Today, many seek to start their own business and thereby gain financial independence. But the world of business is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. Special laws reign here, according to which only the strongest survive. No wonder well-known entrepreneurs advise newcomers to always keep their eyes open, otherwise competitors will devour them in an instant.
But how to understand what's what in a world where big money rules? The answer is simple: study the experience of well-known businessmen and draw the necessary conclusions. But for this you need to know who they are - the most famous entrepreneurs in Russia and abroad.
Who is an entrepreneur
First you need to understand who an entrepreneur is. Indeed, despite the fact that this concept is very common, many still do not know its true meaning.
So, an entrepreneur is a person who is engaged in any kind of activity (production of things, provision of services or resale of goods) in order to obtain material benefits. At the same time, he is a leader who bears the burden of responsibility for products, as well asmonitors all stages of production.
It is important to remember that an entrepreneur is a strong-willed person, because he always puts his money and reputation on the line.
History of Entrepreneurship
The first businessmen appeared long before the introduction of money into circulation, in those distant times when market relations were based on mutually beneficial exchange. And the one who was mothers and smarter always tried to sell his goods on more favorable terms.
Of course, with the advent of money, entrepreneurship has become even stronger, because now it was possible to calculate the benefits much more efficiently. Many have heard the saying “War is the engine of progress”, and so, the more conflicts there were, the faster the market developed. In circulation were weapons, overseas goods, as well as slaves, which for a long time were considered a universal currency in many states.
But the very word "entrepreneur" appeared much later. It was introduced into the vocabulary by the French economist and philosopher Jean-Baptiste Say, and it happened in 1800.
Famous entrepreneurs of the past
Let's not think about the businessmen of the Ancient World, since there is no reliable information about them, and there is no particular benefit from their methods either. It is more reasonable to consider those who achieved fame not so long ago, opening the doors to a world of great opportunities, or rather, the great businessmen of the twentieth century.
The most famous entrepreneurs of the last century:
- Thomas Edison. The name of this man is familiar to many to this day. Thanks to himinnovative ideas, electrical appliances have become the norm. The telephone is one of his first creations, for which he received $100,000 from Western Union. Among his other merits, one can note the kinescope, as well as the modernization of the incandescent lamp. After Edison left General Electric, which became one of the leading manufacturers of electrical appliances in the world.
- Henry Ford. The founder of the great corporation Ford Motor Company, whose glory cannot be expressed in words. But not in the automobile business lies Henry's success, no. First of all, he was a great entrepreneur who always knew how to crush competitors with his ideas for organizing work.
- Bill Gates. It is difficult to find someone who does not know about Microsoft, because the Windows operating system is now installed on almost every computer. Although in 1976, when Bill Gates first opened it, no one believed in the prospects of the new industry. The reason for this triumph was an unshakable belief in himself and in his dream, because when Gates had to choose between work and study, he chose the former without hesitation.
- Ray Kroc. Founder of McDonald's fast food chain. Ray was not a cook, moreover, he did not even come up with the menu in the first restaurant. The very idea belonged to the McDonald brothers, but the far-sighted Kroc, sensing the benefits, bought all the rights to the company in 1961. After much effort, his chain of signature eateries has spread all over the world.
- Steve Jobs. Another IT genius who dropped out of college for his dream. Many know him as the founding father of suchgiant like Apple. Also, thanks to his ideas, Jobs managed to make his brand the dream of millions, which significantly increased his sales revenue.
Famous Russian entrepreneurs
As for Soviet times, all plants and factories were under the leadership of the state, and entrepreneurs were equated with criminals. But with the collapse of the USSR, everything changed dramatically. Now everyone could compete for their own piece of the pie using their own tricks.
The most famous Russian entrepreneurs:
- Mikhail Khodorkovsky. One of the richest people in Russia, his fortune is measured at $15 billion. During his life, he tried many ways to earn money - from carpentry to oil trading. The latter brought him such a large capital.
- Roman Abramovich. This man was popularly called the "aluminum tycoon", which is directly related to his line of work. Rabinovich himself believes that his success lies in the fact that he works tirelessly until he reaches the intended goal.
- Mikhail Fridman. Back in Soviet times, Mikhail earned money by speculating on theater tickets. Over the years, his income increased significantly, which allowed him to penetrate into more prestigious areas of business. Many famous entrepreneurs speak of him as a shark that will tear everything in its path.
- Rem Vyakhirev. Former head of Gazprom, who signed many important contracts for the sale of gas.
- Elena Baturina. KnownRussian entrepreneurs are not only men, and Baturina is a good example of this. This business lady owns several cement plants, as well as a network of the largest construction plants in Moscow.
Youngest Entrepreneurs
Recently, the younger generation is catching up with their mentors more and more rapidly. So, many famous entrepreneurs of the world have barely crossed the threshold of 30 years, moreover, half of them are still teenagers.
First of all, Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of the social network Facebook, should be mentioned. At the time of opening, he was only 20 years old, which did not become an obstacle on the way to world fame.
Tom Thurlow is a well-known English entrepreneur who, at the age of 19, opened his book sales network. It was he who produced the famous Harry Potter series, which made him even richer.
Chad Hurley is the man who invented YouTube. At the age of 31, he sold his brainchild to Google for $1.65 billion, making him one of the richest people on the planet.
Women in tough business
There are many examples of women becoming successful entrepreneurs. Therefore, we consider only the most famous representatives of the fair sex.
- Coco Chanel. She changed the world of fashion and also stole the hearts of many men. All famous entrepreneurs spoke of her as a reformer and saw her as a worthy competitor.
- Oprah Winfrey. In addition to hosting one of the most famous talk shows in the US, Oprah is also a talented entrepreneur. Manysure that she is able to turn into gold everything that her hands touched.
- Mary Kay Ash. She founded Mary Kay Cosmetics and was the first to implement a network sales system.
The most unusual ways to make a fortune
Famous entrepreneurs are not only serious people, there are also those who go through life with humor. It was partly due to this trait that they managed to earn their first millions.
German Robert Pot for a long time headed a waste collection company in the city of Wuppertal, but this occupation did not bring a decent income. One day he had a wonderful idea to organize a museum, where the exhibits would be rubbish from the city. As practice has shown, such a business was able to bring him his first million.
Advice from successful people
Many famous entrepreneurs are happy to share their experience, and some even publish books with invaluable advice. Do not miss the opportunity to read them, because such knowledge can change lives for the better.
Summing up what you read, many will agree that the main thing is not to give up and always follow your dream. After all, only in this way can success be achieved, regardless of the difficulties encountered on the path of life.
