Text 4. Influential Business People in the Twentieth century

In 2004 the popular US business magazine Forbes published a list of the top hundred influential business men of all time. No excuse was offered for the fact that the list was for business “men” rather than “people” and as there is not a single woman on the list, Forbes can be excused. Some of the entries on the list are household names that we would expect to be present. Other names are unfamiliar yet their contribution to the world of business and commerce is undeniable. The contributions of three of the most influential business people from the twentieth century, taken from the top of Forbes’ list are briefly outlined below.

Walt Disney (1901-1966) was the founder of the world’s first modern media conglomerate. Seeing a gap in the market for children’s entertainment, he exploited that gap in a way that had never been done before. The public face of Disney includes Mickey Mouse cartoons, animated classics and Disneyland theme parks. Disney characters are known and loved by millions and the continued sale of books, videos, CDs and other merchandise generate profits that even Walt Disney himself could not have dreamed of.

Ray Kroc (1902-1984) might not be a name that many of us recognize but his business, MacDonald’s, has helped to revolutionize the way the western world eats today. The concept of chain production was already being experimented with when Kroc came up with the idea for the fast food stores. In post war America, Big Macs became the solution for a nation with little time on its hands for preparing meals or eating out in conventional restaurants. Customers all over the States would know exactly what to expect when they stepped into a MacDonald’s; the same menus, a clean set up and affordable prices. It didn’t take long for Mac’s burgers and French fries to take off in other parts of the world.

No article about influential business people would be complete without mentioning Henry Ford (1863-1947) who was responsible for democratizing the transport industry. Ford’s Model T is sometimes called the "MacAutomobile", referring to the revolutionary assembly line production that allowed Americans to become more mobile while generating huge profits for the company. As car prices fell, more people were able to afford to buy one. Sales rocketed, prices fell further and more cars were sold. Business boomed and the face of American highways was changed for ever.

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