Ready To StartupList RulesUpvote your picks for the most important and inspirational CEOs in the history of business.
As business leaders, historical captains of industry and current CEOs inspire generations of entrepreneurs. They shape the commerce worlds of their day and beyond, influence political destinies - and make beaucoup bucks in the process. What does a CEO do, exactly? As a titan of the industrial revolution, Henry Ford perfected the assembly line to produce more affordable cars. Walt Disney brought "imagineering" to Hollywood with Disney animation studios, and later Disneyland and Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Many contemporary "celebrity CEOs," aka famous CEOs, work out of Silicon Valley. Case in point: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who spun a social media and communications revolution from his Harvard dorm room to the halls of Congress.
While the leaders on this list are notable in their fields, not all fit the formal CEO definition in their time. What does CEO stand for? By strict standards, the CEO meaning is 'chief executive officer,' a relatively modern term that came into common parlance in the 1970s. Before then, company heads were more often referred to as 'Chairman' or 'President.' Some companies retroactively refer to their founders and figureheads as CEOs, while others do not.
For the purposes of this list, a person's stewardship and iconography are more important to consider when voting, rather than the formal title held during their tenure. Now that you know what a CEO is, share your opinions on the greatest CEOS of all time.
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303116Steve Jobs
Apple Inc., PixarAge: Dec. at 56 (1955-2011)
Birthplace: California, United States of America
Steven Paul Jobs (; February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American business magnate,... more2
25391Bill Gates
Cascade Investment, Microsoft CorporationAge: 64
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, United States of America
William Henry Gates III (born October 28, 1955) is an American business magnate, investor,... more3
21676Henry Ford
Henry Ford Company, James F. Flower & BrosAge: Dec. at 84 (1863-1947)
Birthplace: Greenfield Township, Wayne County, Michigan
Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist and a business... more4
17158Warren Buffett
Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett Partnership Ltd.Age: 90
Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
Warren Edward Buffett (born August 30, 1930) is an American business magnate, investor,... more5
17160Walt Disney
Laugh-O-Gram Studio, Walt Disney Animation StudiosAge: Dec. at 65 (1901-1966)
Birthplace: Hermosa, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901 – December 15, 1966) was an American entrepreneur,... more6
15053John D. Rockefeller
Standard Oil, Exxon MobilAge: Dec. at 98 (1839-1937)
Birthplace: Richford, New York
John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American business magnate... more7
13548Sam Walton
Walmart, J. C. PenneyAge: Dec. at 74 (1918-1992)
Birthplace: Kingfisher, Oklahoma
Samuel Moore Walton (March 29, 1918 – April 5, 1992) was an American businessman and... more8
223114Elon Musk
SolarCity, Tesla MotorsAge: 49
Birthplace: Pretoria, South Africa
Elon Reeve Musk (; born June 28, 1971) is a technology entrepreneur, investor, and engineer.... more9
14271Jeff Bezos
D. E. Shaw & Co., KosmixAge: 56
Birthplace: Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
Jeffrey Preston Bezos (; né Jorgensen; January 12, 1964) is an American technology... more10
11449Andrew Carnegie
Homestead Steel Works, Pennsylvania RailroadAge: Dec. at 84 (1835-1919)
Birthplace: Dunfermline, United Kingdom
Andrew Carnegie kar-NAY-gee (November 25, 1835 – August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American... more11
10350J. P. Morgan
J.P. Morgan & CompanyAge: Dec. at 76 (1837-1913)
Birthplace: Hartford, Connecticut
John Pierpont Morgan Sr. (April 17, 1837 – March 31, 1913) was an American financier and... more12
7844Lee Iacocca
Ford Motor Company, Chrysler CorporationAge: 91
Birthplace: Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA
Lido Anthony "Lee" Iacocca ( EYE-ə-KOH-kə; October 15, 1924 – July 2, 2019) was an American... more13
9358Larry Page
Google, Alphabet Inc.Age: 47
Birthplace: East Lansing, Michigan
Lawrence Edward Page (born March 26, 1973) is an American computer scientist and Internet... more14
6237Sakichi Toyoda
Toyota Boshoku Corporation, Toyota IndustriesAge: Dec. at 63 (1867-1930)
Birthplace: Kosai, Japan
Sakichi Toyoda (豊田 佐吉, Toyoda Sakichi, February 14, 1867 – October 30, 1930) was a Japanese... more15
6742Ray Kroc
McDonald'sAge: Dec. at 82 (1902-1984)
Birthplace: Oak Park, Illinois, United States of America
Raymond Albert "Ray" Kroc (October 5, 1902 – January 14, 1984) was an American fast-food... more16
6244Jack Welch
General Electric, MIT Sloan School of ManagementAge: 84
Birthplace: Peabody, Massachusetts
John Francis "Jack" Welch Jr. (born November 19, 1935) is an American business executive,... more17
4030Cornelius Vanderbilt
New York Central Railroad, Grand Central DepotAge: Dec. at 83 (1794-1877)
Birthplace: New York City, New York
Cornelius Vanderbilt (May 27, 1794 – January 4, 1877) was an American business magnate who... more18
5954Richard Branson
Virgin Broadband, Virgin Mobile UKAge: 70
Birthplace: England, London
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950) is a British business magnate,... more19
4539Howard Schultz
StarbucksAge: 67
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA
Howard D. Schultz (born July 19, 1953) is an American businessman and multi-billionaire. He... more20
8083Mark Zuckerberg
Facebook, Inc.Age: 36
Birthplace: White Plains, New York
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg (; born May 14, 1984) is an American technology entrepreneur and... more21
3833Estée Lauder
Estée Lauder CompaniesAge: Dec. at 98 (1906-2004)
Birthplace: Corona, New York City, New York
Estée Lauder (; July 1, 1906 – April 24, 2004) was an American businessperson. She co-founded... more22
3630Conrad Hilton
Hilton Hotels & ResortsAge: Dec. at 92 (1887-1979)
Birthplace: San Antonio, New Mexico, United States of America
Conrad Nicholson Hilton (December 25, 1887 – January 3, 1979) was an American hotelier and the... more23
4238Jack Warner
Warner Bros.-Seven ArtsAge: Dec. at 86 (1892-1978)
Birthplace: London, Canada
Jack Warner may refer to:... more24
3532Larry Ellison
Oracle Corporation, AmpexAge: 76
Birthplace: Lower East Side, New York City, New York, United States of America
Lawrence Joseph Ellison (born August 17, 1944) is an American businessman, entrepreneur, and... more25
Marjorie Merriweather Post (March 15, 1887 – September 12, 1973) was an American... more
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