Entrepeneurs and Businesmen of the golden era (and beyond)?

[Bustercat]

Everything from inventors of things we take for granted, to magnates...
Who are everyone's favorites, and why?

 

[Mr. 'H']

Howard Robard Hughes!

 

[Chasseur]

Andre Citroen, for that wonderful Traction Avant!

Marcel Dassault

For those wondeful Mirages and for surviving Buchenwald.

JRD Tata

For living such an interesting life and his contribution to Indian aviation

John McCone

While he is not as well know as the slightly earlier group of "Wise Men" (Acheson, Kennan, etc.) I've always admired McCone's versatility of not only being a successful businessman, but also his skill as DCI (knew those missiles were going into Cuba before most anyone else). Also, because of his willingness to ignore partisanship and serve as a Republican in two Democratic administrations because of his committment to service.

(on the right here in the photo)

 

[Tomasso]

Bernard Baruch


Bernard Baruch was famous for giving advice to people
including presidents while sitting on a park bench.
In 1960, upon his 90th birthday, a commemorative park
bench near the White House was dedicated

Bernard Baruch’s 10 Rules of Investing

In his memoirs, Baruch listed his 10 rules of investing in a chapter entitled “My Investment Philosophy.”

1. Don’t speculate unless you can make it a full-time job.

2. Beware of barbers, beauticians, waiters--or anyone--bringing gifts of “inside” information or “tips.”

3. Before you buy a security, find out everything you can about the company, its management and competitors, its earnings and possibilities for growth.

4. Don’t try to buy at the bottom and sell at the top. This can’t be done--except by liars.

5. Learn how to take your losses quickly and cleanly. Don’t expect to be right all the time. If you have made a mistake, cut your losses as quickly as possible.

6. Don’t buy too many different securities. Better have only a few investments which can be watched.

7. Make a periodic reappraisal of all your investments to see whether changing developments have altered their prospects.

8. Study your tax position to know when you can sell to greatest advantage.

9. Always keep a good part of your capital in a cash reserve. Never invest all your funds.

10. Don’t try to be a jack of all investments. Stick to the field you know best.

 

[Yeps]

He wasn't really that much of an inventor, and a bit before the time period discussed here, but he was one heck of a businessman.

As my preferred inventor said:

“If Edison had a needle to find in a haystack, he would proceed at once with the diligence of the bee to examine straw after straw until he found the object of his search.
I was a sorry witness of such doings, knowing that a little theory and calculation would have saved him ninety per cent of his labor.”

Also Enzo Ferrari