The Wealthy 100: From Benjamin Franklin to Bill Gates-A Ranking of the Richest Americans, Past and Present

by Michael Klepper, Robert Gunther

Offers brief profiles of the wealthiest Americans of all time and ranks them based on the Gross National Products of their times

Genres: History, Business

362 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 432

Reviews

[Gyorgy Gaspar · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Carnegie, who built the US Steel, then sold to JP Morgen, who saved the US govornment with an age old bill, that allowed for direct gold buying, what you can see is that big capitalists in this time created all that business enterprises, that built America and created jobs to people. Competion was different, from gaining rail road consession by redrawing the California map, through to selling beef in large to the US Army... But the spirit was high, understood success needs time in their humble manner. Mainly US figures in the book, with some contemporaries like Bill Gates and the Walton family. One thing is true since then: those who manage to get there are major influencer.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Lots of ways to get wealthy and lots of ways to mess up your kids. I would love an updated version or a modern day maybe 21st century edition.

[Lonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit outdated now with regard to rankings but the books gives short biographies of America's richest people. Wealth is based on their net-work/GDP ratio.

[Elizabeth Lund]

An interesting historical overview of the wealthiest Americans. The short profiles got somewhat repetitive, so I read it in smallish chunks. Only one woman made the list!

[Tony Moze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ambition & Motivation are what makes people motivated. So many iconic figures to name in this one. So inspiring. They came from nothing, many were poor, and ended up leaving legacies.