One of BusinessWeek’s consistent elite 50 most Generous Philanthropists, Robert Meyerhoff, has built his reputation on exemplary work ethic and magnanimity. Ever since 1945, he has unceasingly committed to making great things possible in both the arts and sciences. With his wife, Jane, he began his...

The most remarkable thing about Paul Gardner Allen is not so much the huge sums he consistently gives to his diverse advocacies and projects, but the fact that he is personally involved with each. Furthermore, he does not broadcast his activities and prefers instead to steadfastly work for his foundation....

Dr. Herchel Smith is the scientist who invented contraceptive pills. As a teacher at Manchester University, Herchel Smith was able to patent ways to synthesize new steroids. Moreover, the British chemist later invented important hormonal therapies. He is an outstanding alumnus of Cambridge University and...

Gordon Moore is best known as the cofounder of Intel, as well as observer of Moore’s Law. He completed his undergraduate studies at Berkeley and received his PhD from Caltech. Gordon Moore and his wife Betty established the Moore Foundation to target science, conservation, and higher education. The...

Richard Li Tzar Kai is the Chairman of PCCW, the largest telecommunication company in Hong Kong and a leader in Asia’s information technology services industry. Richard Li is a member of the Global Information Infrastructure Commission, the Center for Strategic and International Studies’...

As the founder and CEO of Intelius, Naveen Jain has been recognized numerous times as a visionary entrepreneur and successful businessman. Naveen Jain graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology in 1979 and worked for Microsoft Corporation for a number of years as a senior executive. He founded...

Dr. Irwin M. Jacobs is a scientist and the co-founder and chairman of Qualcomm. As a scientist and businessman, Dr. Irwin Jacobs has made several contributions to technology. As a philanthropist, he has served by contributing his wealth to education and the arts. Irwin Jacobs’ wrote the seminal...

Bill Gates is the co-founder of Microsoft with Paul Allen, and the most visible CEO in the world. The Windows operating system placed Microsoft on the map and made the company synonymous with the PC. Gates’ tremendous wealth and generous philanthropy have garnered him praise and placed him in the elite of...

Michael Dell was born in Houston, Texas. When he was fifteen, he took apart his first computer, an Apple II and then rebuilt it. After high school, Dell attended The University of Texas – Austin, where he studied biology. He started a computer company in his Dobie dorm room, which was the beginning of...

James H. Clark transformed companies into billion-dollar forays— Netscape, WebMD (formerly Healtheon), Hyperion, and Silicon Graphics. Jim Clark, along with Marc Andreessen, introduced the internet browser Netscape in 1994. Until 1998, Netscape took up 80% of the market. Once a professor of electrical...