Self-Made Men and Women, Page 2

People who became wealthy starting from nothing

(excluding people in literature, the arts, and sports.)

Ellison, Lawrence J. (Larry)

Ellison was adopted by a Jewish family and raised in Chicago. Although he nevergraduated from college, with two others, he founded the Oracle Corporation in 1977,developing computer database... [more]

Glazier, Sidney

Tom Glazer and Sidney Glazier (they spelled their last names differently) were two of the three sons born in Philadelphia to Jewish immigrants from Minsk. Their father died i... [more]

Jackson, Andrew

Jackson was born a few days after his father died, the third child of the family. When he was 13 he became an orderly and messenger in the Revolutionary Army against the British. One of his... [more]

Jobs, Steven Paul

Jobs, with Stephen Wozniac, co-founded Apple Computers, after developing their first machine in a garage. Jobs' company was also the brains behind the first computer-animated film Toy Story... [more]

Massow, Ivan

Massow was adopted aged 12, after four previous families and two other names. He is dyslexic and left school with only two 'O' levels, but he is now a multi-millionaire financial advisor... [more]

McDaid, Desmond

McDaid was the son of a single mother in Ireland, who had to leave him in an orphanage when he was two. He stayed in Irish orphanages until he was nine, when he was shipped, without his mot... [more]

Monaghan, Thomas

Monaghan's father died when he was four, and he and his younger brother were put into care by their mother so that she could attend nursing school. They remained in care, foster homes and o... [more]

Morley, Eric Douglas

Morley was orphaned at the age of 11 and sent to a naval training ship. He became an entertainment and media tycoon. He and his wife founded the Miss World pageants in 1951; he was chair... [more]

Myners, Paul

Myners was adopted from an orphanage in Cornwall as a young child. He started his career as a teacher, but soon became involved in business. He has risen to be the chairman of the Gartmo... [more]

Nanbaree

Nanbaree was orphaned by the smallpox epidemic at Port Jackson in 1789, during which a large number of Aboriginals, who had no natural immunity to the disease, died. He was adopted by a loc... [more]

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