[Businessperson] Biographies & Profiles
Chanda Kochhar
Chanda Kochhar is the former managing director and CEO of ICICI Bank who resigned due to a conflict of interest in 2018. Later, ICICI Bank fired her and the Supreme Court of India upheld their decision. In late 2022, she was arrested in India for allegations of money laundering linked to a loan fraud case involving high-value loans to Videocon in 2009.
Alfred A. Knopf Sr.
Alfred A. Knopf Sr. was an influential American publisher of the 20th century. He co-founded Alfred A. Knopf, Inc along with his contemporaries Bennett Cerf, Donald Klopfer, Frank Nelson Doubleday, J. Henry Harper, and Henry Holt. Knopf was renowned for the high standards he set for the printing, binding, and design of his books. He was known as a purist in both content and presentation, often choosing quality over quantity.
Estée Lauder (businesswoman)
Estée Lauder was an American businesswoman. She co-founded her eponymous cosmetics company with her husband, Joseph Lauter . Lauder was the only woman on Time magazine's 1998 list of the 20 most influential business geniuses of the 20th century.
Ivanka Trump
Ivana Marie "Ivanka" Trump is the daughter of Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States from 2017 to 2021, and his first wife, Ivana. A businesswoman in her own right, Ivanka was a senior advisor in her father's administration, and executive vice president of the family-owned Trump Organization. She was also a boardroom judge on The Apprentice. In addition, she is the first Jewish member of an American first family, having converted before marrying her Jewish husband, Jared Kushner. After raising ethics concerns about her access to classified material, Ivanka agreed to voluntarily file financial disclosure forms and adhere to ethics rules similar to those of federal employees. She also continued to operate her clothing brand business until July 2018, which drew further criticism for conflicts of interest. As such, Ivanka was seen as a key part of her father's inner circle even before becoming an official employee in his administration.
Michelle Phan
Michelle Phan is an American beauty YouTuber. She is the founder and owner of the multimillion-dollar cosmetics line EM Cosmetics.
Jack Ma
Jack Ma Yun is a Chinese business magnate, investor, philanthropist and one of the world's wealthiest people. He is the co-founder and former executive chairman of Alibaba Group, a multinational technology conglomerate. Ma has been an influential figure in the community of startup businesses and is also widely considered as an informal global ambassador for Chinese business. After graduating from Hangzhou Normal University, he headed an information company founded by the government and later founded Alibaba Group in 1999, expanding it to include e-commerce, technology, and online payment. In 2017, he was ranked second in the 'World's 50 Greatest Leaders' list by Fortune and in 2019, Forbes named Ma in its list of "Asia's 2019 Heroes of Philanthropy" due to his work with underprivileged communities. As of April 2021, Ma is listed in the "2021 Forbes Global Rich List" with a fortune of US$48.4 billion.
Satya Nadella
Satya Narayana Nadella is an Indian-American business executive and the current chairman and CEO of Microsoft. He succeeded Steve Ballmer as CEO in 2014, and John W. Thompson as chairman in 2021. Prior to his role as CEO, Nadella held the position of executive vice president for Microsoft's cloud and enterprise group, and was responsible for building and running the company's computing platforms.
Tim Cook
Timothy Donald Cook is a chief executive officer of Apple Inc. who has served since 2011 and famously came out as gay in 2014. He has advocated for many causes including political reform and environmental preservation, and has successfully doubled the company's revenue and profit from 2011 to 2020. Cook also serves on the boards of directors of Nike and the National Football Foundation, and is a trustee of Duke University. Through his philanthropy, he has pledged to donate his fortune to charity.
Chelsea Clinton
Chelsea Victoria Clinton is the daughter of former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former U.S. Secretary of State and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. She has worked for various organizations, such as NBC News and McKinsey & Company, and attended Stanford University for her undergraduate degree, followed by master's degrees from University of Oxford and Columbia University. In 2010, she married investment banker Marc Mezvinsky and they have three children. Clinton is a global health advocate and has authored several books, campaigned for her mother’s presidential nomination bid and served on numerous boards, including those of the School of American Ballet, Clinton Foundation, and Clinton Global Initiative.
Indra Nooyi
Indra Nooyi is an incredibly successful business executive, having served as the CEO and Chairperson of PepsiCo and ranking among the world's 100 most powerful women. In 2014 she was ranked 13th on Forbes' list of the most powerful women in the world and 2nd on Fortune's 2015 and 2017 list. Aside from PepsiCo, she also sits on the boards of Amazon and the International Cricket Council.
Tina Knowles
Celestine Knowles is a renowned businesswoman, fashion designer and philanthropist. She is most famous for establishing the House of Deréon and Miss Tina by Tina Knowles clothing lines, in addition to being the mother of internationally acclaimed singers Beyoncé and Solange Knowles. In 2011, she separated from her husband, Mathew Knowles, who was previously the manager of Destiny's Child. In 2001, Knowles was honored at the ACE Awards for her contribution to the fashion industry.
Lakshmi Mittal
Lakshmi Niwas Mittal is an Indian steel magnate, based in the United Kingdom and the Executive Chairman of ArcelorMittal and Chairman of Aperam. He has achieved an immense amount of success, being ranked 3rd-richest person in the world by Forbes in 2005 and 82nd place in 2015. Mittal is also a member of several influential organizations, such as the Global CEO Council of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the World Economic Forum's International Business Council and is on the board of directors of Goldman Sachs. He has been decorated with awards from multiple organizations, such as The Sunday Times and was included in Time magazine's "Time 100" list of most influential people in 2007.
Priyanka Gandhi
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is an Indian politician and a member of the prominent Nehru-Gandhi family. She is the daughter of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, granddaughter of Indira and Feroze Gandhi, and sister of Rahul Gandhi. She is the general secretary of the All India Congress Committee in charge of Uttar Pradesh and a trustee of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. She is known for her political activism and for using her platform to help the poor, needy and marginalized.
Azim Premji
Azim Hashim Premji is an Indian businessman, investor, engineer, and philanthropist who is the chairman of Wipro Limited, the Czar of the Indian IT Industry, and the Chancellor of Azim Premji University. He has been voted among the 20 most powerful men in the world by Asiaweek, twice listed in Time magazine's 100 most influential people, and regularly featured among The 500 Most Influential Muslims. He has held the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award, and is one of the richest people in India with a net worth of US$32.8 billion. Premji has committed to giving away at least half of his wealth through the Giving Pledge, donating $2.2 billion to the Azim Premji Foundation and topping the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List for 2020.
Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece
Prince Pavlos is the eldest son and second child of Constantine II, the last King of Greece, and his wife Anne-Marie of Denmark. He was born on 20 May 1967 and is the rightful heir to the throne of Greece. He is also a Danish Prince by descent from Christian IX of Denmark. Following his father's death on 10 January 2023, he became the head of the former Greek Royal Family. He is an advocate for the rights of refugees and other vulnerable populations, and a strong supporter of education.
Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece
Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece, is the wife of Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece. The couple married in 1995. Pavlos is the son of Constantine II of Greece and Anne-Marie of Denmark, while Marie-Chantal is the daughter of businessman Robert Warren Miller and his wife, Chantal. The couple has five children together. The marriage made Marie-Chantal Princess of Greece and Denmark, and the Crown Princess of the Greek throne. The monarchy was abolished in 1973, however, Pavlos and Marie-Chantal are still referred to as their titles. Together, they are seen at charitable and diplomatic events, representing their heritage and culture.
Yusaku Maezawa
Yusaku Maezawa is a Japanese billionaire entrepreneur and art collector. He founded Start Today in 1998 and is now Japan’s largest online fashion retail website, Zozotown, launched in 2004. In 2018, Maezawa introduced the ZOZOSUIT, a custom-fit apparel brand and at-home measurement system. As of December 2021, Maezawa is estimated by Forbes to have a net worth of $2.0 billion.
Gautam Adani
Gautam Shantilal Adani is an Indian billionaire industrialist and the founder of the Adani Group. The group is a conglomerate involved in port development and operations in India. Adani has close ties with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, leading to allegations of cronyism. In January 2023, Adani's personal fortune decreased by 60% due to accusations of stock manipulation and fraud. As of February 24th 2023, Forbes and Bloomberg Billionaires Index estimated Adani's wealth to be US$35.3 billion, dropping him to the 33rd spot.
Carolina Herrera
Carolina Herrera is a Venezuelan-American fashion designer known for her personal style, and for dressing various First Ladies, including Jacqueline Onassis, Laura Bush, Michelle Obama, and Melania Trump.
Richard Branson
Sir Richard Branson is an esteemed British billionaire entrepreneur, business magnate, commercial astronaut, and knight of the realm. He gained prominence in the 1970s with the launch of his Virgin Group conglomerate, which today has more than 400 companies across many industries. Branson started his first business, a magazine called Student, at age 16 and went on to open Virgin Records, now known as Virgin Megastores, in 1972. Later ventures include Virgin Atlantic airline, Virgin Rail Group, and the spaceflight corporation Virgin Galactic. For his many accomplishments in retail, music, transport, his adventurous spirit and humanitarian work, he was knighted in 2000 and included in Time's 100 Most Influential People in 2007. In July 2021, his estimated net worth was US$5.7 billion, and he achieved another milestone that same month when he became the third oldest person to fly to space, aboard Virgin Galactic Unity 22, reaching an altitude of 53.5 miles.
Mathew Knowles
Mathew Knowles is an American record executive, businessman, and university lecturer best known for managing the careers of Destiny's Child and his daughters Beyoncé and Solange Knowles. He is the founder of Music World Entertainment, which includes country, gospel, and children's music, and is an active member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, serving on its Grammy Board Committee.
Tom Steyer
Thomas Fahr Steyer is an American climate investor, businessman, hedge fund manager, philanthropist, environmentalist and liberal activist. He co-founded Galvanize Climate Solutions, Farallon Capital which manages $20 billion in capital for institutions and high-net-worth individuals, the benefits State Bank, and Hellman & Friedman, a private equity firm. In 2010 Steyer and his wife signed The Giving Pledge to donate half of their fortune to charity during their lifetime and he sold his stake in and retired from Farallon Capital in 2012. He went on to launch NextGen America, a nonprofit organization that supports progressive positions on climate change, immigration, health care and education and subsequently sought the Democratic nomination for president in 2020 but dropped out after spending more than $191 million on advertising. In 2021, he co-founded Galvanize Climate Solutions, a climate-focused global investment firm.
Laurene Powell Jobs
Laurene Powell Jobs is an American billionaire businesswoman and executive, founder and chair of Emerson Collective and XQ Institute, and widow of Steve Jobs. She resides in Palo Alto with her three children, and manages the Steve Jobs Trust, donating majorly to Democratic Party politicians.
Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna da Silva was a legendary Brazilian Formula One driver who won the World Drivers' Championship three times (1988, 1990 and 1991). He was renowned for his speed and wet weather performances, holding multiple records including the most pole positions up until 2006. He won 41 Grands Prix and 6 at Monaco, and drove for the McLaren, Toleman and Williams teams. Senna was controversial, often due to his rivalry with Prost which was decided by collisions in the 1989 and 1990 Japanese Grands Prix. At the time of his death in 1994, Senna was one of the greatest F1 drivers and his legacy lives on today.
Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassi is an Iranian-American former world No. 1 tennis player and eight-time major champion who achieved the career Grand Slam in the Open Era and the career Golden Slam. He was the first of two men to make this feat, as well as the only man to make a Super Slam. He holds the distinction of being the first man to win all four singles majors on three different surfaces, the most recent American man to win the French Open and the Australian Open, and a member of winning Davis Cup teams in 1990, 1992 and 1995. In 2006, after suffering from sciatica caused by two bulging discs in his back and a bone spur that interfered with the nerve, he retired from professional tennis and founded the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation to raise over $60 million for at-risk children in Southern Nevada, who are enrolled in the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, a K–12 public charter school. He has been married to fellow tennis player Steffi Graf since 2001.
Nate Robinson
Nathaniel Cornelius Robinson is a former American professional basketball player who was born in Seattle and drafted as the 21st pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. During his playing career, he was listed at 5-foot-9-inch (1.75 m) tall, and played point guard for the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, and New Orleans Pelicans. He is most notably remembered as the NBA's first three-time slam dunk champion, winning the award in 2010.
Heidi Klum
Heidi Klum is a German-American model, television host, producer, and businesswoman. She is well-known for her 13-year run as a Victoria's Secret Angel and for being the first German model to appear on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Klum has won six Emmy Award nominations and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program for her work on Project Runway. In addition to her modeling career, Klum has appeared in movies and television shows, been a spokesmodel for several companies, and become an ambassador for Barbie on its 50th anniversary. In 2011, Forbes estimated her total earnings at US$20 million and ranked her as the second-highest earning model. Klum has been a US citizen since 2008 while maintaining her German citizenship.
Bar Refaeli
Bar Refaeli is an Israeli model, television host, businesswoman and actress who has achieved international success. Having appeared on the cover of the 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and voted No. 1 on Maxim magazine's Hot 100 list of 2012, her net worth was estimated at US$20 million in 2015 and she was the highest-paid model in Israel according to Forbes Israel in 2013. She has been hosting The X Factor Israel since 2013 and co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 in Tel Aviv.
Boris Becker
Boris Franz Becker is a German former world No. 1 tennis player and one of the greatest of all time. He holds numerous accolades such as the youngest ever winner of the gentlemen's singles Wimbledon Championships title at the age of 17 in 1985, 64 total titles including an Olympic gold medal, six Grand Slam singles titles, 13 Masters titles, three year-end championships and two Davis Cup championship wins with Germany, plus the Player of the Year awards from the ATP and ITF in 1989. Becker was also credited for bringing power tennis to the court with his signature serve and acrobatic game play. Since retiring from professional tennis, he has engaged in various ventures and had a troubled personal life culminating in 2002 tax evasion trial and 2017 bankruptcy case in the UK which resulted in an 8-month prison sentence in April 2022.
Monica Lewinsky
Monica Lewinsky is an American activist and writer, best known for her affair with President Bill Clinton while she was an intern at the White House in 1995 and 1996. The resulting scandal earned her international celebrity status, and she subsequently went on to become a television personality, design a line of handbags, and serve as a spokesperson for a diet plan. In 2014, Lewinsky reentered public view as a social activist, speaking out against cyberbullying.
Eric Trump
Eric Frederick Trump is an American businessman, activist, and former reality television presenter, who serves as a trustee and executive vice president of the Trump Organization, alongside his brother Donald Jr. The two brothers have been involved in investments and payments from foreign governments during their father's presidency of the United States. Trump has also been a boardroom judge on his father's TV show The Apprentice.
Donald Trump Jr.
Donald Trump Jr. is an American political activist, businessman, former television presenter, author, and the eldest son of Donald Trump, 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. He is active in his father's politics and business ventures, having served as a trustee and executive vice president of The Trump Organization and a boardroom judge on The Apprentice, while also having campaigned and promoted conspiracy theories during his father's 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns. In 2021, Trump was accused of inciting the storming of the Capitol, and he is being looked into to be charged in connection with it.
Dhar Mann
Dharminder "Dhar" Mann is an American entrepreneur and film producer best known for his video production company, Dhar Mann Studios, which creates short films that teach moral lessons to a young audience. In 2010, he co-founded weGrow, a store selling hydroponics, but the business closed two years later due to lawsuits. In 2013, Mann was convicted of defrauding the city of Oakland, California through his real estate company MannEdge Properties.