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What do you know about the richest people in history? Many of the biggest names gracing our history books were self-made entrepreneurs, industrialists, and visionaries. We can learn a lot from their stories. They built businesses, founded charities, and changed the course of the world’s economy.
How did these titans of industry and finance make their billions? For the 13 wealthiest people in history, it has been a game of vision, determination, and luck.
Read the history of their journeys to become the richest people in the world in these short summaries.
1. Jeff Bezos ($201 Billion) – Richest People in History
In 1994, Jeff Bezos had the vision of an online bookstore. He approached investors, but no one was interested. Going it alone, Bezos secured a loan from his parents and got started. Today, his company, Amazon, is the biggest retailer in the world. It sells everything from sneakers to melon peelers and has netted Bezos a cool net worth of more than $200 billion.
2. Sam Walton ($64.5 Billion)
Sam Walton is one of America’s great modern wealth stories. Starting life humbly on a farm in rural Oklahoma, Walton built his empire from the ground up. He took his first retail job in 1940 and, by 1945, had purchased his first store in Newport, Arkansas. This store would one day become the retail giant Walmart. Walton’s current net worth is estimated to be $64.5 billion.
3. Jay Gould ($71.2 Billion)
Historians often refer to Jay Gould as a “Wall Street Wizard.” That’s because the astute stock analyst managed to amass a $71 billion fortune during his time in Manhattan. He didn’t start in finance. Gould was a self-made man who began his wealth journey in the tanning industry. After doing well there, he started investing in gold and played a part in the financial panic of Black Friday.
4. Frederick Weyerhaueser ($79.4 Billion)
Frederick Weyerhaeuser was known as the “Timber King” at the peak of his financial power. That’s probably because the self-made entrepreneur earned $79-$85 billion from his monopoly of timberland, sawmills, paper mills, and processing plants. Weyerhaeuser innovated the timber industry and worked closely with the railroads, increasing his fortune astronomically.
5. A.T. Stewart ($88.9 Billion)
Though he died in 1876, entrepreneur A.T. Stewart remains one of the wealthiest men in history. The Irish-American businessman had a net worth of $88 billion by the end of his career. It all started with his first store in New York City. The store sold Irish fabrics and exploded in popularity. By 1846, A.T. Stewart and Company was one of the most successful retailers in America.
6. Carlos Slim ($102.8 Billion)
Telecommunications has always been a profitable niche for big-time investors. That has certainly been the case for Carlos Slim. This Mexican-born billionaire started his brokerage firm at the age of 25. Now, his corporate conglomerate gives Slim a stake in the cement, retail, construction, and automotive industries. His greatest holdings, however, are in telecommunications. Slim is worth over $100 billion, and his companies control 72% of the Mexican wireless market.
7. Stephen Girard ($105 Billion)
Stephen Girard is one of the richest men in history. The French-born merchant and trader opened a shipping business in Philadelphia after the American Revolution. The company traded successfully with China and South America, making Girard extremely wealthy. Girard purchased shares in the First Bank of the United States in 1811, sealing his status as one of the richest men in the country. He was worth an estimated $105 billion when he died.
8. John Jacob Astor ($121 Billion)
Few business titans are more legendary than John Jacob Astor. The German-born trader arrived in the United States shortly after the American Revolution. Astor began by trading furs. In 1808, he founded the American Fur Company, which became a quick success. This allowed him to move on to real estate investments and new trade markets with China. By the time Astor died in 1848, he was considered worth $121 billion in today’s money.
9. Bill Gates ($129.5 Billion)
Bill Gates is synonymous with Microsoft. He co-founded the tech giant in 1975 as personal computers became popular, a brilliant move. Bill Gates remained at the head of Microsoft until 2020 when he stepped down with a net worth of more than $129 billion. That money hasn’t come from Microsoft alone, however. Bill Gates also has holdings in companies like Republic Services and tractor company Deere & Co.
10. Cornelius Vanderbilt ($185 Billion)
When he died in 1877, Cornelius Vanderbilt was the wealthiest man in the United States. It was no surprise. Vanderbilt started his business career as a successful shipping tycoon. He owned a fleet of steamships that earned him the nickname ‘Commodore.’ His real wealth came from railroads, however. Vanderbilt amassed over $185 billion in his lifetime by building and consolidating railroads across the United States.
11. Warren Buffet ($63.9 Billion)
Warren Buffet is synonymous with the idea of wealth. This legendary investor is worth $63 billion and has his hands in some of the biggest companies in the world. He started young. At 11, Buffet purchased his first stock. By 14, the would-be billionaire made his first real estate investment. Now, Buffet is one of the most prominent investors in the world. He is known to purchase struggling companies to flip for huge profits.
12. Andrew Carnegie ($309 Billion)
Industrialist Andrew Carnegie was born in Scotland in 1835. At 12, the Carnegie family moved to the U.S., and Andrew was set on a new path. He built his wealth from the ground up. Starting with the cotton industry, he made intelligent investments. Moving on to the railroads, it didn’t take him long to become a financial titan. When he died in 1919, he was a noted philanthropist worth an estimated $309 billion.
13. John D. Rockefeller ($336 Billion)
Decades have passed since the death of celebrated businessman and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller. However, he still tops the list of the world’s wealthiest people. That’s because this business giant amassed a wealth worth more than $300 billion in his lifetime. How? By founding the Standard Oil Company in 1870 and creating a monopoly in the oil industry.
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