For some businesspeople, their work not only makes them rich but can and has changed the world. Whether through technology, innovation, or investment, some businesspeople are so famous they have become household names. As these names are so well known, there shouldn’t be any surprises, but there should be more of a question about who might have been left off this list.
14. Martha Stewart
- Founder: Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc.
Even though Martha Stewart served a prison stint, she’s still one of the best-known businesspeople in the world. Since her time in prison, Stewart has come back bigger and stronger.
13. Sam Walton
- Founder: Walmart
While Sam Walton is no longer alive, his work changed retail forever. As the founder of Walmart, Walton introduced a one-stop shop for everything you need.
12. Larry Page
- Founder: Co-founder Google
When Larry Page and Sergey Brin co-founded Google in 1996, they were just two Stanford students. Today, Google is one of the world’s most prominent companies.
11. Sergey Brin
- Founder: Co-founder Google
Along with Larry Page, Sergey Brin co-founded Google and changed how the world uses the Internet through Google search and later through Chrome.
10. Larry Ellison
- Founder: Co-founder Oracle Corporation
While Larry Ellison isn’t as well known as some of the other contemporaries on this list, he’s still a name you’ve likely heard at least once. Oracle is now the largest database management company in the world.
9. Richard Branson
- Founder: Virgin Group
As the founder of Virgin Group, Richard Branson lives a lifestyle others dream about. Between Virgin Records and Virgin Atlantic Airways, Branson has his own island.
8. Michael Dell
- Founder: Dell computers
At one point in your life, there is a better-than-good chance you have owned a Dell computer after Michael Dell started the company in his dorm room.
7. Mark Zuckerberg
- Founder: Facebook
Mark Zuckerberg, who essentially initiated the social media revolution with Facebook, changed how we interacted on the internet forever.
6. Warren Buffet
- Founder: Berkshire Hathaway
The “Oracle of Omaha” is well-known in business for his shrewd market decisions. Buffet is a market mover, and his frugal lifestyle has endeared him to the public eye.
5. Oprah Winfrey
- Founder: Oprah Winfrey Show, Oprah Winfrey Network
A one-time media mogul, Oprah parlayed her daytime talk show success into an empire as a true rags-to-riches American success story.
4. Jeff Bezos
- Founder: Co-founder Amazon
The co-founder of Amazon is a household name these days. As Amazon is the number one shopping site in the world, Jeff Bezos is everywhere, and his website led to a retail revolution.
3. Elon Musk
- Founder: Co-founder SpaceX, PayPal, Tesla
The world’s most prominent businessperson today, Elon Musk, is known not just for his drive for electric cars but also for putting people into space and for co-founding PayPal.
2. Steve Jobs
- Founder: Co-founder of Apple
As the co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs is undoubtedly one of the most famous businesspeople ever. His keynote addresses and obsession with design led Apple to become the world’s most valuable company.
1. Bill Gates
- Founder: Co-founder Microsoft
Bill Gates, one of the world’s wealthiest people, has long been a household name. Ever since Gates co-founded Microsoft in 1975, he has changed how we work and live.
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