According to reports, Microsoft is laying off 4% of its employees worldwide. The tech giant said on July 2, that it was letting go of almost 9,000 workers from several departments.
Professionals of all experience levels are apparently preparing for the impact of these layoffs, which are occurring across countries. This time, Microsoft disclosed the development on the second day of the month, even though it typically announces structural changes at the end of the new fiscal year.
Microsoft stated that it will keep implementing organisational changes that are required to best position the firm and teams for success in a dynamic environment, according to a media report that quoted a Microsoft spokesperson.
The software powerhouse has been making layoff announcements one after the other this year; in January, it said it intended to fire 1% of its employees depending on their performance.
Microsoft Constantly Following Layoff Practice
The software company laid off more than 6,000 employees in May and another 300 in June. In a similar vein, the business let go of 10,000 workers in 2023. In light of its recent round of significant layoffs, the 50-year-old software titan is actively working to lower its workforce.
This is reportedly the company’s second-largest mass layoff, following the approximately 18,000 jobs it eliminated in 2014. Although no specific causes have been mentioned, it is thought that one of the possible causes could be the fastest-growing market this year: coding assistants.
Google just released its own version, and although Microsoft has not yet revealed plans to release a comparable product, it is apparently altering internal processes to make use of these capabilities.
These coding assistants, to put it simply, indicate that businesses are embracing automation and AI-driven productivity in the software development process.
Focusing more AI Driven Solutions
Companies like Google and Microsoft are now investing the most in AI research and development. They are essentially seeing a quick evolution in their developer positions.
As AI technologies start to replace some of the more traditional activities, this restructure is expected to have an impact on the majority of these programmers.
The layoffs coincide with Meta’s aggressive procurement of expertise; it has reportedly spent $3 billion, a significant acquisition in and of itself, to acquire the best AI experts.
Even at the expense of reorganising their current resources and associated expenses, the majority of large tech businesses appear to be striving to draw in the best AI expertise. For the March quarter, Microsoft recorded a net income of around $26 billion on revenue of $70 billion.
According to data gathered by FactSet, Microsoft remained one of the most profitable businesses in the S&P 500 index, with the results significantly above the consensus on Wall Street.
Due to anticipated growth in Azure cloud services and corporate productivity software subscriptions, executives predicted a 14% year-over-year revenue increase in the June quarter.
Next week, Microsoft Corporation will lay off a significant number of employees in its Xbox division as part of a larger restructuring effort.
Deeper issues within the computer giant’s video game operations are indicated by the decision, which is the fourth significant round of layoffs to hit the gaming arm in as many months.
An international media agency broke the story first, citing internal sources that said managers throughout the Xbox division were told to anticipate large layoffs.
After Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard Inc. in 2023, the Xbox division, which is in charge of the company’s game consoles, first-party studios, and other entertainment platforms, has been under more pressure to increase profitability.
Layoff Has Become a Regular Feature of Microsoft
This most recent development follows earlier claims that Microsoft plans to cut thousands of jobs in customer-facing and sales professions by July 2025. The corporation had already laid off about 6,000 employees in May, and in the last two months alone, the number of job losses across all divisions has reached almost 7,000.
One of Microsoft’s most affected divisions has been the Xbox team. The corporation let go of 1,900 workers at Xbox and the freshly acquired Activision Blizzard in January 2024. Microsoft later let off 650 more employees from its gaming division in September 2024.
The division’s long-term capabilities were severely harmed by the closure of other Xbox subsidiaries as a result of earlier layoff waves. Although Microsoft has not issued an official comment, the reorganisation seems to be in line with a larger change in company policy that emphasises outsourcing and leaner teams.
Microsoft said in April 2025 that it would reduce its in-house sales teams by depending increasingly on outside companies to offer software solutions to small and midsized organisations.
The entire tech sector is still going through a difficult period. With weaker growth projections and increased demands for profitability, even the most profitable companies in the world are reassessing their cost structures.
Microsoft is no exception, with its extensive portfolio that includes consumer games, cloud infrastructure, and enterprise applications.
Microsoft’s Employees in a Panic Mode
Microsoft’s long-term gaming strategy is called into question by the frequent waves of layoffs inside the Xbox division, which was originally thought to be a crucial pillar for customer involvement and upcoming metaverse efforts.
Although the Activision Blizzard purchase was historic, analysts point out that the anticipated growth and synergy from the transaction have not yet materialised into observable financial gains.
This might have led Microsoft’s executives to adopt a more stringent approach to cost management in the gaming industry. Employee worries are also anticipated to grow as a result of the impending cuts. Internal morale is said to be stressed as a result of multiple waves of layoffs in a very short amount of time, particularly within development and creative teams.
As restructuring talks continue, many Xbox ecosystem personnel are still unclear about their future positions, according to Bloomberg. Broadly speaking, Microsoft’s drastic layoffs are part of a larger trend among large tech firms looking to simplify operations after the epidemic, as the hiring boom of 2020–2022 is now being replaced with efficiency and financial restraint.
According to a media source, OpenAI intends to integrate Alphabet’s Google Cloud service to accommodate its expanding processing capacity requirements. This is an unexpected partnership between two well-known rivals in the artificial intelligence space.
As per the report, the agreement was concluded in May after being discussed for several months. It highlights how the enormous computing requirements for training and implementing AI models are changing the competitive landscape in the field and is OpenAI’s most recent attempt to expand its compute sources outside of its primary backer, Microsoft, including the well-known Stargate data centre project.
The report further claims that it is a victory for Google’s cloud division, which will provide more processing power to OpenAI’s current infrastructure for training and executing its AI models.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT Bigger Threat to Google Search
Additionally, Google executives recently stated that the AI competition may not be winner-take-all, indicating that OpenAI’s ChatGPT represents the most danger to Google’s hegemonic search business in years.
OpenAI has had to deal with the growing demand for computing capacity, or compute as it is known in the industry, for both training huge language models and executing inference, which entails processing data so that users may utilise these models, ever since ChatGPT made its debut in late 2022.
In light of the rapidly growing use of AI, OpenAI announced on 9 June that its annualised revenue run rate increased to $10 billion as of June, setting the business up to meet its full-year goal. Earlier this year, OpenAI inked billion-dollar contracts with CoreWeave for additional compute and joined forces with SoftBank and Oracle on the $500 billion Stargate infrastructure development.
As per another report published by a renowned media house, it is on schedule to complete the design of its first internal processor this year, which might lessen its reliance on outside hardware suppliers.
OpenAI Reducing Dependency on Microsoft
The collaboration with Google is the most recent of OpenAI’s various strategies to lessen its reliance on Microsoft, whose Azure cloud service was the sole supplier of data centre infrastructure for ChatGPT until January.
After months of discussions, Google and OpenAI were unable to finalise a contract because of OpenAI’s exclusivity with Microsoft. Additionally, Microsoft and OpenAI are negotiating changes to the terms of their multibillion-dollar investment, including Microsoft’s future ownership position in OpenAI.
The agreement for Google coincides with the tech giant’s efforts to make its proprietary technology, known as tensor processing units, or TPUs, more widely available to the public. Previously, these chips were only used internally.
As a result, Google was able to attract clients from big tech giant Apple as well as startups like Safe Superintelligence and Anthropic, two OpenAI rivals founded by former OpenAI executives.
The fact that Google has added OpenAI to its list of clients demonstrates how the internet behemoth has leveraged its proprietary AI hardware and software to boost the expansion of its cloud business.
According to media reports, Microsoft is assigning Ryan Roslansky, the CEO of LinkedIn, a more significant position that will involve managing Office productivity tools.
As per reports, Roslansky, who took over LinkedIn five years ago, is going to be the executive vice president of Office. He will be answering to Rajesh Jha, the executive vice president for experiences and devices at Microsoft.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella notified staff members of the move via email on 4 June. According to the source, Roslansky will still answer to Nadella in his capacity as CEO of LinkedIn.
After bringing in over $17 billion in revenue in the previous year, LinkedIn, which Microsoft purchased for $27 billion in 2016, will continue to function as a subsidiary. Prior to joining LinkedIn in 2009, Roslansky was employed at Yahoo.
Roslansky New Work Portfolio
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams are all part of Microsoft’s Office 365 productivity software suite, which was rebranded as Microsoft 365 in 2022.
Apart from managing those items, Roslansky’s portfolio will also feature the M365 Copilot application, which enables users to modify documents in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. In 2020, Jha’s team released the app.
Office is one of the most recognisable product suites ever, according to Roslansky’s LinkedIn post. It has literally influenced the way the world functions. The office’s influence and reach are unparalleled. “I’m entering a brand-new, exciting period in this capacity.
AI, connectivity, and productivity are all merging at a large scale. Professionals around the world use Office and LinkedIn on a daily basis, and I’m excited to redefine ourselves in this new environment,” he continued.
Microsoft announced that Charles Lamanna, corporate vice president for business and industry Copilot products, and his staff will go to Jha’s division as part of the organisational shift.
They were formerly a member of the cloud and AI team led by Executive Vice President Scott Guthrie. Lamanna oversees the Copilot Studio tool, which makes it simple to create artificial intelligence agents, and Dynamics 365 sales and customer support tools, which are competitors of Salesforce.
Microsoft Focusing More on AI
Nadella stated in December that AI bots may eventually replace humans as the primary means of interacting with software systems intended for usage within large corporations.
“When was the last time any of us actually attended a business application?” he asked investors Bill Gurley and Brad Gerstner during their podcast. “We hardly use them, and somebody in the organisation is sort of inputting data into it,” he said, referring to the numerous cloud software programs that the corporation pays for.
According to Nadella, the intensity increases in the AI era, as handling all that data is now simple. Over the last ten years, the company’s Productivity and Business Processes division, which is supported by LinkedIn and Microsoft 365 subscriptions, has become more profitable.
In the third quarter of the fiscal year, the unit’s operating margin surpassed 58%, up from 33% in the previous year. Compared to the previous year, revenue increased by 10%.
Bing Video Creator is a brand-new AI video production tool from Microsoft. With just a description of what they would like to see, users may now create brief AI films. The function is comparable to that of Bing Image Creator, which uses AI to generate images in response to user input.
The Sora model from OpenAI powers the video tool. Bing Video Creator is now free and accessible through the Bing mobile app. It can produce five-second videos based on text prompts. It is anticipated that desktop access will soon be available.
According to Microsoft, the new tool would enable users to make basic video clips in plain language without the need for sophisticated editing software.
Bing Video Creator puts the power of video creation at users’ fingertips, whether they are letting their creativity run wild, bringing a tale to life, or searching for the ideal video to express their thoughts, according to Microsoft’s official blog post announcement.
Steps for Users to Follow
The Bing mobile app, which is accessible to iOS and Android users, must be downloaded in order to use Bing Video Creator. He has two options within the app: either put “Create a video of” into the search field or tap the bottom-right button and choose “Video Creator”.
The new artificial intelligence video generator will start making a video that fits his description when he enters a prompt, like Otter and a capybara sipping cocktails while on vacation in Hawaii, lounging on a beach hammock.
Microsoft points out that how detailed prompt determines the output’s quality. Something like a man in a blue tracksuit running along a foggy mountain route at sunrise, in slow motion, provides the AI more to work with than a vague request like “a person running,” which might not result in a meaningful clip. Accuracy is increased by including details like tone, objects, motion, and setting.
More Offerings of Bing Video Creator
The Bing video generator, on the other hand, can produce videos up to five seconds long and in vertical format (9:16). According to Microsoft, work is underway on a horizontal format (16:9).
Up to three videos can be created by users at once; if all available slots are taken, the user will have to wait for one to finish before beginning another. He will receive a notification as soon as the video is created.
The AI-generated video can then be downloaded and shared on social media or sent as a link. For a period of ninety days, the videos will be accessible for viewing and reuse. Naturally, like other AI technologies, this new one also raises safety concerns.
Microsoft claims to have addressed these issues by incorporating safeguards into the new video production tool. Prompts identified as dangerous will be blocked by the platform, and users will be informed of this.
In accordance with the C2PA standard, every video produced by the AI tool will also include digital credentials designating it as such. Microsoft claims that in order to reduce the possibility of abuse, it is depending on both its own extra security measures and OpenAI’s safety filters in Sora.
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:
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)
Best Entrepreneur in the World - Jeff Bezos
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
University of Pune, University of Warwick, Harvard University
Source of Wealth
Diversified
Net Worth
$6.4 billion (2025)
Best Entrepreneur in the World - Sanjiv Bajaj
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.”
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
Popular Entrepreneurs in the World - Mark Zuckerberg
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
National institute of Engineering, Mysore (BE), IIT Kanpur (MTech)
Source of Wealth
Infosys, Self Made
Net Worth
$4.6 billion (2025)
Narayana Murthy
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
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (no degree), University of Chicago (no degree)
Source of Wealth
Oracle, Self Made
Net Worth
$206.2 billion (2025)
Larry Ellison
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
Top Entrepreneurs in the World - Michael Saul Dell
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
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)
Top Entrepreneurs in World - Sergey Brin
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
Top Entrepreneurs in World - Richard Charles Nicholas Branson
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)
Top Entrepreneurs in the World - Jack Ma Yun
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).
Microsoft has revealed that 305 workers would be let go in another round of layoffs. Less than three weeks have passed since the IT giant laid off over 6,000 workers worldwide in its most recent wave of layoffs. The Washington office’s more than 300 workers were let go.
The corporation claims that the most recent layoffs represent much less than 1% of its whole workforce, though it did not confirm whether any additional employees outside of Washington were impacted.
According to reports, Microsoft stated in an official statement that it is making the organisational adjustments required to best position the business for success in a changing environment.
Software Engineers and Product Managers Taken a Massive Hit
According to reports, the majority of the employees affected by this round of layoffs did not have managerial positions. Less than 17% of the impacted employees held management roles, suggesting that software engineers and product managers were the most severely affected.
In less than a month, this is Microsoft’s second significant round of layoffs. Over 6,000 positions, or about 3% of the company’s global workforce, were cut in mid-May, marking the biggest employment reduction since 10,000 people were let go in early 2023. 1,985 of those recent layoffs were allegedly located in Washington.
When combined with the most recent layoff total of 305, Microsoft has now let go of almost 2,300 workers in Washington this year.
Microsoft has now stated that the more recent layoffs in May were unrelated to individual performance, although the corporation had implemented some performance-based job cuts earlier this year. Instead, the corporation has blamed organisational restructuring for the latest cuts.
Microsoft’s Performance Based Terminations
A distinct issue surrounded the January layoffs as Microsoft was accused of conducting performance-based terminations without providing severance or health benefits in certain instances.
Employees were reportedly given quick termination notices and had their access to corporate systems terminated the same day, according to sources at the time. Microsoft has over 228,000 employees worldwide as of last year.
The corporation claims that the layoffs only affect a small portion of its employees, but the frequent reductions demonstrate how Big Tech companies’ priorities are shifting in response to the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence.
Many Silicon Valley tech businesses, including Google, Meta, and Amazon, have laid off thousands of workers in 2025 alone.
Microsoft is placing a large bet on artificial intelligence at the same time as its firing frenzy. The business recently revealed plans to invest $400 million in Switzerland to build infrastructure for cloud computing and artificial intelligence.
Microsoft declared earlier in January of this year that it would invest $3 billion in India to build AI infrastructure there, which would include building new data centres over the following two years.
This information is essential for the protection of users’ data if they are using a Windows desktop or laptop.
All enterprise users who depend on the Microsoft ecosystem to conduct business have received a warning from the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), a government organisation under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of the Government of India that specialises in cybersecurity issues. Millions of people and their data are at risk due to a severe vulnerability.
According to a CERT study released on May 15, 2025, the numerous flaws can make it simple for hackers to get access to Microsoft ecosystem devices, enabling data theft and crashes.
The fact that the problem is not limited to Windows laptops and PCs makes it even more worrisome. Cyberattack dangers are the same for anyone utilising any of the Microsoft services that are susceptible on other platforms.
Even Android and Mac are also Not Safe
A person is just as vulnerable if someone is using a Mac or Android device with Microsoft Office, Azure services, and other apps. The following services are impacted by the vulnerabilities that CERT found:
•Microsoft Windows
•Extended Security Updates (ESU) for legacy Microsoft products
•Microsoft Office
•Microsoft Azure
•Microsoft Developer Tools
•Microsoft Apps
•Microsoft System Center
•Microsoft Dynamics
Both individual and business users are impacted by the vulnerabilities. Security teams and IT administrators are also under danger.
According to the research by CERT-In, the flaws might provide attackers the ability to run remote code, obtain elevated rights, access private data, get around security measures, launch spoofing attacks, and trigger denial-of-service (DoS) assaults.
The vulnerability, which was found in both 32-bit and x64-based computers, was rated as “high” on the severity scale by CERT-In. It stated that a defect in the kernel component of Microsoft Windows is the cause of the vulnerability.
These actions may result in a number of cybersecurity threats, including ransomware attacks, data theft, system instability, and more disruptions.
What is the Possible Solution?
These vulnerabilities typically result from faulty coding, unsafe setups, or inadequate testing of essential software components. Because important Microsoft services are impacted in this situation, users must act quickly to prevent future exploitation.
The government agency urges all private and enterprise users to install Microsoft’s most recent security patches as soon as possible in order to protect the systems from intrusions. Pay attention to the most recent Windows Update releases and install them as soon as possible.
To protect their data, users on other platforms should update their Microsoft apps. System administrators and IT teams should maintain the most recent versions of their malware detection and antivirus software.
Vaibhav Taneja, an Indian professional, is making waves around the world as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Tesla, earning an incredible $139.5 million in 2024. It is among the largest compensation packages given to a CFO in history.
This amount, which greatly exceeded his base income of $400,000, was primarily derived from stock options and equity awards given to him after his promotion. Taneja was positioned as one of the highest-paid financial executives in company history thanks to this remarkable salary, which surpassed the salaries of prominent tech executives like Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai.
India is where Vaibhav Taneja’s adventure started. He graduated from Delhi University in 1999 with a Bachelor of Commerce, became a chartered accountant in 2000 through the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, and then became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the United States in 2006.
He worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in India and the United States for about 17 years, rising to the position of Senior Manager in Assurance. He began his career with the electric vehicle behemoth in 2016 when he joined SolarCity, the solar energy company that Tesla eventually purchased.
Striking Success with Dedication and Hard Work at Tesla
Taneja became an Assistant Corporate Controller at Tesla following the 2017 SolarCity merger. He rose swiftly through the ranks, finally replacing Zach Kirkhorn as Chief Financial Officer in August 2023 after being appointed Chief Accounting Officer in 2019 and promoted to Corporate Controller in 2018.
He currently plays a significant part in Tesla’s Indian expansion strategy as a director of Tesla India Motors and Energy Private Limited. For the most part, Taneja’s record-breaking $139.5 million remuneration plan is stock-based and will vest over a four-year period.
Tesla shares were worth about $250 at the time of the award, but by May 2025, they had increased to $342, making the prize even more profitable. In the same year, his salary surpassed Sundar Pichai’s $10.7 million and Satya Nadella’s $79.1 million.
Additionally, it exceeded the $86 million CFO remuneration record that Nikola’s CFO set in 2020. Taneja belongs to a certain category of business executives as a result.
Why Taneja is Getting High Pay-Cheques Despite Tesla’s Ongoing Challenges?
Despite falling EV deliveries, narrowing margins, and more global competition, Taneja is getting a rise from Tesla. Some say that compensating CEOs who exhibit great financial stewardship is essential for navigating through unpredictable market situations, while others criticise such high executive salaries.
The criticism of Tesla’s executive pay arrangements has increased as a result of Elon Musk, the company’s CEO, facing legal battles over his own revoked $56 billion compensation package.
Taneja is frequently characterised as a calm, strategic leader with extensive knowledge of company integration and financial operations. He is known for his quiet competence rather than flamboyance. Professionals all throughout the world, particularly those from the Indian diaspora, find inspiration in his success story.
With more than 20 years of expertise, Taneja is currently in charge of Tesla’s financial strategy, demonstrating that exceptional achievement can be achieved with technological know-how, global flexibility, and the capacity to negotiate challenging corporate environments.
The CEO of Builder.ai, a British artificial intelligence startup supported by Microsoft Corp. and the Qatar Investment Authority, announced that a major creditor had taken the majority of the company’s funds, prompting the company to file for bankruptcy.
Manpreet Ratia, the CEO of Builder.ai, stated in an interview on 20 May that Viola Credit, which gave the software company $50 million in debt last year, had taken $37 million from the company’s accounts, leaving it with $5 million.
Ratia did not provide a clear explanation for the seizure. According to Ratia, the business, which has operations in the US, UK, India, the UAE, and Singapore, will declare bankruptcy when the time comes, in accordance with the procedures in each of those countries.
Ratia stated that he had to make the tough choice to fire the majority of Builder.ai’s staff due to the startup’s financial difficulties. According to him, the company’s remaining $5 million is in Indian banks and was unable to be utilised for employee payments because of limitations on the flow of funds beyond the nation.
Downfall of Builder.ai
One of the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world, QIA, spearheaded a $250 million fundraising round for the company two years prior, and the current proceedings represent a remarkable fall from grace. In 2023, Microsoft also invested equity as a component of a strategic alliance.
Builder.ai disclosed to a news agency less than two months ago that it had engaged auditors to review two years’ worth of accounting and that it had been compelled to reduce sales predictions given to investors. This was in response to enquiries from the agency on the worries of former workers regarding the company’s exaggerated sales figures.
The mistakes made by Builder.ai highlight the dangers of investing in promising AI firms too quickly, as investors aim to duplicate the achievements of industry titans like OpenAI and Anthropic.
Following ChatGPT’s launch, London-based Builder.ai capitalised on investor excitement in AI to draw in well-known investors. Ratia took over as CEO in February after Sachin Dev Duggal, the company’s founder, resigned.
At the time, Builder.ai also demanded Duggal to give up four of the five seats he controlled and reduced the size of its board from nine to five.
According to a statement from Builder.ai, the company has not been able to bounce back from prior decisions and historic setbacks that have severely strained its financial position. It further stated that the corporation will designate an administrator to oversee its operations.
More Trouble for Builder.ai
The business has also received investments from the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corp., Hollywood tycoon Jeffrey Katzenberg’s WndrCo, Lakestar, and SoftBank Group Corp.’s DeepCore incubator.
Bankruptcies in the US are not the same as insolvency cases in the UK, where Builder.ai is headquartered, and other nations with comparable legal systems. A court-approved administrator oversees insolvencies in the UK, working directly with creditors and avoiding the incumbent managers.
In the US, managers remain in their positions, and a federal judge must authorise any significant moves, such as borrowing funds or selling assets.
