Bill Gates.
The Book:-The Man Who Rules Microsoft-The unauthorized biography of an immigrant's son whobecame a multibillionaire working for Bill Gates, and probably the highest-paid employee in American history.
The Big Moment:-Ballmer was the second person after Roberto Goizueta to become a billionaire in U.S. dollars based on stock options received as an employee of a corporation in which he was neither a founder nor a relative of a founder. Ballmer is the 35th richest person in the world according to Forbes, with an estimated wealth of $22.2 billion. While CEO of Microsoft in 2009, Ballmer earned a total compensation of $1,276,627, which included a base salary of $665,833, a cash bonus of $600,000, no stock or options, and other compensation of $10,794.
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Mukesh Ambani
Early Life:-Mukesh Ambani was born on April 19, 1957 in Aden, Yemen to Dhirubhai Ambani and his wife, Kokilaben Ambani. He has two sisters, Dipti Salgaoncar and Nina Kothari, and a younger brother, Anil Ambani. His father used to work in a firm in Yemen before moving to Mumbai in 1958 where Dhirubhai started his own business of spices. He is married to Nita Ambani. The couple is blessed with three children; two sons, Anant and Akash, and a daughter, Isha.
Education:-Mukesh received his early education from the Hill Grange High School, Mumbai, along with his brother. Later he enrolled at the Institute Of Chemical Technology, Matunga and obtained his BE degree in Chemical Engineering. Then he attended the Stanford University, USA, to earn a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) but later opted out to assist his father in establishing Reliance Industries.
Awards & Achievement:- In 2000, he received Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year. - In 2004, he received the ‘World Communication Award’ for the Most Influential Person in Telecommunications from Total Telecom. - In 2007, he was awarded the ‘United States-India Business Council Leadership Award’ by the United States-India Business Council. The same year, he won the ‘Chitralekha Person of the Year Award’ presented by the Government of Gujarat. - In 2010, he was named the ‘Business Leader of the Year’ by NDTV India and ‘Businessman of the Year' by the Financial Chronicle. - In 2010, he also became the winner of ‘Global Leadership Award’ presented by the Business Council for International Understanding. - In 2010, he received the Honorary D.Sc. (Doctor of Science) (Honorary Causa) degree from the Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda. - In 2014, he was ranked 36 on Forbes list of the world's most powerful people. - He was also conferred the Asia Society Leadership Award by the Asia Society, Washington D.C., USA.
Philanthropic:- Mukesh Ambani donated Rs603 towards Healthcare. 'The Reliance Foundation promises quality healthcare for all'
- He inaugurated Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai.
- He inaugurated Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai.
The Reliance Group:- Reliance Retail
- Reliance Life Sciences
- Reliance Institute of Life Sciences (RILS)
- Reliance Logistics
- Reliance Clinical Research Services (RCRS)
- Reliance Solar
- Relicord
- Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (RJIL)
- Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Limited (RIIL)
- LYF
- Network 18
- Reliance Life Sciences
- Reliance Institute of Life Sciences (RILS)
- Reliance Logistics
- Reliance Clinical Research Services (RCRS)
- Reliance Solar
- Relicord
- Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (RJIL)
- Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Limited (RIIL)
- LYF
- Network 18
Working with Reliance:- Upon returning, he helped his father in setting up a polyester filament yarn (PFY) manufacturing plant. In 1981, he officially joined the Reliance Industries with his father. He emerged as the originator of Reliance`s backward integration from textiles into polyester fibres and further into petrochemicals. During the process, he led the creation of 51 new, world-class manufacturing facilities involving diverse technologies that raised Reliance's manufacturing capacities manifold. He also helped in establishment of ‘Reliance Infocomm Limited’ which focused on information and communications technology initiatives. After the business was divided between the two brothers, his younger brother took over the company which is now known as ‘Reliance Communications Limited’. In 2008, his company ‘Reliance Industries’ bought a cricket team, Mumbai Indians, in The Indian Premier League worth $111.9 million. He currently holds the position of Chairman, Managing Director, Chairman of Finance Committee and Member of Employees Stock Compensation Committee of ‘Reliance Industries Limited’
The Big Moment:- Member of Board of Governors Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai.- Chairman, managing director, Chairman of Finance Committee and Member of Employees Stock Compensation Committee, Reliance Industries Limited.- Former chairman, Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Limited.- Former vice-chairman, Reliance Petroleum.- Chairman of the board, Reliance Petroleum.- Chairman and Chairman of Audit Committee, Reliance Retail Limited.- Chairman, Reliance Exploration and Production DMCC.- Former Director, Member of Credit Committee and Member of Compensation & Benefits Committee, Bank of America Corporation.- President, Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
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Michael Dell
Early Life:-Michael Dell was born on 23 February 1965 in Houston to a Jewish family. His father, Alexander Dell, was an orthodontist while his mother Lorraine Charlotte (née Langfan), was a stockbroker. Michael Dell is a shy person who likes to maintain his privacy. He is married to Susan Lynn Lieberman since 1989, and the couple has four children.
Education:-He received his primary education from Herod Elementary School in Houston. He was a bright young boy who learned several aspects of financial affairs from his stockbroker mother and developed an early interest in business.
Awards & Achievement:- He has been named CEO of the Year by ‘Financial World’ (1993), ‘Industry Week’ (1998), and ‘Chief Executive’ (2001).- He is also the recipient of the 2013 Franklin Institute's Bower Award for Business Leadership.
Philanthropic:- In 1999, Michael and Susan Dell established the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, which focuses on, among other causes, grants, urban education, childhood health and family economic stability. - In 2006, the foundation provided $50 million in grants to three health-related organizations associated with the University of Texas: the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Advancement of Healthy Living, the Dell Pediatric Research Institute to compliment the Dell Children's Medical Center, as well as funding for a new computer science building at the University of Texas at Austin campus. - By 2010, the foundation had committed more than $650 million to children's issues and community initiatives in the United States, India and South Africa, the foundation has over $466 million assets under management.- In 2012, the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation committed $50 million for medical education. The Dell Medical School began enrolling students in 2016.- In 2014, he donated $1.8 million to the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces.
The origin of Dell:- Michael Dell registered his company as 'PC’s Limited' in January 1984. In May 1984, he changed the name of the company to Dell Computer Corporation.Dell emphasized on customer focus and made quality products and excellent customer service his priorities. By 1985, the company also began to design and build computers with purchased components.In 1986, Dell introduced a 12-megahertz 286 processor—the fastest personal computer at that time.Dell launched its first servers in 1996 and storage products in 1998. Michael Dell stepped down as CEO of the company in 2004 though he retained his position as chairman. He returned as CEO in 2007 at the request of the board. Dell Inc., which is one of the largest technological corporations in the world, employing more than 103,300 people worldwide. Dell Inc. is currently the No. 1 shipper of PC monitors in the world.
The Book:- Dell's 1999 book, Direct from Dell: Strategies That Revolutionized an Industry, is an account of his early life, his company's founding, growth and missteps, as well as lessons learned. The book was written in collaboration with Catherine Fredman.
The Big Moment:- Accolades for Dell include 'Entrepreneur of the Year' (at age 24) from Inc. magazine; 'Top CEO in American Business' from Worth magazine; 'CEO of the Year' from Financial World, Industry Week and Chief Executive magazines. Dell also received the 2013 Franklin Institute's Bower Award for Business Leadership.
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Stefan Quandt
Early Life:-Stefan Quandt was born in Bad Homburg to the rich industrialist Herbert Quandt and Johanna Quandt and was always interested in science from a very young age. In autumn 2005, he married Katharina, a software engineer. They have a daughter, born on New Year's Eve that same year. He has been sighted watching football matches but otherwise keeps a low profile.
Education:-He attended the University of Karlsruhe where he studied engineering from 1987 to 1993 and started out his business journey by working for the Boston Consulting Group in Munich.After working in Munich, Quandt wanted to travel and hence began working for the Datacard Group of Minneapolis, who made him their marketing manager in Hong Kong.
Philanthropic:-Serves as a Member of the Board of Trustees of the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt, which supports education in the fields of science and culture, individual engagement and social action. - Quandt also serves as Chairman of the Johanna Quandt Foundation which promotes the understanding of the market economy and the importance of private entrepreneurship as a support for economic development in the public and the media. - In 2007, the Quandt family pledged more than $6 million through the 'Responsibility and Recompense Foundation,' destined primarily for a memorial for forced laborers of World War II.
The BMW:-On his father's death in 1982 he inherited 17.4% of BMW, the company his father had saved from bankruptcy in 1959. Quandt also inherited from his father substantial holdings in other companies, many of which he runs through his holding company, Delton AG. With his mother, he owned 18.3% of Gemplus International, a large digital security company, before its merger to form Gemalto in 2006. He currently serves BMW as a deputy chairman of the supervisory board. He also has held seats on the supervisory boards of Dresdner Bank AG and of the Gerling Konzern Allgemeine Versicherungs AG.
The Big Moment:-The Hanns-Joachim-Friedrichs-Award winning documentary film The Silence of the Quandts by the German public broadcaster ARD described in October 2007 the role of the Quandt family businesses during the Second World War.
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Amancio Ortega
Early Life:-Amancio Ortega was born on March 28, 1936 in Busdongo de Arbas, Leon. He has 3 older siblings. Ortega’s childhood was spent in Leon, but when he was 14 years old, his family moved to A Coruna. His father was a railway worker. Ortega has been married twice in his life. For the first time with Rosalía Mera then he married Flora Pérez Marcote in 2001. He has three childern,Sandra Ortega Mera, Marcos Ortega Mera and Marta Ortega Pérez.
Education:-Ortega left school and moved to A Coruña at the age of 14, due to railway job of his father. Shortly after, he started working as a shop hand for a local shirtmaker called Gala. In 1972, he founded Confecciones Goa (his initials in reverse), selling quilted bathrobes which Ortega produced using thousands of local women organised into sewing cooperatives.
Awards & Achievement:-He's the largest shareholder of the Inditex group and after he retired from his post as Chairman of the company, Pablo Isla took his place as the CEO and Chairman. - He is still a board member of the Inditex group.
Philanthropic:-Fundacion Amancio Ortega: This not-for-profit, private institution was founded in 2001 by Ortega with an initial donation of 60 million Euros. Its main focus is to promote education, social action, science, culture, research, and welfare. Ortega’s youngest daughter is the VP of the foundation while the business tycoon is the President.- Paideia Foundation: Currently the president of this foundation, Ortega set up the much praised and award-winning Fundacion PAIDEIA in 1986 along with his ex-wife. It offers interdisciplinary education and training to people with mental and physical disabilities.
The Rise of Zara:-In 1975, he opened his first Zara store with his wife Rosalía Mera. The first store featured low-priced lookalike products of popular, higher-end clothing fashions. Ortega opened additional stores throughout Spain. During the 1980s, Ortega changed the design, manufacturing, and distribution process to reduce lead times and react to new trends in a quicker way, which he called 'instant fashions'. The improvements included the use of information technologies and using groups of designers instead of individuals. Zara slowly expanded its empire from the town in Spain to the rest of the country and then later to Portugal. By the 1990’s the store had expanded into the United States, France and most of the Europe. Today, Zara has close to 6500 stores across 88 countries around the world.
The Book:-Navarra. Xabier R. Blanco and Jesús Salgado co-authored non-official biography of Amancio Ortega Gaona, called Amancio Ortega, de cero a Zara, published on February 17, 2004. However, Covadonga O’Shea has been granted the right to develop Ortega’s official biography. On October 21, 2008, the book was published in the Spanish language under the title Así es Amancio Ortega, el hombre que creó Zara. In March 2012, the book was published in the English language under the title 'The Man from Zara': The Story of the Genius Behind the Inditex Group.
The Big Moment:-In October 2015, Ortega's net worth climbed to more than $80 billion when Zara's parent company Inditex's stock peaked, and he briefly became the world's richest man, surpassing Microsoft founder Bill Gates, according to Forbes.
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Liliane Bettencourt
Early Life:-Liliane Bettencourt was born as Liliane Henriette Charlotte Schueller on 21 October 1922 in Paris, France. She was the only child of Louise Madeleine Berthe (née Doncieux) and Eugène Schueller. Her father was a chemist while her mother was a pianist. Her mother died when Liliane was just five years old and she formed a very close bond with her father.
Education:-Liliane was naturally inclined towards the cosmetic business and joined her father as an apprentice when she was 15 years old.After the death of her father, Liliane inherited L'Oreal wealth in 1957. The company went from private to public in 1963 but Bettencourt retained her position as the principle shareholder.
Awards & Achievement:-Liliane Bettencourt is the recipient of La Légion d'honneur, the highest civilian decoration of France.
Philanthropic:-Liliane Bettencourt, together with her husband and daughter founded the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation in 1987. Based in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, the foundation supports scientific education and research, humanitarian and social projects, and culture and arts. - Bettencourt Schueller Foundation sponsors prizes through which funds are disbursed to various recipients. It also helped to fund the new Monet wing at the Musée Marmottan Monet in order to raise awareness about French art.
The Rise of L’Oréal:-In 1909, Eugène Schueller, a young chemist with an entrepreneurial spirit, founded the company that was to become the L’Oréal group. It all began with one of the first hair dyes that he formulated, manufactured and sold to Parisian hairdressers. With this, the founder of the group forged the first link in what is still the DNA of L’Oréal: research and innovation in the service of beauty.
The Big Moment:-Forbes ranks Bettencourt at 7th in its list of the world's wealthiest persons with an estimated fortune of US$38.8 billion(as of 28 June 2016). As of 2016, she is the top female billionaires woman in the world, and is also the richest person in France.
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Jan Koum
Early Life:-Jan Koum was born on February 24, 1976, in Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union, to Jewish parents as their only child. He lived a simple life in a small town that was disrupted by the chaotic political environment and anti-Semitism in the country. His mother was a housewife and his father was a construction manager involved in building hospitals and schools.
Education:-Koum was not particularly fond of school but he got interested in computer programming. After schooling he got enrolled in San José State University is a comprehensive public university located in San Jose, California, United States. Early Career: Jan Started his career from Ernst & Young, where he worked as a security tester. In 1997, he met Brian Acton for the purpose of evaluating Yahoo!’s advertising system. For the next 10 years, Koum worked at Yahoo! before he quit in 2007.
Awards & Achievement:-Jan Koum and Brian Acton were the runners-up at the 8th Annual Crunchies Awards in 2015 in the category Founder of the Year.
Philanthropic:-Amount donated in 2014: $556-million.
- $1-million grant from his donor-advised fund late last year to the FreeBSD Foundation.
- $1-million grant from his donor-advised fund late last year to the FreeBSD Foundation.
The Rise of Whatsapp:-In 2009, On visiting one of the first App Stores to open, he realized the potential offered by the market for iPhone compatible applications. This gave him the idea for an application for low-cost convenient communication.Excited with the idea, he roped in Acton and the two men incorporated their new company—called WhatsApp Inc.— on Koum’s birthday, February 24, 2009. The duo launched the WhatsApp Messenger in early 2010.There were not many other instant messengers at that time, and gradually WhatsApp became popular with the users. The rising popularity of the app enabled the founders to acquire additional venture capital. The user base of WhatsApp grew steadily over the months and by February 2013, it had around 200 million active users. The rising popularity of WhatsApp grabbed the attention of the social media giant Facebook which acquired WhatsApp for US$ 19 billion in 2014. By 2016 WhatsApp became the most popular messaging application with a user base of one billion.
The Big Moment:-Koum cofounded Whatsapp, now the world's biggest mobile messaging service, in 2009. - Facebook bought the startup for $22 billion in cash and stock in 2014; Koum sits on Facebook's board. - In Oct. 2014, Koum donated $555 million of Facebook shares to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
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Giorgio Armani
Early Life:-Giorgio Armani was born as the middle child of Maria Raimondi and Ugo Armani on July 11, 1934, in the Italian town of Piacenza. His father was a shipping manager and he grew up in a humble background.Armani is a lifelong bachelor who was so busy with his career that he did not have time for women. He is very close to his siblings and their children. His sister, nieces and nephews work in his company.
Education:-He developed an interest in human anatomy from an early age and this motivated him to pursue a medical profession. After high school, he enrolled in the Department of Medicine at the University of Milan, but left after three years to join the army in 1953.
Awards & Achievement:-The Neiman Marcus Award was bestowed upon him for 'Distinguished Service in the Field of Fashion' in 1979. - He received the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award from Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) in 1987. - 2010 gq man of the year armani. - GQ Designer of The Year.- 2009 Bambi - Creativity.- 2000 David di Donatello Golden Plate. - 1996 GQ Man of the Year.- 1993 Aguja De Oro for Best Designer of the Year. - 1990 PETA 1983 CFDA International.- 1981 GQ Magazines Mens Style.
Philanthropic:-Giorgio Armani has supported the following charities listed on this site:
- 21st Century Leaders- American Foundation for AIDS Research
- Global Fund
- UNHCR
- UNICEF
- AIDS & HIV, Children, Health, Human Rights, Miscellaneous, Poverty, Refugees, Slavery & Human Trafficking, Women
- 21st Century Leaders- American Foundation for AIDS Research
- Global Fund
- UNHCR
- UNICEF
- AIDS & HIV, Children, Health, Human Rights, Miscellaneous, Poverty, Refugees, Slavery & Human Trafficking, Women
The rise of Armani:-IN 1970’s, Armani freelanced for a number of better known fashion houses like Allegri, Hilton, Gibo, etc. which ensured his designs reached a wider customer base. His success as a freelancer motivated him to create his own label. Along with his friend Galeotti, he formed the Giorgio Armani S.p.A in Milan in 1975. He presented a range of ready-to-wear collection for both men and women for Spring and Summer 1976 under his own name. In 1979, he founded the Giorgio Armani Corporation, the American branch of the Italian company, Giorgio Armani S.p.A, and introduced a new line of clothing, ‘Mani’, for men and women. He introduced several product lines under his Giorgio Armani brand: Le Collezioni, Underwear and Swimwear, and accessories. In the 1980’s, the company introduced Armani Junior, Armani Jeans, and Emporio Armani lines. The Emporio lines consisted of more youthful and stylish products at a more affordable price, targeted at the social middle-class population.
The Book:-The New Autobiography book offer glimpses into Armani's professional life interspersed with his insights into the fashion world, it also features never-before-seen images and mementos.
The Big Moment:-Giorgio Armani and Herrera Global signed an agreement in 2005 for Herrera Global to build and operate at least seven luxury hotels and three vacation resorts under the Giorgio Armani name. Giorgio Armani would be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the interior design and style of the hotels. The Armani Hotel was opened in Burj Khalifa on April 27, 2010
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Oprah Winfrey
Early Life:-Oprah Winfrey was born in Mississippi on January 29, 1954. Her mother Vernita Lee was an unwed teenage girl. Her father was a U.S. army private named Vernon Winfrey. Oprah's mother named her after a character in the Bible named 'Orpah' from the Book of Ruth. However, her name was misspelled 'Oprah' on the birth certificate and she has been called Oprah ever since.
Education:-After schooling she got herself enrolled in Tennessee State University in 1971 and began working in radio and television broadcasting in Nashville.
The Winfrey TV show:-In 1976, Oprah Winfrey moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where she hosted the TV chat show 'People Are Talking'. Winfrey launched the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1986 as a nationally syndicated program. With its placement on 120 channels and an audience of 10 million people, the show grossed $125 million by the end of its first year, of which Winfrey received $30 million. She soon gained ownership of the program from ABC, drawing it under the control of her new production company, Harpo Productions ('Oprah' spelled backwards) and making more and more money from syndication.
Awards & Achievement:-Her success led to nationwide fame and a role in Steven Spielberg's 1985 film The Color Purple, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. - In 2013, President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 1998: S. Roger Horchow Award for Greatest Public Service by a Private Citizen.
Philanthropic:-Winfrey visits evacuees from New Orleans temporarily sheltered at the Reliant center in Houston following Hurricane Katrina.- In 2004, Winfrey became the first black person to rank among the 50 most generous Americans.- By 2012, she had given away about $400 million to educational causes.- As of 2012, Winfrey had also given over 400 scholarships to Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.- In 2013, Winfrey donated $12 million to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The Big Moment:-In 1998, Winfrey created the Oprah's Angel Network, a charity that supported charitable projects and provided grants to nonprofit organizations around the world. Oprah's Angel Network raised more than $80,000,000 ($1 million of which was donated by Jon Bon Jovi). Winfrey personally covered all administrative costs associated with the charity, so 100% of all funds raised went to charity programs. In May 2010, with Oprah's show ending, the charity stopped accepting donations and was shut down.Winfrey personally gave $10 million to the cause.
The Book:-The Oprah Winfrey book club has become the most influential book clubs in the world. A recommendation from Oprah Winfrey frequently sends books to the top of the best-seller lists. Many commentators agree that Oprah Winfrey exerts enormous influence. Some estimated her support for Barack Obama helped him gain one million votes in the 2008 election.
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Tim Berners Lee
Early Life:-Tim Berners Lee was born on June 8, 1955, as Timothy Berners-Lee to Mary Lee Woods and Conway Berners-Lee. He has three siblings. Both his parents worked on the first commercially-built computer, the Ferranti Mark I and thus Tim was fascinated by computers from a young age. He met Jane while studying physics at Oxford and married her soon after graduation in 1976. This marriage, however, ended in a divorce. While working for CERN he became acquainted with Nancy, an American software engineer. They so fell in love and tied the knot in 1990. This marriage too ended after some years.Currently he is married to Rosemary Leith who he wed in June 2014.
Education:-He received his primary education from Sheen Mount Primary School before moving on to London's independent Emanuel School where he studied from 1969 to 1973. He enrolled at The Queen’s College of the University of Oxford in 1973 and graduated in 1976 with a first-class degree in physics.
The Rise of WWW:-His invention, the World Wide Web, is counted among the most significant inventions of the 20th century. The web revolutionized the world of information and technology and has opened up several new avenues.The Internet had been developed since the 1960s as a way to transfer information between different computers. However, Tim Berners-Lee sought to make use of internet nodes and combine it with hypertext and the idea of domains. Tim Berners-Lee later said that all the technology involved in the web had already been developed – ‘hypertext’, the internet; his contribution was to put them all together in one comprehensive package. In 1990, with the help of Robert Cailliau, he produced the first version of the World Wide Web, the first web browser and the first web server. It was put online in 1991. 'Info.cern.ch' was the address of the world’s first-ever web site and web server, running on a NeXT computer at CERN.
Awards & Achievement:-He was presented with The Software System Award from the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) in 1995. - He was named as one of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th century by the Time Magazine in 1999. - He was made the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the New Year Honours 'for services to the global development of the Internet' in 2004. - In 2013, he became one of five Internet and Web pioneers awarded the inaugural Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. - 2010: UNESCO Niels Bohr Gold Medal Award.
Current work:-Tim Berners-Lee at the Home Office, London, on 11 March 2010. - In June 2009, then-British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced Berners-Lee would work with the UK government to help make data more open and accessible on the Web, building on the work of the Power of Information Task Force. - Berners-Lee and Professor Nigel Shadbolt are the two key figures behind data.gov.uk, a UK government project to open up almost all data acquired for official purposes for free re-use.
The Big Moment:-The Web Foundation was established in 2009 by the inventor of the Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee. the foundation is helping to change the lives of over 2 billion people by connecting everyone, raising voices and enhancing participation through the open Web.
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Steve Jobs
Early Life:-Steve Jobs Born on February 24, 1955, Steve Jobs was the adopted son of Paul Reinhold and Clara Jobs. His biological parents were Abdulfattah ‘John’ Jandali and Joanne Carole Schieble, who could not raise Steve as their parents objected to their relationship.
He was blessed with a girl child, Lisa Brennan Jobs from his love partner Chrisann Brennan in 1978. He tied the knot with Laurene Powell on March 18, 1991. The couple was blessed with three children, a son Reed, and two daughters, Erin and Eve.
He was blessed with a girl child, Lisa Brennan Jobs from his love partner Chrisann Brennan in 1978. He tied the knot with Laurene Powell on March 18, 1991. The couple was blessed with three children, a son Reed, and two daughters, Erin and Eve.
Education:-Academically, after passing his high school in 1972, he enrolled at the Reed College but dropped out of the same in a time frame of six months to pursue creative classes, including a course on calligraphy.
The Rise of Apple:-Jobs and Wozniak attended meetings of the Homebrew Computer Club in 1975. In 1976, Wozniak invented the Apple I computer and showed it to Jobs, who suggested that they sell it. Jobs, Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne formed Apple Computer in the garage of Jobs's Los Altos home on Crist Drive. In 1977, Jobs and Wozniak introduced the Apple II at the West Coast Computer Faire. It was the first consumer product sold by Apple Computer and was one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, It was designed primarily by Steve Wozniak. Jobs oversaw the development of the Apple II's unusual case and Rod Holt developed the unique power supply.
Awards & Achievement:-2013: Posthumously inducted as a Disney Legend.
- 2012: Grammy Trustees Award, an award for those who have influenced the music industry in areas unrelated to performance.
- 2007: Jobs was inducted into the California Hall of Fame, located at The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts.
- 2007: Jobs was named the most powerful person in business by Fortune magazine.
- 1991: Howard Vollum Award by Reed College.
- 1989: Entrepreneur of the Decade by Inc. magazine.
- 1987: Jefferson Award for Public Service.
- 1985: National Medal of Technology (with Steve Wozniak).
- 2012: Grammy Trustees Award, an award for those who have influenced the music industry in areas unrelated to performance.
- 2007: Jobs was inducted into the California Hall of Fame, located at The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts.
- 2007: Jobs was named the most powerful person in business by Fortune magazine.
- 1991: Howard Vollum Award by Reed College.
- 1989: Entrepreneur of the Decade by Inc. magazine.
- 1987: Jefferson Award for Public Service.
- 1985: National Medal of Technology (with Steve Wozniak).
Death:-On October 5, 2011, Apple Inc. announced that its co-founder had passed away. After battling pancreatic cancer for nearly a decade, Steve Jobs died in Palo Alto. He was 56 years old.
The Book:-A number of books have been written on Jobs' life and career, including an authorized 2011 general biography by Walter Isaacson, a 2012 young adult biography by Karen Blumenthal, and yet another title, 2015's Becoming Steve Jobs by Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli. The Isaacson work was critiqued for the depiction of its main subject by Apple's chief executive Tim Cook, who succeeded Jobs.
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Richard Branson
Early Life:-Richard Branson was eldest child of barrister Edward James Branson and Eve Huntley Branson. His grandfather, Sir George Arthur Harwin Branson, was a judge of the High Court of Justice and a Privy Councillor.Richard Branson married Kristen Tomassi in 1972 and divorced her in 1979.
He married Joan Templeman in 1989 on Necker Island, one of the islands from British Virgin Islands, which he owns. He also owns land in Barbuda and Antigua. He has a son and a daughter.
He married Joan Templeman in 1989 on Necker Island, one of the islands from British Virgin Islands, which he owns. He also owns land in Barbuda and Antigua. He has a son and a daughter.
Education:-He studied at Scaitcliffe School and then attended Stowe School, until the age of 16. He was academically poor, but was able to connect with others around him. Eventually, he dropped out of school, realizing it was not where he wanted to be.
The Rise of Virgin:-At the age of 16, he started his record business from the crypt of a church and advertised the famous records in ‘The Student’, a magazine. The magazine became an instant success and he soon began trading records under the name, ‘Virgin’.
After the success of Virgin Records, he expanded his entrepreneurial efforts and began his own travel company, the Voyager Group in 1980.
The Virgin Group had financial problems in 1992 and was finally sold to THORN EMI for $1 billion. He was devastated but continued to stay in the music business.He started another record company called V2 in 1996, which still operates to date and has signed artists like Tom Jones and Powder Finger.
On September 25, 2004, he announced that he was going to start a new space tourism company called ‘Virgin Galactic’, with the aid of Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen and Burt Rutan.
After the success of Virgin Records, he expanded his entrepreneurial efforts and began his own travel company, the Voyager Group in 1980.
The Virgin Group had financial problems in 1992 and was finally sold to THORN EMI for $1 billion. He was devastated but continued to stay in the music business.He started another record company called V2 in 1996, which still operates to date and has signed artists like Tom Jones and Powder Finger.
On September 25, 2004, he announced that he was going to start a new space tourism company called ‘Virgin Galactic’, with the aid of Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen and Burt Rutan.
Awards & Achievement:-In 2011, he was awarded the ISTA Prize by the International Space Transport Association for his contributions pertaining to space transport systems.
- In 2012, he was ranked the 4th richest citizen of the United Kingdom in the list of billionaires by Forbes Magazines.
- In March 2000, Branson was knighted at Buckingham Palace for 'services to entrepreneurship'.
- 2002 he was named in the BBC's poll of the 100 Greatest Britons.- On 21 September 2014, Branson was recognized by The Sunday Times as the most admired business person over the last five decades.
- On 9 October 2014, Branson was named as the No. 1 LGBT ally by the OUTstanding organisation.
- On 29 October 2015, Branson was listed by UK-based company Richtopia at number 1 in the list of 100 Most Influential British Entrepreneurs.
- In October 2015, Branson received the International Crisis Group Chairman's Award at the United Nations Development Programme's In Pursuit of Peace Awards Dinner.
- In 2012, he was ranked the 4th richest citizen of the United Kingdom in the list of billionaires by Forbes Magazines.
- In March 2000, Branson was knighted at Buckingham Palace for 'services to entrepreneurship'.
- 2002 he was named in the BBC's poll of the 100 Greatest Britons.- On 21 September 2014, Branson was recognized by The Sunday Times as the most admired business person over the last five decades.
- On 9 October 2014, Branson was named as the No. 1 LGBT ally by the OUTstanding organisation.
- On 29 October 2015, Branson was listed by UK-based company Richtopia at number 1 in the list of 100 Most Influential British Entrepreneurs.
- In October 2015, Branson received the International Crisis Group Chairman's Award at the United Nations Development Programme's In Pursuit of Peace Awards Dinner.
LauncherOne:- In July 2012, he announced that he was going to launch an orbital space launch called LauncherOne.Four commercial customers have already contracted for launches and two companies are developing standardised satellite buses optimised to the design of LauncherOne, in expectation of business opportunities created by the new smallsat launcher.
The Book:- He is the author of ‘Losing my Virginity’, which is an autobiography that features his story from rags to riches. The book became an international success overnight and was adapted into a biopic by David Mirkin and Steven Paul.
