Top 10 Most Successful Entrepreneurs in the World
Introduction
- Entrepreneurship requires dedication of time and money back into the business.
- Successful entrepreneurs often start businesses to provide valuable services and improve lives, rather than solely for profit.
10. Vera Wang
- Background: Born in 1949, Manhattan, New York; privileged upbringing.
- Early Career: Figure skater; failed to make the Olympic team.
- Fashion Career:
- Degree in Art History.
- Worked at Vogue (Fashion Editor for 15 years).
- Design Director for Ralph Lauren.
- Entrepreneurial Journey:
- Opened bridal boutique due to a scarcity of unique bridal gowns.
- Famous clientele includes celebrities like Kate Hudson and Victoria Beckham.
- Wedding dress prices range from $7,500 to $23,000.
9. Mark Cuban
- Net Worth: $4.3 billion USD.
- Early Ventures: Sold garbage bags at 12; owned a bar in college.
- Business Successes:
- Founded MicroSolutions; sold for $6 million.
- Launched Audionet/Broadcast.com; sold for $13.5 million.
- Bought stake in Dallas Mavericks; became NBA champions.
- Investments: Active startup investor, featured on "Shark Tank."
8. Steve Jobs
- Co-Founder of Apple.
- Early Interests: Electronics; intern at Hewlett Packard.
- Apple Formation:
- Garage startup with Steve Wozniak.
- Apple II brought $200 million in two years.
- Other Ventures:
- Founded NeXT; sold to Apple.
- Pixar Animation Studios: created "Toy Story."
- Legacy: Rejoined Apple, leading to revolutionary products.
- Death: Resigned in 2011; passed away from cancer.
7. Sergey Brin
- Net Worth: $66 billion USD.
- Background: Born in Moscow, moved to the USA in 1979.
- Stanford University: Met Larry Page; developed PageRank.
- Google:
- Founded in 1998; became the world's leading search engine.
- Acquired YouTube for $1.6 billion in 2006.
- Stepped Down: From Google's parent company in December 2019.
6. Larry Ellison
- Net Worth: $72.9 billion USD.
- Background: Raised in Chicago; dropped out of the University of Illinois.
- Career:
- Developed computer skills; worked on IBM-compatible systems.
- Founded Oracle in 1977; experienced rapid growth.
- Wealth: Oracle's success led him to become one of the richest people.
5. Mark Zuckerberg
- Founder of Facebook.
- Early Interest: Programming; created software in high school.
- Facebook Creation:
- Started at Harvard; launched from his dorm.
- Rapid user growth; now over 2.4 billion active users.
- Net Worth: $96 billion USD.
4. Elon Musk
- Background: Born in South Africa; interested in programming.
- Early Ventures:
- Founded Zip2; sold for $307 million.
- Created XCOM, became PayPal; sold to eBay for $1.5 billion.
- SpaceX and Tesla:
- Founded SpaceX; first private spacecraft to space.
- Co-founder of Tesla, focusing on electric cars.
- Net Worth: $83.6 billion USD.
3. Bill Gates
- Founder of Microsoft.
- Background: Born in Seattle; passion for programming.
- Microsoft Genesis:
- Co-founded with Paul Allen; significant success with Windows.
- Wealth: $114 billion USD.
2. Jeff Bezos
- Founder of Amazon.com.
- Background: Born in 1964; worked at D.E. Shaw & Co.
- Creation of Amazon:
- Started in his garage; quickly grew in sales and product offerings.
- Net Worth: $190.6 billion USD.
1. John D. Rockefeller
- Revolutionized the oil industry.
- Background: Born in 1839; worked in a bookstore.
- Oil Industry:
- Dominated oil refining; Cleveland's largest refinery.
- Wealth: Estimated at $418 billion USD in 2019.
Explore more about these entrepreneurs in available business videos.