Jeff Bezos

Jeff Bezos

In 1994, Jeff Bezos was already what many would consider extremely successful. The youngest-ever senior vice president at Wall Street investment banker D.E. Shaw & Co., the 30-year-old Bezos was already making an estimated six-figure salary and was destined to rise even further in the company ranks. But Jeff had other plans. Fueled by a secret passion for the infant business of electronic retailing, Jeff dreamed of creating his own company in the vast, then virtually uncharted wilds of the World Wide Web.

Leon L. Bean

Leon L. Bean

Leon Leonwood Bean, known to his friends and loyal customers simply as “L.L.,” never intended to become a mail order giant. All he really wanted to do was keep his feet dry. But there were much bigger plans in his future.

Burton Baskin & Irvine Robbins

Burton Baskin & Irvine Robbins

Although Ben & Jerry may be famous for creating off-the-wall ice creams with names like Cherry Garcia, Wavy Gravy and Chunky Monkey, they weren’t the first to build a business whipping up exotic frozen treats.

Ian Ballantine

Ian Ballantine

The founder of both Bantam Books Inc. and Ballantine Books, Ian Ballantine has been called “the father of the mass-market paperback.” A literary visionary, unafraid to take chances on new writers, he has been credited with launching the careers of such bestselling authors as Arthur C. Clarke, Frederik Pohl and Tom Robbins.

Desi Arnaz & Lucille Ball

Desi Arnaz & Lucille Ball

When the creators of such mega-hits as “Friends,” “Seinfeld” and “ER” cash their hefty syndication residual checks, they should take a moment to pay homage to Desi Arnaz¬ and Lucille Ball—two of the savviest and most innovative entrepreneurs ever to grace the star-studded streets of Tinseltown.

Marc Andreessen

Marc Andreessen

To some, Netscape Communications co-founder Marc Andreessen is a cyberspace folk hero whose programming savvy made the vast resources of the Internet’s World Wide Web available to anyone with a computer and modem.

Mary Kay Ash

Mary Kay Ash

Innovative, charismatic and contagiously optimistic, perhaps no woman has played a more important role in the advancement of women entrepreneurs than Mary Kay Ash.

Henry Ford

Henry Ford

Henry Ford founded Ford Motor Co. in 1903 when “horseless carriages” were available only to a wealthy few. Ford’s innovative vision helped produce the first reliable, affordable “automobile for the masses,” and spark a modern industrial revolution.

Bill Gates

Bill Gates

The digital demagogue earned billions by anticipating the market's needs. Now, his philanthropic foundation is helping countless others across the globe