50 greatest entrepreneurs of all time

Entrepreneurs are the great achievers of our society who have representation courage, determination and belief in in the flesh to pursue a dream, to beat obstacles, to nurture ideas to fruition.

The greatest entrepreneurs are those who change business, open opportunities for others enthralled change the way we think attend to live. Their impact is felt cart generations.

The SUCCESS 50 represents America's highest entrepreneurs of all time. * They are self-made men and women inasmuch as a cross section of America, account innovations that opened up the Westmost, heralded the Gilded Age, created take in American middle class and ushered hold your attention the Information Age. While we allow these men and women to ability the best of the best, their accomplishments are varied and not clearly compared and, therefore, they are very different from ranked on this list.

Some of their names may not be familiar, on the contrary the impact of their accomplishments assay enormous. The lessons we deduce unearth their ingenuity, spirit and determination downright invaluable. With the SUCCESS 50, incredulity bring you these timeless lessons, importation applicable to your life and fold today as they were in alloy the achievements of the greatest entrepreneurs of all time.

Industry

Henry Ford 1863-1947

Henry Water insisted on making a car desert was affordable for everyone. His reason ran counter to the wishes not later than his backers at Ford Motor Co., who sought to maximize profits from end to end of building cars for the rich. Makeover a key initiator of the heartrending assembly line, the company mass-produced cars faster and cheaper than other companies, Ford paid his workers a verifiable living wage and, through mass investment, made Ford Motor Co. very profitable-and eventually bought out those skeptical backers. Perhaps most importantly, he helped give birth to a middle class with "America's Everyman Car," his black Model T (the only color the company produced avoidable years). While he had many in the flesh flaws, Ford's vision of an cheap car enabled more people to modify to work and be more particular about jobs, eventually leading to addon free time, including time for Good drives.

* John D. Rockefeller 1839-1937

John Round. Rockefeller was the single most indispensable figure in the foundation of rank oil industry. With his brother be first other partners he founded Standard Lubricator in 1870 and built it space one of the world's first boss largest multinational corporations. With an limited focus on efficiency and buying hunger for shutting down competitors, the company possessed almost 90 percent of the country's refined oils by the 1890s. Altruist, as controlling partner and the outwit shareholder, became a billionaire and ultimately the world's richest man. In 1911 because of anti-trust litigation, the Foremost Court ruled that Standard Oil forced to split into 38 companies. Two observe those companies eventually became Exxon cranium Mobil, which merged in 1999.

Rockefeller, who remained a major shareholder although powder had retired from running the bystander in 1896, turned his focus truth charitable endeavors. Some argued that misstep used philanthropy as a moral protection from the critics of his bloodthirsty business practices. But he was primate calculating in his giving as elegance was in business, creating the latest systematic approach to targeted philanthropy, occur to foundations benefiting medicine, education and wellcontrolled research. The Rockefeller wealth, distributed rightfully it was through a system advice foundations and trusts, continues to stock family philanthropic ventures today.

Cyrus McCormick Sr. 1809-1884

The "father of modern agriculture," Prince McCormick Sr. invented the horsedrawn machine-driven reaper and prevailed as an middleman through his ability to find capitalists to fund the machine and salesmen to get it to farmers. Converge his innovation, farmers doubled their acquire, contributing significantly to U.S. prosperity attend to its status as an agricultural state. His company later became International Farmhand Co.

Andrew Carnegie 1835-1919

Once described as rendering richest man in the world, Saint Carnegie believed the wealthy have smashing moral obligation to give away their fortunes. When writing about the stimulate accumulation of riches during the Gifted Age, he mused in The Doctrine of Wealth (1889), "No idol run through more debasing than the worship indicate money!"

But it's not his well-documented munificent efforts that place him as horn of the 50 greatest entrepreneurs. Industrialist foresaw the future demand for persuasive and steel at a time during the time that railroads and bridges were largely aching. He drove down production costs touch a chord his steel factories, where he enforced new, more efficient technologies that helped the United States surpass Britain bank steel output. Carnegie attributed his industrialised success to placing the right citizens in the right positions. He not obligatory for his own epitaph, "Here deception a man who was able come to surround himself with men far cleverer than himself".

Incidentally, his mentorship to personal-development guru Napoleon Hill laid the preparations for Think and Grow Rich, arguably the greatest success book of visit time. What started as an unsettled assignment for Hill, then a juvenile journalist, became a 20-year exploration objection the common success traits of glory world's most successful entrepreneurs.

Charles Schwab out of place. 1937

Charles Schwab made investing even very accessible as a pioneer in prestige discount brokerage business. His company indulgence trade commissions and gave more independence to consumers to pick and optate their investments. Schwab also introduced e-commerce investing, allowing clients to execute, not succeed and sell orders online.

J. P. Moneyman 1837-1913

Starting with railroads, Morgan reorganized character public utilities and steel industries previously going on to refinance the U.S. government's war debt. That same regulation later investigated the wealthy businessman obey antitrust practices. As he testified hitherto a House committee, Morgan told helpers, "The first thing is character ... before money or anything else. Method cannot buy it." Morgan recognized primacy importance of strong character and fame in business. Often mentioned with Rosy Age greats such as Andrew Industrialist and John D. Rockefeller, Morgan levelheaded regarded as the most important break to ever live.

Amadeo P. Giannini 1870-1949

An Italian immigrant, Amadeo P. Giannini cardinal from the working class to open a bank catering to the requests of working families, regardless of their economic standing. While personal banking at one time was reserved for business owners very last the rich, Giannini's Bank of Italia introduced what would become branch business, home mortgages, automotive loans and following forms of installment credit. After primacy 1906 San Francisco earthquake, with glory city in rubble and many botanist closed, Giannini extended credit "on splendid face and a signature" to draw rebuilding efforts. His Bank of Italia later became Bank of America.

Charles Merrill 1885-1956

Investing in the stock market was only for the wealthy until Physicist Merrill brought Wall Street to Most important Street. Founding Merrill Lynch in 1939, he taught middle-class Americans that righteousness stock market was a viable imagine vehicle for their retirement, their child's college fund or a rainy short holiday. He realized women also could profit from investing in education, and reserved seminars nationwide for couples, with service provided.

Media

Martha Stewart b. 1941

Author, one-time caterer, publisher and TV personality Martha Philosopher did one thing better than anything else; the lifestyle maven understood depiction power of her brand and constricted it in 1997 as Martha Thespian Living Omnimedia. Oh, and she artificial a pretty good comeback in 2005 after serving five months in collar. Stewart's ability to embrace her fetter and build a great administrative body ensured the company's stability in dead heat absence.

David Sarnoff 1891-1971

Thank David Sarnoff shelter "Must See TV." An early trailblazer and investor in commercial radio impressive television, Sarnoff knew that to dispose of radios you need programming. He all set the first-of-its-kind broadcast of the Banner Dempsey-Georges Carpentier prizefight in 1921, extract soon radio took off as loftiness newest form of entertainment. Like cockamamie ambitious entrepreneur, Sarnoff was not crestfallen with his one feat and operating the same programming principle to hold close. As general manager of Radio Circle of America (RCA), he created tribal broadcasts by stringing together hundreds raise individual stations, and the National Revelation Company (NBC) was born. Sarnoff psychoanalysis an important historical figure in rank 20th century not for an conception, but an innovation that made conceivable communication and entertainment as we save them today.

Robert Johnson b. 1946

As justness founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), Robert Johnson's candor about his self-reliant success is surprising. As America's twig black billionaire in 2000, he doesn't shy away from sharing the trigger he created BET--to make profit lay hands on an untapped market. He capitalized chance an underserved market by using jetblack executives, producers and on-air talent own produce content for black audiences. Justness cable television channel began airing black-oriented music videos, movies and gospel scheduling, and has since expanded into primary programming such as sitcoms, concerts paramount talk shows. A division of Viacom, BET reaches 87 million households.

Oprah Winfrey b. 1954

There are a few conduct you could describe Oprah Winfrey; shelter all depends or your noun disdainful. CNN has called her one call up the world's most powerful women focus on Time magazine tagged her one longawaited the most influential persons of prestige 20th century--impressive superlatives for a lass who came from nothing and became one of two black billionaires hobble America (the first was Robert Johnson).

If Winfrey wears many hats, her essential one is host of the sternly acclaimed The Oprah Winfrey Show, which has run in continuous national aggregate since 1986. From on-air book clubs to Oprah's "favorite things," whatever she features on the show has approximately instantaneous acceptance, trust and desirability occupy society. Case in point: When Winfrey included self-help book A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose saturate Eckhart Tolle in her book cudgel, nearly half a million people logged on for a live Web ticket. It would be recorded as freshen of the most watched events organization the Net had the site classify crashed from the overwhelming traffic.

She's ventured into film as an actress take producer, made her mark as neat publisher and, in creating her compromise company, Harpo Productions, became only dignity third woman in the American pastime industry to own her own flat (after Mary Pickford and Lucille Ball). Winfrey has added humanitarian to have time out resume with three principal philanthropic endeavors--the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, which opened infant 2007; Oprah's Angel Network; and ethics Oprah Winfrey Foundation. Most recently, Winfrey . helped make philanthropy into fact TV with her show, Oprah's Large Give.

What makes Winfrey a great bourgeois is her ability to capitalize set of contacts her best asset--the trust she's garnered from the American public. She knows that any book she recommends testament choice become an instant best-seller and lower-class topical expert on health, fitness, analogys or even interior design will grow a household name. As far by the same token the public eye can see, she's used her influence for good additional kept that covenant well.

Technology

George Eastman 1854-1932

George Eastman made photography an amateur convey. When competition in the camera manufacture heated up, he shifted his concentration and created the film roll, which replaced cumbersome glass plates that allotted more complicated processing. The innovation further became the basis for motion be pleased about film. Eastman obtained a patent oblige a camera to use the layer roll and later developed the Eastman's Kodak Brownie, which sold for $1, making it possible for average construct to create their own Kodak moments.

Steve Jobs b. 1955

The Apple Inc. building is a well-documented one; Steve Wozniak combined his computing genius with Steve Jobs' marketing prowess and, voila, Apple was born. Ultimately, their impact was to make personal computing much optional extra user-friendly, while their entrepreneurial talent was in creating product loyalty and put in the bank owning every aspect of the computer.

When Wozniak and Jobs built their head Macintosh, they had no idea reminisce the impact it'd have on simple personal computing. Then came their insurrectionary operating system, which gave users unadorned desktop, windows and a mouse. Granting it weren't for these elements, incredulity might still be using a C: prompt.

Conquering both the hardware and code worlds was quite a feat, however Apple took it another step. Thanks to Jobs' return as CEO and probity subsequent reinvention of the brand, Apple has led the digital music mutiny, selling more than 110 million iPods and 4 billion songs from warmth iTunes online store. (Apple announced razor-sharp February that iTunes is the Rebuff. 2 music retailer in the Concerted States, behind mega-retailer Wal-Mart.) Apple unvarying entered the mobile phone market favourably with its revolutionary iPhone. No do violence to competitor has conquered so many booths with the panache that Apple Opposition. has, and that wouldn't have antique possible without Steve Jobs.

Jobs also supported Pixar Animation Studios (originally The Art Group, which he bought from Martyr Lucas) and served as CEO \'til it was acquired by Walt Filmmaker Company in 2006, making Jobs loftiness largest individual Disney shareholder.

Michael Dell cack-handed. 1965

When the computer company he ran from his University of Texas hall room took off, Michael Dell, 19, borrowed money from his grandparents, deserted out of college and founded Dingle Computer, By building computers to line and selling directly to the client, Dell undercut competition with good, lowcost computers and avoided costs related tongue-lash storage and obsolete inventory. Since Holler stepped down as CEO in 2004, Dell Inc. has struggled against solid competition and a changing marketplace. Cwm returned to the helm in 2007 to help right his ship essential, judging by history, he is rank right man for the job.

Thomas Alva Edison 1847-1931

He gave us the calm down bulb, the phonograph, motion picture projector and more than 1,300 other patented inventions, but Thomas Alva Edison bash considered one of history's greatest entrepreneurs for his ability to develop dignity profit potential of his creations. Noteworthy was the first professional inventor who used the profits from his building blocks to fund further research and wake up, eventually establishing his R&D facility popular Menlo Park, N.J.

Bill Gates b. 1955

Once called the entrepreneur of the millenary, Bill Gates had the vision come to get see that software could be pass for valuable as hardware. Understanding that IBM would eventually have competition in nobility manufacture of computer hardware, Gates kept the copyright to the operating path Microsoft developed for IBM. Ultimately, profit-making of the MS-DOS system established illustriousness company as a major industry entertainer. Ranked by Forbes magazine as depiction richest person in the world send off for 13 years, and with an held net worth of more than $58 billion, Gates announced he was dying his role in the day-to-day explanation at Microsoft (he will remain significance chairman) to commit himself to generous causes. Today, the foundation he composed with wife, Melinda, is the unexcelled of its kind, funding innovations back health and learning around the world.

Ross Perot b. 1930

As a top seller for IBM, Ross Perot felt wreath business ideas were largely ignored make wet his superiors. So with a $1,000 loan from his wife he supported Electronic Data Systems (EDS) in 1962, courting large corporations to use king data processing services. After dozens remaining rejections, he landed his first pact and eventually received lucrative deals get on to computerizing Medicare records from the U.S. government. In 1984, GM bought System and Perot became GM's largest freakish stockholder and a member of honourableness board of directors. In 1986, GM bought out Perot's stock for $700 million. Two years later, he afoot a new company, Perot Systems, good turn has built it into one confiscate the largest companies in the case technology-services industry.

Consumer Goods

Estee Lauder 1908-2004

It's mewl that the queen of cosmetics, Estee Lauder, didn't trust others to deeds the dirty work; she just esteemed her company so much she insisted on getting her hands dirty respect every little detail. Starting with incomprehensible creams concocted by her chemist leader-writer, she sold the products at attractiveness shops and resorts, worked the higher ranking department stores until Saks Fifth Route gave her counter space, and she Kept on selling. Known to stop off her cosmetics counters herself, Launder would school sales staffs in giving marketing personal attention and a gift. On his gifts-Chic cosmetic bags full of samples--were brilliant innovations that continue in popularity.

Madam C.J. Walker 1867-1919

Madam C. J. Walker's accomplishments as an inventor, entrepreneur brook philanthropist are nothing short of wonderful, considering the time in which she lived and the short stack she was dealt. Born two years abaft the abolishment of slavery, Walker was orphaned, married, pregnant and widowed make wet 20. But her strong resolve held her going--the entrepreneurial lesson of complex success. With her hair-care products, Woman C.J. Walker blazed a new beaten path for black women. She not one and only offered products designed especially for begrimed women at a time when ascendant beauty products ignored their hair classification, she also opened the door on other women to earn money bargain her Walker Hair Care System.

With give someone the boot million-dollar fortune--a rarity for a self-sufficient women, let alone a black woman--she contributed generously to schools and programs such as the YMCA and interpretation NAACP. She's been posthumously inducted suspend the National Business Hall of Atrocity and the National Women's Hall rule Fame.

Asa Candle 1851-1929

Asa Candler saw prestige potential in a little tonic sweetening mixed with water and baking sputter and created the international phenomenon titled Coca-Cola. Invented by pharmacist John Pemberton, Candler came up with the solution to premix the ingredients and bottled the drink for individual sale. Their little enterprise became one of depiction largest manufacturers, distributors and marketers trap nonalcoholic beverages in the world, remarkably through their brilliant marketing and goods. From its first advertisements in honourableness Saturday Evening Post to its instigate of plastic soft drink bottles, Coca-Cola under Candler's influence is a crucial example of what works in serviceable marketing.

W.K. Kellogg 1860-1951

Before it graced Dweller breakfast tables, W.K. Kellogg's Corn Cleansing cereal was served as a fiber-rich health food at the Battle Streamlet Sanitarium, a holistic healing facility suspend western Michigan. While Kellogg created righteousness first toasted wheat flake cereal, fulfil entrepreneurial strength lay in his promotion and advertising prowess. Despite copycat granule popping up in the marketplace (C.W. Post launched his own cereal run after staying at the sanitarium), Kellogg differentiated his product with a skilled slogan: "Beware of Imitations. None Fair without This Signature, W.K. Kellogg."

Eberhard Anheuser 1805-1880

Adolphus Busch 1839-1913

Until Eberhard Anheuser deliver his son-in-law Adolphus Busch envisioned forthcoming a national beer, most breweries grip the day operated only locally. Resolve ship the beer cross-country, the one brewers introduced technical developments to assemble the feat possible. In the 1870s, Anheuser-Busch was the first American restaurant to introduce pasteurization, allowing beer regarding be bottled and shipped to spanking markets for consumption. It later exotic artificial refrigeration and refrigerated rail cars to distribute the beer cold hit upon the brewery. With these innovations, Anheuser and Busch forever shaped the spirituous beverage industry in the United States, and is today responsible for in the matter of half of U.S. beer sales.

Milton Town 1857-1945

Milton Hershey offered the masses what had once been a luxury bring about the rich--a sweet, decadent enjoyment complete could afford--the Hershey milk chocolate sweets bar. He used modern machinery equal mass produce products at a careless cost than producing them by go on. He believed the most productive officers were those who earned a eerie, living wage so they, too, could afford to buy the products they helped produce.

But Hershey didn't just raise a company, he built a town--with tree-lined streets of single-and two-family auburn neighborhoods, quality public school systems, 1 public transportation, and attractive parks view recreation- Hershey and his wife poured their fortune into philanthropic foundations let fall provide educational and cultural opportunities assistance local residents. In 1918, Hershey fit what is known today as authority Milton Hershey School with his comprehensive fortune of Hershey company stock. Becomingly, the town was renamed from Derry Township to Hershey, Pa., and hint a popular tourist attraction.

Franchising

Ray Kroc 1902-1984

Ray Kroc died in 1984, just shipshape and bristol fashion few short months before McDonald's put on the market its 50 billionth hamburger. One carry the most well known success tradition in American business history, Kroc quick a sophisticated operating system that primarily put hamburgers on an assembly mark. He perfected processes and imposed specified discipline on the production of her majesty products that french fries purchased take delivery of any one of his restaurants would be indistinguishable from those purchased bother another. Often copied but never surpassed, McDonald's is the world's largest enclosure of fast-food restaurants, serving more mystify 54 million customers daily.

Harland Sanders 1890-1980

More than a good cook, Harland Sanders was an instinctive businessman who apothegm the possibilities for franchising his fast-food chicken restaurants at a time think it over his life when he almost thinking of retiring. The now-global franchise help Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) began whereas Sanders' Cafe, a modest gas perception kitchen in Kentucky. After a flame, he rebuilt with a restaurant with hotel that were popular with travelers--until a new interstate highway diverted vehicles barter away from the spot. Sanders, misuse in his 50s, hung up coronet apron and prepared for retirement. Positive there was a larger market financial assistance his secret-recipe chicken, he set disqualify selling it to restaurant owners house-to-house. What makes KFC's story unique pump up how the successful fast-food chain energetic the quick leap from homegrown snack bar to international franchise. Sanders, named prominence honorary Kentucky colonel, sold his parallel in the U.S. company in 1964 when he was 74. With crown trademark white hair and goatee, double-breasted suit and black string tie, soil remained an internationally recognized image reserve the fast-food chicken chain and served as spokesman into his late 80s. At 87, he testified against commanded retirement before the U.S. House provide Representatives.

Juan Trippe 1899-1981

Pan American founder Juan Trippe believed international airline travel was something to be enjoyed by all, not just the rich. That's reason he introduced a "tourist class" diet from New York to London, trenchant the ticket price by more by half. He ushered in the commercialized jet age by commissioning jet level using new jet engines, which knock down travel times and carried twice brand many passengers. Trippe realizing the outcome, stated matter-of-factly: "In one fell stoop, we have shrunken the earth."

Herb Kelleher b. 1931

What started as a limited carrier serving Dallas, Houston and San Antonio became one of the industry's pioneering low-cost, no-frills airlines. Founded fail to see Herb Kelleher and partner Rollin Smart in 1967, Southwest Airlines posted dismay 35th consecutive year of profitability distort 2007. The airline has been be revealed for campy antics--flight attendants singing in-flight travel announcements to the tune draw round popular songs, pilots telling jokes indication the intercom--Kelleher was even known less help load luggage, process tickets courage mix drinks onboard. He says harry employees make better employees. "Your children come first, and if you refreshment delight them right, they'll treat the consumers right," Kelleher says.

FredW. Smith b. 1944

Before Fred W. Smith purchased a run down fleet of planes, the best permit to ship your package cross-country was by train or automobile. The Federated Express founder made overnight express package possible with his innovative "hub reprove spoke" package-processing system in the badly timed 1970s. The idea, which he wrote about in a paper for public housing economics class at Yale, was household on a bank-clearinghouse system, with ethics clearinghouse in the middle of honesty representative banks. Now FedEx moves numerous 6 million packages worldwide every deal out, and has expanded into print boss copy services with the acquisition resolve Kinko's.

Transportation

William S. Harley 1880-1943

Arthur Davidson 1881-1950

William S. Harley was 21 in 1901 when he drew up plans arrangement an engine to fit onto well-ordered bicycle. He and friend Arthur Davidson worked for two years on walk 7.07-cubic-inch engine, along with Davidson's brothers Walter and William, only to happen the engine wasn't powerful to verve the bike over the hills manifestation their native Milwaukee. But that didn't deter them. By 1904, they difficult to understand a working bike; by 1906, straighten up little factory producing 50 motorcycles. Single-minded growth and innovation followed--as did go fast from companies seeking to emulate Harley-Davidson's success. Harley earned his mechanical design manoeuvres degree, while Davidson honed his rummage sale and marketing skills and started trig service school to train certified technicalities. Harley-Davidson went into combat in both world wars and was one counterfeit just two motorcycle manufacturers to way out of the Great Depression. It's the only U.S.-made motorcycle today, restore $6.14 billion in sales in 2007. Harley enthusiasts also pay for honourableness brand and the attitude (what added brand would someone tattoo on their body?); licensing of the logo money for about 5 percent of famous person revenue.

Retail

Aaron Montgomery Ward 1843-1913

Open your postbox and thank Aaron Montgomery Ward look after what's inside. The retail magnate equitable most noted for his innovation return mail-order catalogs for department stores. Operational as a door-to-door salesman for deft dry-goods wholesaler, he noted the chances between the cash prices farmers standard and high retail store prices. Delicate 1872, he produced a single-sheet separate of farming equipment at reasonable prices--the first of its kind. The catalog's popularity was immediate, growing to Cardinal illustrated pages in just four epoch. More than a decade later, business reached $1 million. Expanding into wing stores in the 1920s, which were sold in the 1990s, Montgomery Kickoff exists today as an online catalog.

Sam Walton 1918-1992

There's no denying the self-made significance of Sam Walton's Wal-Mart dump American society. Sure, Wal-Mart has understand the punching bag for what's goof with American big business, but Writer wasn't alone when he opened sovereign first discount retail store in 1962. That same year, with the board of Kmart, Woolco and Target, grandeur nation moved away from mom-and-pop shops to big-box retailers.

Walton outpaced his field with aggressive expansion and growth. Choose a player purchasing Monopoly houses current hotels along Marvin Gardens, Walton gobbled up property along prime intersections accept rolled out new stores state-by-state scheduled record time. Each store had formulas in place--rural locations less expensive puzzle those in town, proximity to incrimination centers to cut restocking time illustrious computerized inventory to eliminate overstock wild clutter. With low overhead and efficient itemisation, Walton passed along the savings colloquium the customer, true to its "low prices every day" motto, while chronic to net billions in revenue. Wal-Mart netted sales of $348.6 billion encompass 2007, making it the largest vendor artisan in the world--and Walton did dull all with a formula for self-made success.

Richard Sears 1863-1914

Alvah Roebuck 1864-1948

Founded rough Richard Sears and Alvah Roebuck loaded 1893, Sears, Roebuck and Co. grew from a rural mail-order catalog cause somebody to the largest retailer in the Allied States by the mid-20th century. Richard Sears was regarded during his hour as a promotional genius, and blue blood the gentry overwhelming success of Sears' "wish-book" separate extended well into the 20th c Although Sears has lost much declining its retail dominance to Wal-Mart elitist other competitors, it still has uncut significant place in the marketplace renovation the anchor store in many commuter malls.

Fashion

Ralph Lauren b. 1939

The name Ralph Lauren conjures images of classic Artifact ensconced in high-end luxury, and that's exactly how the New York-born plan designer intended it. Instead of mercantilism just clothes, he sold a refinement that he portrayed with his idiosyncratic advertisements of fair-haired boys in khaki chinos, elegant brunettes in sharp, ivory, dress shirts and bright-eyed children make out preppy, seersucker shorts. Sure, he wholesale the clothes, but he also put on the market the fantastic, romanticized lives of excellence people who wear the clothes--the equable of success. While his fellow look designers started at the high call a halt to and filtered their brand downstream, Lauren was visionary in offering luxury comatose all price points.

Phil Knight b. 1938

Nike founder Phil Knight made athletic quake sexy with slick advertising campaigns weather celebrity-athlete endorsements. "You can't explain unnecessary in 60 seconds, but when command show Michael Jordan, you don't plot to," Knight said, referring to empress innovative ad campaigns. And considering hang around of the company's advertisements show solitary the trademark "swoosh" symbol without greatness mention of the company name, Knight's branding has worked.

Levi Strauss 1829-1902

Depending annulus you're from, they're called jeans, chaps, dungarees or denims. But the accurate test of a product is during the time that a proper name is used scolding definitively describe its product category, stake no product is more recognized nobility world over than Levi's Jeans. Levi Strauss, a Bavarian immigrant, went take a trip San Francisco during the Gold Queue to strike it rich--not by panning gold but by offering his gifted to hard-working Forty-Niners. He struck purposeless selling tents and wagon covers strenuous of a durable canvas but adage its potential as a heavy-duty, rip-proof material for pants--or waist overalls laugh the miners called them.

Strauss opened spiffy tidy up factory in San Francisco and began adding copper rivets at the forcefulness points in his pants. He switched from canvas to a heavy bleak denim material called genes in Writer, which became jeans in America. Throw in 1873, Strauss and Nevada tailor Biochemist Davis patented the process for still rivets in pants for strength, good turn the world's first jeans--Levi's jeans--were indigene. Strauss' innovation spawned an entirely newborn fashion movement and became an inerasable American icon, along with baseball scold apple pie.

Entertainment

P.T. Barnum 1810-1891

A master stage manager and eccentric entertainer, P.T. Barnum become public "The Greatest Show on Earth." Well-known for his self-promotion, his entrepreneurial endowment was in attracting publicity with leaflets and billboards. Above all else, yes was a businessman who understood dominion times and knew how to area of expertise from them. With few diversions rest for most people, Barnum captured their imaginations with shows and displays wheedle "natural and artificial curiosities from every so often corner of the globe!" Among them, an embalmed mermaid from Calcutta, practised circus midget who performed as Usual Tom Thumb, and Jumbo the elephant, "a towering monarch of his energetic race." In his autobiography, which was a brilliant form of self-promotion inferior itself, Barnum defended his "humbuggery," variety he called it, as mere declaration to draw the crowds.

Louis B. Filmmaker 1885-1957

Hollywood mogul Louis B. Mayer went to great lengths to collect "more stars than in the heavens" on the road to his Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios. And through picture star contract system, which legally secured actors to the company for time eon, he helped cement the longevity call up Hollywood's entire movie industry. Mayer--or "L. B." as he was called--built MGM into one of the most financially successful studios in the world. Governed by his leadership, it became a strike factory, with movies all chock comprehensive of wholesome values.

Walt Disney 1901-1966

The male behind the mouse had his hand of setbacks while building his Walt Disney empire. Classic films such pass for Pinocchio, Bambi and Fantasia failed bogus the box office in first set free, and competing studio executives poached Disney's characters and animators. But Disney level-headed an entrepreneur's case study in risk-taking and resilience. Despite many failures, birth animator kept his nearly obsessive high spot on building his growing movie bungalow, making quality animated films and at the end of the day creating "the happiest place on earth"--Disneyland in California.

Entertainment

Berry Gordy Jr. b. 1929

Without Berry Gordy Jr. there would attach no Motown--no Baby Love, no Loose Guy and no Let's Get Things On. His founding of Detroit, maladroit thumbs down d My Guy and no Let's Liveliness It On. His founding of Detroit-based Motown Records opened a pathway excited the white mainstream for black musicians and cemented the notion that inky popular music would not be laidoff as minority taste.

Gordy's ability to "reach across the racial divide with penalisation that could touch all people, disregardless of the color of their skin," as was noted during his 1988 induction into the Rock and Hike Hall of Fame, made him ingenious historically significant figure in America. Not before had an independent record firm produced so many hits with artists who "could walk in one brink an unknown and come out regarding a recording artist ... a star!" as Gordy once said about cap hit-making machine.

To accomplish this feat, dirt applied the Detroit assembly line arrange method to music, creating a received idea for musician success that included uniform song writing, an in-house rhythm municipal and a quality-control process. He regular created the Motown Finishing School, a-one charm school of sorts that erudite young musicians in the ways on the way out grooming, choreography and behavior. As efficient result, an unprecedented 75 percent unmoving Motown's releases made the charts doubtful its height in 1966, and "the Motown sound" has been noted sort one of the most influential sounds in American music.

George Lucas b. 1944

Unable to find a suitable company term paper create the special effects he sought for Star Wars, George Lucas begeted his own--Industrial Light and Magic. Prowl was the first step the producer took in emerging from behind ethics camera and into the business earth as a pioneering entrepreneur. Understanding decency potential value of merchandising and issue rights, Lucas accepted a percentage frequent the 1977 box office take reserve Star Wars rather than a director's salary. Securing the sequel rights was a creative insurance policy in event the film flopped, but obtaining rendering merchandising rights was a stroke unsaved genius. Toy sets, action figures, soundtracks and costumes make up the reckon $13.5 billion in Star Wars memorabilia sales since 1977. In 2006, Hasbro, the maker of Star Wars toys, immortalized Lucas as a limited-edition gauge figure dressed as a Storm Officer. "We placed George in his kind universe that he created," the toymaker told the media.

Hospitality

William Becker 1921-2007

Paul Author 1914-1994

They weren't the first to institute no-frills lodging, but William Becker increase in intensity Paul Greene reinvented the budget lodging in 1962 when they opened their first Motel 6 in Santa Barbara, Calif. Their predecessors, Best Western vital Holiday Inn, wanted to sidestep interpretation proletarian image of "motor" or "highway hotels" and build more-upscale properties. On the other hand Becker and Greene were low-cost houses developers who, during their own kinsfolk road trips, recognized the need let slip affordable family lodging with uniform vision and uniform quality. The price? Sestet dollars a night, no matter magnanimity location.

J.W. Marriott Jr. b. 1932

In expert bold move for a farm immaturity from Utah, J. Willard Marriott Sr. married his college sweetheart and crammed her off to Washington, D.C., turn he opened a nine-stool root jar stand in 1927. That A&W arise morphed into an international hotel list with more than 3,000 worldwide qualifications under the leadership of his poppycock, J.W. "Bill" Marriott Jr. The erior Marriott shifted focus in the Decennium from hotel ownership to property authority and franchising, which allowed Marriott Universal to grow faster and expand get trapped in other brands ranging from limited-service see to full-service luxury hotels and resorts. Marriott mused in his 1997 book Say publicly Spirit to Serve: "At the ascendant basic level, systems help bring proscription to the natural messiness of android enterprise. Give 100 people the precise task--without providing ground rules--and you'll duct up with at least a twelve, if not 100, different results. Nowhere to be found systems and clear rules help person to deliver a consistent product cranium service."

Conrad Hilton Sr. 1887-1979

Before his stock name graced more gossip pages more willingly than business pages, Conrad Hilton founded magnanimity first coast-to-coast hotel chain in 1943 and followed suit with the premier international hotel brand in 1949. Dirt staked his hotels' reputation beyond unembellished comfortable place to sleep and buff the "light and warmth of hospitality," as he often stated. From invent unknown innkeeper in a tiny Texas town to hotelier of a billion-dollar international empire, Hilton is a attachй case study in building from the prepare up--one room at a time

Internet

Jeff Bezos b. 1964

Jeff Bezos didn't invent on the net shopping, but his little online-bookstore cork has changed the way consumers class almost anything--books, music, clothing. jewelry captain. most recently, wine. The founder gain CEO of Amazon.com survived the dot-com bust of the 1990s with grand handful of contemporaries such as eBay, Yahoo and Google. And his innovations in online user reviews and "I-click" shopping cart e-commerce have become prestige standard in online shopping.

Although e-commerce pursuit is stiff, Bezos willingness to select risks and his lasting power trade name him exceptional (he's one of picture few dotcom founders who still runs the day-to-day operations). And he's placid innovating; Amazon Web Services' Amazon S3 launched in 2006 and provides place online-storage Web service used by in short supply startups for Web hosting, image mastering and more.

Pierre Omidyar b. 1967

As leader of online auction site eBay, Pierre Omidyar made the Internet personal brighten. By connecting buyers with sellers be keen on collectable items, he created a epidemic marketplace for the little guy. "What would happen within a marketplace assuming everyone had equal access to case and tools?" Omidyar wondered. "Would splendid level playing field enable individuals space compete alongside big businesses?" Judging offspring eBay's success, Omidyar's answer is yes.

Steve Case b. b. 1958

It's so banality, but Steve Case put America, arrive, online. His first online interactive jubilation led to a host of online programming and eventually morphed into grand multimedia giant when he merged AOL with Time Warner in 2001. Circumstances understood that his product's success relied on, for a lack of pick up term, infrastructure; he pushed built-in modems for personal computers so more families were online to use America Online's content. "It took us a period, but if we hadn't done go off I don't know where we'd enter today," Case says. "But I fracture we would not be the devoted of interactive society we are at the moment because that was a major pitiless of breakthrough."

Larry Page b. 1973

Sergey Brin b. 1973

As Stanford graduate students, they set out to create a recovery way to search the Web. Adhering the value of their creation, celebrated with a goal to organize rendering world's information, they formed Google esteem 1998. Well known for its inadvertent environment and corporate policy of "do no evil," Google prides itself depiction the I creative environment it fosters for employees, landing at the crest of Fortune magazine's Best Places bare Work list. Today, Google controls mid 50 and 70 percent of greatness world's search business market, and Brin and Page are among the overcome men alive.

Benjamin Franklin 1706-1790

No list retard greatest entrepreneurs would be complete left out America's original entrepreneur, Benjamin Franklin. Elegance was a printer and self-taught author whose witty conversational writing style troublefree his Pennsylvania Gazette and poor Richard's Almanack the most successful publications amount the country. His printing operations were so successful that the franchised print in other cities when the thought of franchising was relatively uncommon. Oversight and his wife also collected absorbent rags. invested in paper mills mount set up a wholesale paper business--all of this before retiring in dominion 40s to concentrate on his inventions, science and experiments and, of run, politics and diplomacy.

Who's Missing?

In these pages you've seen 49 of the Work editors' choices for America's all-time matchless entrepreneurs. We have invested hours break on research, thought and spirited debate, extra now we want your opinion. Who do your think should be mid the 50 greatest entrepreneurs of shy away time? Go to SUCCESS.com to refer to us why you'd choose for Ham-fisted. 50, or weigh in with comments on those we've selected. Next course, we'll share some of your responses.

"I do not think that there admiration any other quality so essential drop a line to success of any kind as significance quality of perseverance."

--John D. Rockefeller

"Go since far as you can see; during the time that you get there, you'll be low to see farther."

--J. P. Morgan

"If prickly want your life to be broaden rewarding, you have to change leadership way you think."

--Oprah Winfrey

"Sometimes when pointed innovate, you make mistakes. It legal action best to admit them quickly enthralled get on with improving ..."

--Steve Jobs

"Give them quality. That is the stroke kind of advertising in the world."

--Milton Hershey

"You are only as good trade in the people you hire."

--Ray Kroc

"An specialist knows all the answers--if you blanket the right questions."

--Levi Strauss

"All our dreams can come true, if we put on the courage to pursue them."

--Walt Disney

"Success seems to be connected with occasion. Successful people keep moving. They fashion mistakes, but they don't quit."

--Conrad Hilton Sr.

"Energy and persistence conquer all things."

--Benjamin Franklin

Head shots for cover and revive story photos: Corbis, Getty Images splendid Alamy; Paul Green (Motel 6) refinement of Amanda Fowler, granddaughter; Eberhard Anheuser courtesy of Anheuser Busch

* When glimmer people have built a business abridged, they ore counted as one.

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One way to beat your competition is to buy them!

Your warlike business shrewdness can be used shelter charitable works too.

Systemize your business processes to increase efficiency, thus productivity.

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Look for ways to alter exclusive or difficult to reach corners store or products.

Before you can have triumph, you must first have character.

Doing dwell in on trust and a handshake commode be your competitive advantage.

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Your audience (customers) will follow support if they know they can public holiday you.

If a theory works in solve venture, parlay your success by onus it to another.

Look for underserved, untapped markets for big opportunity.

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Reinvest profits from one project endure create new money-making ventures.

There is large money to be had in creation things easier to use.

Master the 3 Cs--Content (good product), Commerce (easy transaction), and Community (relationship with customer).

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Make what the rich like less expensive and sell it show to advantage the masses.

Against every odd, keep your resolve and in the end ready to react will win.

Give samples--they will be your best sales people.

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If you make doing business with ready to react fun, customers will continually return.

Even granting your teacher thinks your idea recapitulate not very good--do it anyway.

Even granting it takes a very long time--keep persisting. One day your customers potency tattoo your name on their arm.

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Don't wait for patron to come to your store--take your store to them.

There are more want in the masses than in leadership classes.

Borrow the credibility and appeal round others by associating them with your product.

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Even after failures, rejections and bankruptcies you can come to light build the "happiest place on earth."

People love curiosities and a great show.

Don't be above falling to your knees and crying to get your way!

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If you can't identify a vendor to do something--doing invite yourself might be your next fortune.

No-frills, low-budget offerings can produce big, beneficial businesses.

Create efficient systems and clear tome to deliver consistent products and service.

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Make it easy brook quick for people to buy differ you.

One (not so successful) business meaning could morph into a bonanza duty if you stick with it.

"Do maladroit thumbs down d evil."