When we talk of world famous investors, probably the first name that comes to our minds is that of Warren Buffet, and for good reasons. One of the richest men in the world, he is credited to have built his massive fortune on the basis of solid investment strategies. Referred to as the 'Oracle of Omaha,' Buffet is undeniably one of the greatest investors of all time. Great investors like Buffet are assets to the financial world as they not only build fortunes for themselves but also contribute to the world economy through their financial strategies. Peter Lynch is another famous investor and mutual funds manager who has been consistently described as a "legend" by the financial media. American-born British investor John Templeton is also counted amongst the greatest investors of the 20th century; the 'Money' magazine named him "arguably the greatest global stock picker of the century" in 1999. Though the international financial arena is predominantly a male-centric one, ambitious women like Abigail Johnson have created a reputation for themselves for being astute investors. With a net worth of approximately $14 billion, she is one of the world's wealthiest women.This section provides you information about the life and works of famous investors from all over the world.
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1 Warren Buffett
Famous As: Business Magnate, Investor, Philanthropist
Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, United States
American investor, business tycoon and philanthropist Warren Buffett is considered one of the most successful investors in the world by the media. The chairman and largest shareholder of the firm, Berkshire Hathaway, he is often called as the 'Oracle' or 'Sage' of Omaha. Notably, he has pledged to give away a sizable portion of his wealth to philanthropic causes.
2 Howard Hughes
Famous As: Entrepreneur, Investor
Birthplace: Humble, Texas, United States
Died: April 5, 1976
A multi-talented personality, Howard Hughes was one of the richest person of his time. A business tycoon, he made big investments in films and aviation industry. Passionate about flying, he set numerous flying records, and also risked his own life in process. Howard Hughes who inherited his family business and became millionaire at the age of 18, was later on troubled with mental illness and turned recluse.
3 Alexis Ohanian
Famous As: Internet Entrepreneur
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Internet entrepreneur and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian is also known as the husband of legendary tennis player Serena Williams. Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 twice, he spoke strongly against the 2011 Stop Online Piracy Act, wrote a bestselling book, and is an advocate for the paternity leave policy.
4 Kevin O'Leary
Famous As: Businessman
Birthdate: July 9, 1954
Birthplace: Montreal, Canada
Canadian business magnate Kevin O'Leary founded SoftKey, which was later acquired by Mattel and renamed The Learning Company. He also appeared on Shark Tank, Dragons' Den, and The Lang and O'Leary Exchange. He was in the run for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada but dropped out later.
5 Tom Steyer
Famous As: Banker
Birthplace: New York City, New York
6 Rupert Murdoch
Famous As: Media Tycoon
Birthplace: Melbourne, Australia
Rupert Murdoch's company News Corp owns hundreds of publishing outlets and TV channels around the world, including The Sun, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post and Fox News. His media houses have been accused of hacking the phones of celebrities and public citizens. He has also had to face allegations of bribery and corruption in the UK and the US.
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7 Lori Greiner
Famous As: Television personality
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
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8 Robert Herjavec
Famous As: Businessmen
Birthplace: Varaždin, Croatia
Investor Robert Herjavec founded the internet security software BRAK Systems, which he later sold to AT&T. He also established the Herjavec Group and turned it into one of Canada's biggest IT security firms. He has also appeared in Dragons' Den and Shark Tank, and has authored several business books.
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9 Harry Hamlin
Famous As: Actor
Birthdate: October 30, 1951
Birthplace: Pasadena, California, United States
10 Daymond John
Famous As: CEO of FUBU
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Daymond John is an American investor, businessman, author, TV personality, and motivational speaker. He is credited with founding FUBU, a hip hop apparel company, for which he also serves as the president and CEO. He is also credited with founding a consulting and brand management firm called The Shark Group, where he serves as the CEO.
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11 Stan Kroenke
Famous As: Entrepreneur
Birthplace: Columbia, Missouri, United States
Stan Kroenke is an American businessman. Kroenke has been playing a key role in the sporting world as he owns Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, the holding company of several sporting clubs, such as Arsenal Football Club, The Denver Nuggets, The Los Angeles Rams, The Colorado Avalanche, The Colorado Mammoth, and The Colorado Rapids.
12 Chris Sacca
Famous As: Venture Investor
Birthplace: Lockport, New York, United States
Investor and lawyer Christopher Sacca owns the venture capital firm Lowercase Capital, which has invested in organizations such as Twitter, Instagram, and Uber. He has also worked with Google Inc. and appeared as a "Guest Shark" on the show Shark Tank. He has also signed The Giving Pledge.
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13 Steve Eisman
Famous As: Investor
Steven Eisman is best known for betting against collateralized debt obligations at the Morgan Stanley unit FrontPoint Partners LLC. He thus gained from the collapse of the 2007–2008 American housing bubble. He has worked with Neuberger Berman, had founded the now-defunct Emrys Partners, and has campaigned against for-profit colleges.
14 Ray Dalio
Birthdate: August 1, 1949
Birthplace: Jackson Heights, Queens, New York
Business magnate Ray Dalio founded the hedge fund Bridgewater Associates, which became the world's largest by 2013. He has also written the bestselling book Principles: Life & Work. Named to Time 100, he has joined the Giving Pledge and often donates to various philanthropic causes, including education and healthcare.
15 Marcus Lemonis
Birthplace: Beirut
Businessman Marcus Lemonis was born in Beirut, amidst a civil war, and was adopted by an American couple. He is now the CEO and chairman of enterprises such as Camping World and Good Sam Enterprises. He also gained fame for his appearance on the CNBC reality show The Profit.
16 Toto Wolff
Birthplace: Vienna
Former racing driver Toto Wolff is the CEO and 30% stakeholder of the Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport Formula One Team. He has been part of the Austrian and German Formula Ford championships. He later established the investment firms Marchfifteen and Marchsixteen. He supports underprivileged children through the Mary Bendet Foundation.
17 Marc Mezvinsky
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Marc Mezvinsky is an investment banker who is married to Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former U.S. president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton. He owned a hedge fund and now works as the MD of TPG Capital. He is part of the boards of several philanthropic ventures.
18 Bill Ackman
Famous As: CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management
Bill Ackman is an American hedge fund manager and investor. He is credited with founding the popular hedge fund management company, Pershing Square Capital Management. Also a philanthropist, Ackman has donated millions of dollars to various charitable causes like the Center for Jewish History. In 2006, he founded the Pershing Square Foundation, which supports various sectors like education and healthcare.
19 Charlie Munger
Charlie Munger is an American businessman, investor, architectural designer, and former real estate attorney. Over the years, he has played an important role as the vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. A well-known philanthropist, Charlie Munger has donated millions of dollars to universities and schools.
20 George Soros
Famous As: Investor, Philanthropist
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
A Hungarian-American financier, philanthropist, activist and author, George Soros is the founder of Soros Fund Management and the Open Society Foundations. Amongst the country's most successful investors, he made a huge profit during the 1992 Black Wednesday crisis and became famous as the man who broke the Bank of England.
21 Chad Hurley
Birthplace: Reading, Pennsylvania
Media mogul Chad Hurley is a co-founder and former CEO of the video-sharing websites, YouTube and MixBit. Interested in computers and electronic media since high school, he co-founded YouTube with Steve Chen and Jawed Karim in 2005. The following year, the trio sold YouTube to Google Inc. Hurley is also a part-owner of the NBA's Golden State Warriors.
22 Shahid Khan
Famous As: Business person
Birthplace: Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan Punjab, Pakistan
23 Steven A. Cohen
Famous As: Hedge fund manager
Birthplace: Great Neck, New York, United States
Businessman Steven A. Cohen is best known as a hedge fund manager who also owns a majority stake in the MLB team New York Mets. He founded Point72 Asset Management and the now-defunct S.A.C. Capital Advisors. Named to Time 100 in 2007, he also owns a rich art collection.
24 Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.
25 Arthur Blank
Birthplace: Sunnyside, New York, United States
26 LeBron James
Famous As: NBA Star
Birthplace: Akron, Ohio, United States
A basketball prodigy, Lebron James began playing since his school days and was later selected by Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA draft. His career progressed at a rapid rate and he is considered to be one of the greatest players in NBA history. During his stint with Miami Heat, he helped them win two NBA Championships. Currently, he plays for Los Angeles Lakers
27 Arpad Busson
Famous As: Financier, Philanthropist
Birthplace: Boulogne-Billancourt, France
Arpad Busson is a French financier. He is credited with founding the EIM Group, for which he also serves as the chairman. Also known for his philanthropic efforts around the world, Arpad Busson is an ardent supporter of venture philanthropy, which encourages people to operate charity organizations like any other business ventures to maximize the effectiveness of charitable pursuits.
28 Wilbur Ross
Birthplace: Weehawken, New Jersey, United States
29 Nelson Peltz
Famous As: Businessman & Investor
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York City, New York
A successful activist investor, Nelson Peltz is the co-founder of Trian Fund Management, an alternative investment company. He also serves as the non-executive chairman of Wendy's Company, and director of Legg Mason, P&G, Sysco and The Madison Square Garden Company. A college dropout, he initially ran his family business. Later, he acquired many companies and became a successful businessman.
30 Tim Ferriss
Birthplace: East Hampton, New York, United States
Tim Ferriss is an American podcaster, investor, author, and entrepreneur. He is credited with founding BodyQUICK, a nutritional supplements business, which is now known as BrainQUICKEN. Over the years, Ferriss has been an advisor and angel investor to several startups, such as StumbleUpon, Daily Burn, Shopify, and Evernote. Tim Ferriss has also donated money and raised funds for psychedelic research.
31 Scooter Braun
Famous As: Media proprietor, Record executive
Scooter Braun is an American investor, record executive, and media proprietor. Credited with co-founding TQ Ventures and Mythos Studios, Braun was named on Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world list in 2013. Also a well-known philanthropist, Scooter Braun works closely with charity organizations, such as the Braun Family Foundation and Make-A-Wish Foundation.
32 James Packer
Birthplace: Sydney, Australia
Australian business magnate James Packer, son of media mogul Kerry Packer, inherited Consolidated Press Holdings Limited. He has led Publishing and Broadcasting Limited, Consolidated Media Holdings, and Crown Resorts, as an executive chairman. In 2017, Forbes named him the ninth-richest Australian. He also owns two philanthropic foundations.
33 Carl C. Icahn
Birthplace: Queens, New York City, New York
Carl C. Icahn is an American businessman. He is credited with founding a diversified conglomerate holding company called Icahn Enterprises, which is based in New York City. He also serves as the chairman of the popular auto parts manufacturer and developer, Federal-Mogul. Also known for his charity work, Icahn joined the Giving Pledge list in 2010.
34 Chamillionaire
Famous As: Rapper
Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States
35 Jerry Buss
Birthplace: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Died: February 18, 2013
Legendary LA Lakers co-owner Jerry Buss lived through a poverty-stricken childhood during the Great Depression. Growing up working odd jobs, he also once quit school to work for the railroads. He grew up to be a chemist and later also taught chemistry, before investing in real estate.
36 George Steinbrenner
Famous As: Businessperson
Birthplace: Rocky River
37 Neil Bush
Birthplace: Midland, Texas, USA
38 Carter Page
Famous As: Consultant
Birthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
39 John W. Henry
Birthplace: Quincy, Illinois, United States
40 Seth Bullock
Famous As: Politician
Birthplace: Amherstburg, Canada
Canadian-American frontiersman, hardware store owner, sheriff, U.S. Marshal, horse breeder and hotel owner Seth Bullock is best known for building the Bullock Hotel, the oldest hotel in Deadwood. Bullock was appointed the first sheriff of the then lawless Dakota where he eventually emerged as a prominent figure civilizing the rowdy camp without killing anyone.
41 Mike Holmes
Famous As: Investors
Birthplace: Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada
42 Michael Burry
Famous As: Physician
Birthplace: San Jose, California, U.S.
Michael Burry had discovered his love for finance and investments while studying medicine. He eventually ditched his medical career to step into hedge-fund management. His story inspired Michael Lewis's book The Big Short and the Academy Award-winning movie of the same name. He has an artificial eye since age 2.
43 Marvin Bush
44 Marc Andreessen
Birthplace: Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States
Marc Andreessen is an American entrepreneur, software engineer, and investor. He is credited with co-founding the independent computer services company Netscape as well as the private venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. Marc Andreessen is also credited with co-authoring one of the first web browsers, NCSA Mosaic. In 1994, he was inducted into the World Wide Web Hall of Fame.
45 Lorenzo Fertitta
Birthplace: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
46 Kenneth C. Griffin
Birthplace: Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S.
47 Kirk Kerkorian
Birthplace: Fresno, California, United States
48 Rakesh Jhunjhunwala
Famous As: Investor, Trader
Birthplace: Mumbai
Rakesh Jhunjhunwala is an Indian investor and businessman. One of the richest businessmen in India, Jhunjhunwala is referred to as the King of Bull Market and the Warren Buffett of India. He is serving as the chairman of Hungama Digital Media Entertainment Pvt. Ltd and Aptech Limited. He is also a member of the board of directors of several companies.
49 Duncan Bannatyne
Birthplace: Clydebank, Scotland
50 Dietrich Mateschitz
Birthplace: Sankt Marein im Mürztal, Austria
Self-made business magnate and Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz took 10 years to complete his marketing degree. He was also one of the pioneers of content marketing, and rather than depending on paid ad agencies, marketed his brand through numerous media tools, such as the Red Bulletin magazine.
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