20th-century American businesspeople

Jo Lynn "Jody" Allen is an American businesswoman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. She is the younger sister of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, and served as the chief executive officer of his investment and project management company, Vulcan Inc., from its founding in 1986 until 2015. She is also the co-founder and president of the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.

Donald John Trump is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021.

Michael Joseph Jackson was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is widely regarded as one of the most culturally significant figures of the 20th century. Over a four-decade career, his musical achievements broke American racial barriers and made him a dominant figure worldwide. Through his songs, concerts, and fashion, he proliferated visual performance for artists in popular music, popularizing street dance moves such as the moonwalk, the robot, and the anti-gravity lean. Jackson is often deemed the greatest entertainer of all time.

George Walker Bush is an American politician, businessman, and former United States Air Force officer who was the 43rd president of the United States, serving from 2001 to 2009. The eldest son of George H. W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States, he was the governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000.

American inventor and businessman (1847–1931)

William Henry Gates III is an American businessman and philanthropist. A pioneer of the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s, he co-founded the software company Microsoft in 1975 with his childhood friend Paul Allen. Following Microsoft's initial public offering in 1986 and the subsequent increase in its stock price, Gates became the world's then-youngest billionaire in 1987, at age 31. Forbes magazine ranked him as the world's wealthiest person for 18 out of 24 years between 1995 and 2017, including 13 years consecutively from 1995 to 2007. Gates became the first centibillionaire in 1999, when his net worth briefly surpassed US$100 billion. According to Forbes, as of February 2026, his net worth stood at US$107.7 billion, making him the 18th-wealthiest individual in the world.

co-founder of Wikipedia (born 1966)

Steven Paul Jobs was an American businessman, inventor, and investor. A pioneer of the personal computer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s, Jobs co-founded Apple Inc. with his early business partner Steve Wozniak as Apple Computer Company in 1976. After the company's board of directors fired him in 1985, he founded NeXT the same year and purchased Pixar in 1986, becoming its chairman and majority shareholder until 2007. Jobs returned to Apple in 1997 as CEO, where he was closely involved with the creation and promotion of many of the company's most influential products until his resignation in 2011.

American animator, producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor and entrepreneur, founder of The Walt Disney Company (1901–1966)

George Herbert Walker Bush was the 41st president of the United States, serving from 1989 to 1993. Bush was Ronald Reagan's vice president from 1981 to 1989. He was the father of George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States.

president of the United States from 1945 to 1953; politician (1884–1972)

Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Queen of Pop", she is known for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, and visual presentation. Her works incorporate social, political, sexual, and religious themes and have generated both controversy and critical acclaim. Madonna has had a significant socio-cultural impact across both the 20th and 21st centuries and is often deemed one of the greatest musicians of all time.

Steven Allan Spielberg is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema and he is the second highest-grossing film director of all time. Among other accolades, he has received three Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, four BAFTA Awards, twelve Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and a Grammy Award, as well as the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1995, an honorary knighthood in 2001, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2006, the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2009, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015, and the National Medal of Arts in 2023. According to Forbes, he is one of the world's wealthiest celebrities. He is one of 22 people to achieve EGOT status.

Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, politician, and former professional bodybuilder who served as the 38th governor of California from 2003 to 2011.

Warren Edward Buffett is an American investor and philanthropist who is the chairman and former CEO of the conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway. As a result of his success, Buffett is one of the best-known investors in the world. According to Forbes, as of January 2026, Buffett's estimated net worth stood at US$148.9 billion, making him the ninth-richest person in the world.

American talk show host, actress, producer, and author (born 1954)

Vice President of the United States from 1993 to 2001 (born 1948)

American filmmaker and philanthropist (born 1944)

Buzz Aldrin is an American former astronaut, aeronautical engineer, and fighter pilot. He was the second person to walk on the Moon after mission commander Neil Armstrong. He made three spacewalks as pilot of the 1966 Gemini 12 mission, and was the Lunar Module Eagle pilot on the 1969 Apollo 11 mission. Following the deaths of Armstrong in 2012 and pilot Michael Collins in 2021, he is the last surviving Apollo 11 crew member. Following Jim Lovell's death in 2025, Aldrin became the oldest living astronaut.

Jeffrey Preston Bezos is an American businessman, the founder, executive chairman, and former president and CEO of Amazon, the world's largest e-commerce and cloud computing company. According to Forbes, as of December 2025, Bezos's estimated net worth is US$239.4 billion, making him the fourth richest person in the world. He was the wealthiest person from 2017 to 2021, according to Forbes and the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Richard Bruce Cheney was an American politician and businessman who was the vice president of the United States under George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009. Cheney was a leading advocate for the Iraq War, and has been called the most powerful vice president in the history of the United States.

Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist (1835–1919)

Paul Leonard Newman was an American actor, filmmaker, racecar driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He has been described as "one of the last of the great 20th-century movie stars". He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, seven Golden Globe Awards, an Actor Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Silver Bear for Best Actor, a Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor, and nominations for two Grammy Awards and a Tony Award. Along with his Best Actor Academy Award win, Newman also received the Academy Honorary Award and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer, songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman. After achieving success as a songwriter for other artists, Parton's debut album, Hello, I'm Dolly, was released in 1967, commencing a career spanning 60 years and 50 studio albums. Referred to as the "Queen of Country", Parton is one of the most-honored female country performers in history and has received various accolades, including eleven Grammy Awards and three Emmy Awards, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards including an humanitarian honorary Oscar win in 2025, six Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award.

Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. Considered a pop icon, she is known for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Jackson's sound and choreography became a catalyst in the growth of MTV, enabling her to rise to prominence while breaking gender and racial barriers in the process. Lyrical content that concerned social issues and deeply felt experiences contributed to the appeal of her work to the youth audience.

American politician and businessman (born 1947)

George Soros is a Hungarian-American investor and philanthropist. As of May 2025, he has a net worth of US$7.2 billion, having donated more than $32 billion to the Open Society Foundations, of which $15 billion has already been distributed, representing 64% of his original fortune. In 2020, Forbes called Soros the "most generous giver" in terms of percentage of net worth.

American computer pioneer, inventor, computer engineer and programmer; co-founder of Apple Inc.

American industrialist and philanthropist (1839–1937)

cyclist from the United States

Canadian actress and producer (1892–1979)

American actress (1908–1977)

Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon is an American actress and producer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards. In 2021, Forbes named her the world's highest-paid actress, and in 2023, she was named one of the wealthiest celebrities in the U.S. with an estimated net worth of $440 million.

American tennis player (born 1970)

Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., known professionally as Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, songwriter, and actor. A key figure in West Coast hip-hop, he helped define G-funk and gangsta rap, and is often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Known for his signature drawled delivery and melodic flow, his lyrics frequently address social issues such as recreational drug use and gun violence.

vice president of the United States from 1989 to 1993

American physicist and inventor (1910–1989)

American record producer and rapper (born 1965)

Keith Rupert Murdoch is a former business magnate, investor, and media mogul. Through his company News Corp, he is the owner of hundreds of local, national, and international publishing outlets around the world, including in the United Kingdom, in Australia, in the United States, book publisher HarperCollins, and the television broadcasting channels Sky News Australia and Fox News. He was also the owner of Sky, 21st Century Fox, and the now-defunct News of the World. With a net worth of US$21.7 billion as of 2 March 2022, Murdoch is the 31st-richest person in the United States and the 71st richest in the world according to Forbes magazine. Due to his extensive wealth and influence over media and politics, Murdoch has been described as an oligarch.

American astronaut (1930–2021)

Paul Gardner Allen was an American businessman, computer programmer, and investor. He co-founded Microsoft Corporation with his childhood friend Bill Gates in 1975, which was followed by the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s. Allen discovered the wrecks of various famous warships, like the IJN Musashi and USS Indianapolis, and was ranked as one of the richest people in American history by Forbes, with an estimated net worth of $20.3 billion at the time of his death in October 2018.

Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, businessman, and record executive. He was named the greatest rapper of all time by Billboard and Vibe in 2023. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, Jay-Z is known for his complex lyricism that often uses double entendres, wordplay, and braggadocio. His music is built on a rags to riches narrative. He is the wealthiest musical artist in history, worth US$2.8 billion as of 2026.

American astronaut and politician (1921–2016)

American businessman and politician; 108th Mayor of New York City

American basketball player and entrepreneur (born 1959)

Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal, commonly known as Shaq, is an American former professional basketball player and sports analyst on the television program Inside the NBA. Nicknamed "Diesel", he is a 7-foot-1-inch (2.16 m) and 325-pound (147 kg) center who played for six teams over his 19-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and is a four-time NBA champion. O'Neal is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players and centers of all time.

American businessman and magazine publisher (1926–2017)

Terry Gene Bollea, better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, was an American professional wrestler and media personality. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most recognized wrestlers of all time, Hogan won multiple championships worldwide, most notably being a six-time WWF/WWE Champion. He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Hogan also competed in promotions such as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), the American Wrestling Association (AWA), and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).

American financier, banker, and art collector (1837–1913)

American aviator, engineer, industrialist, and film producer (1905–1976)

American businessman, former chief executive officer of Microsoft

American record producer and composer (1933–2024)

American astronaut, first American in space, lunar explorer (1923–1998)

American finance author and investor (born 1947)

Swiss-German-American director and producer (1902–1981)

American film director, screenwriter, and actor (1906–1987)

American actress (1910–1990)

Ivana Marie Trump was a Czech and American businesswoman, socialite, and model. She lived in Canada in the 1970s, before relocating to the United States and marrying Donald Trump in 1977. She held key managerial positions in the Trump Organization, as vice president of interior design, CEO and president of Trump's Castle casino resort, and manager of the Plaza Hotel.

American aviation pioneer from Russian Empire (1889–1972)

Sean John Combs, also known professionally as Diddy, is an American former rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is credited with the discovery and development of musical artists such as the Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, and Usher, among others.