Famous and popular entrepreneurs are remarkable individuals those have not only transformed industries but also inspired a global mindset shift. With diverse backgrounds and domains of expertise, they consistently lead the charts and serve as exceptional role models. These renowned business leaders have earned their status as the epitome of success and have become synonymous with achievement. What sets them apart is their unwavering self-belief, cultivated from an early age, and their relentless pursuit of success and recognition. Their stories are a testament to the power of hard work, dedication, and a resolute entrepreneurial spirit.
Join us as we delve into the captivating life journeys of famous entrepreneurs and their business unlocking valuable lessons from these iconic figures in the business world that can inspire and empower you on your own path to success.
What Makes an Entrepreneur Successful?
There’s no one-size-fits-all formula for becoming a successful entrepreneur. If you look at the path of any well-known founder, you’ll notice it all started with a simple idea. But turning that idea into something real takes years of hard work, focus, adaptability, and smart planning, with the right support along the way.
If you’re dreaming of building something of your own, start by thinking bigger than just a business, think about how your idea could make a difference or move the world forward. Once your idea is in place, it’s your commitment, strategy, and persistence that will carry it through. With time and dedication, you could be the next success story.
List of Top Famous and Successful Entrepreneurs in the World:
| S. No. | Name | Country | Known For | Net Worth, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elon Musk | USA | Tesla, SpaceX, X (Twitter), Neuralink | $420.6 Billion |
| 2 | Jeff Bezos | USA | Amazon | $221.8 Billion |
| 3 | Sanjiv Bajaj | India | Bajaj Finserv, Finance & Insurance | $6.4 Billion |
| 4 | William Henry “Bill” Gates III | USA | Microsoft, Philanthropy | $116.5 Billion |
| 5 | Mark Elliot Zuckerberg | USA | Meta (Facebook) | $231.6 Billion |
| 6 | Nagavara Ramarao Narayana Murthy | India | Infosys | $4.6 Billion |
| 7 | Larry Ellison | USA | Oracle Corporation | $206.2 Billion |
| 8 | Michael Saul Dell | USA | Dell Technologies | $113.6 Billion |
| 9 | Carlos Slim | Mexico | América Móvil, Telecom | $91.5 Billion |
| 10 | Sergey Brin | USA | Google, Alphabet Inc. | $134.5 Billion |
| 11 | Richard Branson | UK | Virgin Group | $2.8 Billion |
| 12 | Jack Ma Yun | China | Alibaba Group | $26.3 Billion |
Elon Musk
| Name | Elon Musk |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | June 28, 1971 |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (BA, BS) |
| Source of Wealth | Tesla, SpaceX, Self Made |
| Net Worth | $420.6 billion (2025) |
Valued at $192 Billion, Elon Reeve Musk, is one of the most famous entrepreneurs and the richest person in the world. He is professionally known as Elon Musk.
Elon Musk owns SpaceX the largest aerospace manufacturer, a clean energy and electric vehicle company, Tesla Inc., and The boring Company, a tunnel construction company. Elon Musk also co-founded Neuralink Corporation, a neurotechnology company, and owns an AI-based research laboratory, Open AI.
Musk has a diversified interest in business fields. He has founded high-tech companies like The Boring Company, SpaceX, and Neuralink Corporation. He owns the largest aerospace manufacturing company and the world's biggest infrastructure company providing tunnel construction services making him the best in the list of top 10 international entrepreneurs.
Elon Musk is a business tycoon, successful investor, industrial designer, and engineer. Musk also co-founded X.com which was merged with online bank Confinity.
"Persistence is very important. You should not give up unless you are forced to give up." - Elon Musk
Books recommended by Elon Musk -
- Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
- Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies by Nick Bostrom
Jeff Bezos
| Name | Jeff Bezos |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | January 12, 1964 |
| Education | Princeton University (BSE) |
| Source of Wealth | Amazon, Self Made |
| Net Worth | $221.8 billion (2025) |
Jeff Bezos, the ecommerce tycoon, was born on 12 January, 1964 in Mexico. This man is the founder and CEO of Amazon, the largest ecommerce company. His biological father is Ted Jorgensen but his mother, Jacklyn Gise divorced Ted and married another man, Mike Bezos.
Jeff was graduated from Princeton University with degrees in Electrical engineering and Computer Science. He worked at Fintel to build their system for international trade.
He later changed career to banking industry in 1988. But after 5 years, he decided to start his own company. In 1994, Jeff Bezos started Cadabra, an online bookstore. The name was later changed to Amazon as it starts with an "A", beginner of alphabet. Jeff got the initial capital of 300,000 from his parents to start the company.
The company later transitioned into an ecommerce platform for all the product. Bezos has seen many ups and downs in his career. In fact, his company was almost bankrupted in 2002 due to over spending of funding. However, Jeff Bezos took Amazon out of that storm. As of 2023, Jeff Bezos is the third richest person in the world with a net worth of over $139 Billion.
“A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.” – Jeff Bezos
Books recommended by Jeff Bezos -
- Built to Last by Jim Collins
- Creation by Steve Grand
- Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
Kinnary Nensee
Sanjiv Bajaj
| Name | Sanjiv Bajaj |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 2 November 1969 |
| Education | University of Pune, University of Warwick, Harvard University |
| Source of Wealth | Diversified |
| Net Worth | $6.4 billion (2025) |
Born on November 2, 1969, Sanjiv Bajaj is among one of the most successful Indian businessmen, investors, and philanthropists. He is the Chairman of Bajaj Finance Limited and the Chairman and Managing Director of Bajaj Finserv Limited, the holding group company for all the financial services business of the Bajaj Group. The Bajaj Group is one of the oldest and largest conglomerates in India. Bajaj Finserv consisting of lending and insurance companies, has an annual revenue of over 410 crores USD for FY23.
Under his leadership, Bajaj Finserv has emerged as one of India’s leading diversified financial services companies with solutions across lending, insurance, and wealth advisory category. With a consumer-first, digital approach and a culture focused on excellence through innovative disruption, Sanjiv is known for pioneering digital consumer financing in India, which helped transform the entire landscape of the financial services space.
“We have always focussed on building long-term businesses built on excellence, sustainable profit.”
PV Vyshnavi
William Henry “Bill” Gates III
| Name | William Henry “Bill” Gates III |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | October 28, 1955 |
| Education | Harvard University (dropped out) |
| Source of Wealth | Microsoft, Self Made |
| Net Worth | $116.5 billion (2025) |
Born on October 28th, 1955, William Henry “Bill” Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. In 1975, Gates with Paul Allen co-founded Microsoft with a vision to be a successful and famous Entrepreneur of all time. They never knew their fortune and their hard work would enlist them in the world’s largest Personal Computer software company. In recent years Bill Gates has devoted more time to philanthropic activities. Bill Gates is one of the top 10 entrepreneurs in the world.
During his career journey at Microsoft, Bill Gates held the positions of chairman, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Software Architect (CSA). Uptill May 2014 he had the highest individual shareholder. He has authored and co-authored several books. However, Bill Gates has been always ranked in the Forbes list of the world’s wealthiest people since 1987, and he was the wealthiest entrepreneur from 1995 to 2007, then again in 2009, and then from 2014 to 2017. Bill Gates is the most famous entrepreneur and holds the Guinness World record for inventing "World's First Microcomputer" in 1980.
"We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve."- Bill Gates
Books recommended by Bill Gates -
- Business Adventures by John Brooks
- Tap Dancing to Work by Carol Loomis
- Life is What You Make It by Peter Buffett
Archana Karthikeyan
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg
| Name | Mark Elliot Zuckerberg |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | May 14, 1984 |
| Education | Harvard University (dropped out) |
| Source of Wealth | Facebook, Self Made |
| Net Worth | $231.6 billion (2025) |
Born on May 14th, 1984, Mark Elliot Zuckerberg is an American computer programmer and Internet entrepreneur. He is one of the famous businessman in the world. He is the chairman, chief executive officer (CEO), and co-founder of Facebook, now rebranded as Meta. Since his adulthood Mark was keen to take up his future as a smart, influential and famous entrepreneur. As of 2017, his net worth is estimated to be the US $128 billion, ranking him as the 5th richest person in the world.
Facebook was launched by Zuckerberg from Harvard’s dormitory rooms on February 4, 2004. He was aided by his college roommates and fellow Harvard University students Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz, Andrew McCollum, and Chris Hughes. The group then introduced Facebook to other college campuses. Mark is among the most famous entrepreneurs in the world. Time magazine has named Zuckerberg among the 100 wealthiest and most influential people in the world as a part of its Person of the Year distinction since 2010. As of 2023, his net worth is estimated to be the $87.3 billion.
"Facebook was not originally created to be a company. It was built to accomplish a social mission - to make the world more open and connected." - Mark Zuckerberg
Books recommended by Mark Zuckerberg -
- Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull
- Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind By Yuval Noah Harari
- The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves by Matt Ridley
Sarika Anand
Nagavara Ramarao Narayana Murthy
| Name | Nagavara Ramarao Narayana Murthy |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 20 August 1946 |
| Education | National institute of Engineering, Mysore (BE), IIT Kanpur (MTech) |
| Source of Wealth | Infosys, Self Made |
| Net Worth | $4.6 billion (2025) |
Born on the 20th, August 1946, Nagavara Ramarao is commonly referred to as Narayana Murthy and is an Indian IT industrialist and the co-founder of Infosys, a multinational corporation providing business consulting, engineering, technology, and outsourcing services. His varied distinctive knowledge has led him to be a famous entrepreneur with showering success on his way. He is one of the famous Indian businessmen.
He started Infosys in 1981 and served as its CEO from 1981 till 2002 and as its chairman from 2002 to 2011. Fortune magazine has listed Murthy as one of the greatest and top Indian entrepreneurs of all time. Time magazine has described him as the Father of the Indian IT sector due to his contribution to outsourcing in India.
"It's very important to learn quick lessons from your failures, very important to recognize symptoms of failure pretty early, and it is very, very important to not to be attached too much to the idea - you have to know when to give up an idea." -Narayan Murthy
Books recommended by Narayana Murthy -
- Winners Never Cheat Even in Difficult Times by Jon M Huntsman
- What Money Can’t Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets by Michael J. Sandel
- The Republic by Plato
Arijit Karan
Lawrence Joseph “Larry” Ellison
| Name | Lawrence Joseph Ellison |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | August 17, 1944 |
| Education | University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (no degree), University of Chicago (no degree) |
| Source of Wealth | Oracle, Self Made |
| Net Worth | $206.2 billion (2025) |
Born on August 17th, 1944, Lawrence Joseph Ellison, commonly known as Larry Ellison is an world famous and most successful American businessman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who has co-founded Oracle Corporation and thrives to become a famous entrepreneur by creating the best possible value of his software services to the most valued customer. Larry Ellison was the CEO of Oracle from its foundation until September 2014. At present he is the executive chairman and chief technology officer. Forbes magazine listed him as the seventh-wealthiest in the world and as the fifth-wealthiest person in America, with a fortune of $51.9 billion as of February 2017.
“When I do something, it is all about self-discovery. I want to learn and discover my own limits.” - Larry Ellison
Books recommended by Larry Ellison -
- The Robber Barons: The Great American Capitalists by Mathew Josephson
- The Age of Napoleon by Susan Conner
- The Fountainhead by Any Rand
Sushree Sangeeta Behera
Michael Saul Dell
| Name | Michael Saul Dell |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | February 23, 1965 |
| Education | The University of Texas at Austin |
| Source of Wealth | Dell Technologies, Self Made |
| Net Worth | $113.6 billion (2025) |
Born on February 23rd, 1965, Michael Saul Dell is an American business magnate, investor, author, and philanthropist. Michael Dell is the founder and CEO of Dell Technologies, one of the world’s leading providers of information technology and infrastructure solutions. Michael wasn’t the only famous entrepreneur to ride the computer boom of the late 1980s and early 1990s from rags to riches.
Like Rod Canion of Compaq and Steve Jobs of Apple, Dell turned a fledgling start-up into a multibillion-dollar computer empire. But unlike the ill-fated Canion and Jobs, who lost control of their creations as they grew, Dell has managed to hold on to the reins of his maverick venture and achieve the unique distinction of being the computer industry’s longest-tenured CEO. As of February 2023, he is ranked the 24th richest person in the world by Wikipedia, with a net worth of $51.6 billion.
"There are a lot of things that go into creating success. I don't like to do just the things I like to do. I like to do things that cause the company to succeed. I don't spend a lot of time doing my favorite activities." - Michael Dell
Books recommended by Michael Dell -
- The Second Machine Age by Erik Brynjolfsson
- Zero Marginal Cost Society by Jeremy Rifkin
- Abundance by Peter H. Diamandis & Steven Kotler
Bhoraniya Huda Hifzur Rehman
Carlos Slim
| Name | Carlos Slim |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 28 January 1940 |
| Education | Civil engineering |
| Source of Wealth | Grupo Carso, Self Made |
| Net Worth | $91.5 billion (2025) |
Born on January 28th, 1940, Slim was ranked as the richest person in the world from 2010 through 2013. Carlos Slim is a Mexican business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He secured his fortune from his large holdings in a significant number of Mexican companies through his empire, Grupo Carso.
He was ranked #7 on Forbes list of billionaires since 31 July 2016, with a net worth that is estimated at more than $50 billion. His empire includes education, entertainment, energy, healthcare, industrial manufacturing, transportation, retail, real estate, media, hospitality, high-technology, sports, and financial services. However, his great effort and a constant hunger to be a famous entrepreneur have bought him a great tenure of success. He is holding a net worth of $86 billion in 2023.
“Technology is going to transform people’s lives and society everywhere in the world. I spend most of my time studying new technologies. My main task is to understand what’s going on and try to see where we can fit in.” – Carlos Slim
Books recommended by Carlos Slim -
- The Warren Buffett Way by Robert G Hagstorm
- The Money Machine by Philip Coggan
- Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet by Jeffrey Sachs
Sergey Brin
| Name | Sergey Brin |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | August 21, 1973 |
| Education | University of Maryland, College Park (BS), Stanford University (MS) |
| Source of Wealth | Google, Self Made |
| Net Worth | $134.5 billion (2025) |
Sergey Brin is a computer scientist. Sergey Brin founded Google with Larry Page. The two became billionaires as Google developed into the world's most popular search engine and a media giant. In 2006, Google purchased the most popular website for user-submitted streaming videos, YouTube, for $1.65 billion in stock. In November 2016, Brin was ranked No. 13 on Forbes' "Billionaires" list, and No. 10 among U.S. billionaires who made the list. Sergey Brin stepped down as president of Alphabet, parent company of Google, in December 2019 but remains a controller shareholder and a board member. As of 2023, Sergey Brin has net worth of $102.1 billion.
Books recommended by Sergey Brin -
- "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" by Edward Hutchings
- Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
- How to Read a Book by Dr. Mortimer Adler
Muskaan Kapoor
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson
| Name | Richard Charles Nicholas Branson |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 18 July 1950 |
| Education | Stowe School |
| Source of Wealth | Virgin, Self Made |
| Net Worth | $2.8 billion (2025) |
Born on 18th, July 1950, Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is the founder of the Virgin Group, which manages more than 400 companies. Richard Branson is very popular for his lifestyle and charity. His vision was well accomplished since he started his journey from an early age.
Richard started with a magazine called Student at the age of sixteen. Although it was his first business venture which curated a wonderful entrepreneurship journey which made him a famous entrepreneur. In 1972, he set up a mail-order record business and he opened a chain of record stores, Virgin Records, later known as Virgin Megastores respectively. Branson’s Virgin brand grew rapidly during the 1980s, as he set up Virgin Atlantic airline and expanded the Virgin Records music label.
Branson was knighted at Buckingham Palace for “services to entrepreneurship” in March 2000. He became one of the most prominent figures in British culture for his work in retail, music, transport, taste for adventure, and for vast humanitarian work. As of 2023, The Sunday Times estimates Richard Branson and his family's collective net worth to be an impressive £2.41 billion.
"There is no greater thing you can do with your life and your work than follow your passions – in a way that serves the world and you." - Richard Branson
Books recommended by Richard Branson -
- Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill by Matthieu Ricard
- Big World, Small Planet: Abundance within Planetary Boundaries by Johan Rockstrom, Mattias Klum
- One Hundred & One Reasons To Get Out of Bed by Natasha Milne
Jack Ma Yun
| Name | Jack Ma Yun |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 10 September 1964 |
| Education | Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (2006), Hangzhou Normal University |
| Source of Wealth | Alibaba Group and Ant Group, Self Made |
| Net Worth | $26.3 billion (2025) |
Jack Ma, once an English teacher, became one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world. He started Alibaba, a huge online shopping company in China that changed the way people buy and sell things.
In 1999, Jack Ma began Alibaba from his small apartment in Hangzhou with 18 friends. At that time, online shopping in China was almost unheard of. Alibaba first helped Chinese factories connect with buyers from other countries.
But Jack Ma dreamed bigger.
He later created Taobao, an online marketplace for everyday people in China. Today, both Alibaba and Taobao are leaders in China’s e-commerce world, helping millions of people run their businesses online.
Jack Ma’s journey shows that even big dreams can come true—with hard work, strong belief, and never giving up.
Books recommended by Jack Ma -
- Tao Te Ching: by Stephen Mitchell, Lao Tzu
- Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins, Jerry I Porras
- Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations Paperback by Clay Shirky
- The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More by Chris Anderson
- Makers: The New Industrial Revolution by Chris Anderson
- Business Cycles: by Joseph A. Schumpeter
Conclusion
The list above includes notable foreign entrepreneurs as well as successful entrepreneurs from India. These well-known individuals serve as a great source of inspiration, offering valuable insights into the path to success. Global entrepreneurs are driving innovation and creating impact across industries, inspiring a new generation of global entrepreneurs to think big and act boldly. Each of these popular and well known entrepreneurs has experienced both triumphs and challenges throughout their journey. As of 2025, these international entrepreneurs continue to work tirelessly for their companies, serving as a source of inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs through their business ideas and stories. We hope that this compilation of renowned entrepreneurs and their stories has provided you with valuable lessons on navigating the entrepreneurial journey.
FAQs
Who are the most successful entrepreneurs in the world?
The list of entrepreneurs who are most successful and famous in the world are:
- Jeff Bezos
- Elon Musk
- Sanjiv Bajaj
- Bill Gates
- Mark Zuckerberg
- Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson
- Sergey Brin
- Carlos Slim
- Michael Saul Dell
- Larry Ellison
- Nagavara Ramarao Narayana Murthy
- Jack Ma
What industries have these famous entrepreneurs made an impact on?
These entrepreneurs have made a significant impact across various industries, including technology, e-commerce, space exploration, social media, and telecommunications.
Which entrepreneurs are on the list of the rags to riches stories of Indian entrepreneurs?
Dhirubhai Ambani, Karsanbhai Patel, Kalpana Saroj, Patricia Narayan, Sunil Bharti Mittal, and Narayan Murthy are some of the entrepreneurs who can easily be included on the list of the rags to riches stories of Indian entrepreneurs.
What are the characteristics of entrepreneurs?
Entrepreneurs are risk-takers, innovative thinkers, and self-motivated individuals. They possess resilience, adaptability, and persistence to overcome challenges, while being goal-oriented and passionate about their ventures.
What makes famous entrepreneurs stand out from others?
These entrepreneurs stand out for their exceptional vision, innovative ideas, ability to disrupt industries, and remarkable business achievements. They have built global empires and transformed the way we live and do business.
Can I learn from the experiences of these greatest entrepreneurs?
Absolutely! By studying the lives and journeys of these greatest entrepreneurs, you can gain valuable insights, learn from their successes and failures, and apply their strategies and principles to your own entrepreneurial endeavors.
Who is the most famous businessman?
The most famous businessman today is Elon Musk, known for Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter).
