In today’s economic and technological climate, everybody wants to be an entrepreneur. Here are ten people who have risen to meteoric success, defining themselves as some of the most famous and influential entrepreneurs in the world today…
10 – Duncan Bannatyne
Duncan Bannatyne is a Scottish entrepreneur and author. His entrepreneurial skill extends across a range of industries from; hotels, health clubs and spas, media, TV, stage schools, property and transport. This entrepreneurial multiplicity is highlighted by his regular appearance on the BBC programme Dragon’s Den. Like many of our listed entrepreneurs, Bannatyne is an extensive philanthropist and has subsequently been appointed an OBE for his substantial charity endeavours and donations. Bannatyne has turned his entrepreneurial acumen into a series of educational business books. His works demonstrate how anyone can become a successful entrepreneur if they apply themselves. His books offer concise, and often blunt, advice on how to transform your life and obtain success as evident in their titles; Anyone Can Do It, Wake Up and Change Your Life, How to be Smart With Your Money, How to be Smart With Your Time, 43 Mistakes Businesses Make, 37 Questions Everyone in Business Needs to Answer, and Riding The Storm.
9- Larry Page
Larry Page is US computer scientists and Internet entrepreneurs who co-founded Google, the largest Internet search engine in the world. As of 2013 it is said that he is worth $20.3 billion. Together with our number 8, It is said that Page actually only owns approximately 8% of the company, makes you wonder who owns all the rest.
8 – Sergey Brin
The other half of the Google 2. Brin is estimated to be worth $24.4 billion and also owns just 8% of the company. But it seems that is more than enough as Google seems to be always innovating and growing as a company.
7 – Coco Chanel
Born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, Coco Chanel was a French fashion designer and founder of the Chanel brand. She is the only fashion designer listed on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. Chanel revolutionized female fashion trends; introducing a new sportive, casual chic as opposed to previous fashion conventions of corsets. Her creative insight extended to market jewellery, handbags, and fragrance and her signature scent, Chanel No. 5, has become an iconic worldwide product.
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6 – Bill Gates
As of November 2013, Bill Gates has a staggering estimated worth of $76.8 billion. Gates is the former chief executive and chairman of Microsoft, the world’s largest personal-computer software company, which he co-founded alongside Paul Allen. Gates is heralded as one of the best-known entrepreneurs of the personal computer revolution. Despite criticism for his anti-competitive business tactics, Gates has accrued massive personal wealth and business success and is frequently ranked as one of the wealthiest people in the world.
5 – Anita Roddick
Dame Anita Roddick was best known as the founder of The Body Shop, a cosmetics company which produces and retails natural beauty products. Roddick revolutionised ethical consumerism as her company was one of the first to prohibit the use of ingredients tested on animals and promote fair trade with third world countries. She turned her entrepreneurial acumen to activism and environmental and social campaigns, founding Children on the Edge in 1990; a charitable organization which helps disadvantaged children in Eastern Europe and Asia. This determination for charitable campaigning resulted in Roddick being appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2003.
4 – Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs will be remembered by many as an extremely successful and innovative entrepreneur, marketer and inventor. He was the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Apple Inc. He is heralded by many as a charismatic and groundbreaking entrepreneur and inventor, significantly revolutionizing the computer and consumer electronics fields. Jobs’ charismatic presentations have inspired generations of business figures such as Wilson Luna. Jobs also co-founded Pixar Animation Studios and became a member of the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company in 2006 when Disney acquired Pixar. His success originated from his diligence and impressive work ethic; devoting himself to projects and possessing astounding creative and technological insights.
3 – Richard Branson
Richard Branson is the owner of the Virgin Group; an organization which now holds over 200 companies in more than 30 countries. Branson’s entrepreneurial skill is evident within the company’s progression; he has expanded it to include a train company, luxury game preserve, mobile phone company and even a space-tourism company; Virgin Galactic. Branson’s entrepreneurial adventurous attitude has even extended to his personal achievements. He has broken world records; crossing both the Atlantic and the Pacific by hot air balloon in 1987 and 1991 respectively. Branson is a self-made man and an exorbitantly successful one at that, now estimated to be worth $2.5 billion with two private islands.
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2 – Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg is an immensely successful US computer programmer, renowned worldwide as one of the co-founders of the social networking website Facebook. Effective as of April 2013, Zuckerberg is the chairman and chief executive of Facebook, Inc and has an estimated worth of $27.9 billion. His entrepreneurial acumen was evident from a young age when he and fellow college roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes, launched Facebook from their Harvard dorm rooms. The group successfully introduced Facebook to other campuses across the US. At the age of merely 23, Zuckerberg became a billionaire due to the staggering worldwide success of Facebook.
1 – Donald Trump
As of September 2013, Donald Trump is worth an estimated $3.5 billion. In 1971 he was given control of his father’s real estate company and renamed it The Trump Organization. This success continued in 1980 when he opened the Grand Hyatt, making him one of Manhattan’s most well-known developers. He has enjoyed media success by starring in the hit NBC reality series The Apprentice as well as its equally successful spin-off The Celebrity Apprentice. In recent years, Trump has revealed ambitions of becoming a presidential candidate. In 2013, Trump spent over $1 million to research a possible run for president of the United States in 2016. Only time will tell the next venture of this Manhattan mogul.
