Neil Woodford had humble origins, but built an enthusiastic following among retail investors by promising to make them rich. Now, they’d just like their money back.

Amancio Ortega shook up the retail industry with his “fast-fashion” revolution. Now he’s the richest man in Spain and has a property empire bigger than the Duke of Westminster’s. 

Niki Lauda was a legend in Formula One racing and a pretty formidable dealmaker and entrepreneur, too. His life is a testimony to the power of the will and of single-mindedness. Jane Lewis reports.

Julian Richer, the entrepreneur who put people before profits, and yet produced plenty of the latter, has been lauded for handing his empire over to his staff. What is his motivation?

The taxi app is always associated with its former boss Travis Kalanick. But it was actually his co-founder, Garrett Camp, who came up with the idea. He’s now sitting on billions. Jane Lewis reports.

Edward Bramson may have failed to secure a seat on the board last week, but past form suggests his Sherborne investment fund will soon be back to shake things up. 

Hui Ka Yan, China’s richest property mogul, rode to success on the back of a boom. Now there are fears that it could all come to a messy end.

Terry Gou, the head of a $41bn gadget assembly empire, has stepped back from his role to contest the presidency of Taiwan. Will that disturb the island’s fragile peace with China? Jane Lewis reports.

Ben Silbermann, who launched the digital pinboard Pinterest in 2010, is not your typical tech entrepreneur. Quiet and meticulous, he has built the company in his own image. Jane Lewis reports.

Hiroshi Mikitani’s talent for trend-spotting has already made him a billionaire. Now he has his sights firmly set on a new challenge. Jane Lewis reports.