Profiles

Czech billionaire Karel Komárek looks set to win the race to run the UK’s national lottery. But he has his eyes on an even bigger prize.

The founder of the world’s largest producer of stainless steel recently found himself on the painful end of a wrong-way bet on the nickel price. The “…

Legendary corporate raider Carl Icahn is showing a softer side, taking a slice of fast-food giant McDonald’s to improve animal welfare. No doubt he is…

Former Google boss Eric Schmidt is concerned about the dangers of artificial intelligence and has set up a $125m philanthropic venture to help steer t…

Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui fled Xi Jinping’s regime to claim asylum in the US. But now the American authorities are after him too.

Sam Bankman-Fried, still under 30, shot from obscurity to a $24.5bn fortune by spotting arbitrage opportunities in the cryptocurrency markets.

Nayib Bukele, El Salvador’s president, took power in a landslide in 2019, promising to clean up politics and end gang violence. He also has a taste fo…

Cox & Kings, the historic Indian travel company, marked its 250th anniversary by floating on the stock exchange. Since then, the whole edifice has com…

Yusaka Maezawa made his fortune in retail before joining the billionaire space race. Now he’s sorting through a million applications to join him in hi…

Guillaume Pousaz moved to California to pursue his love of surfing, and landed in Silicon Valley. He then rode the fintech gold rush to a multi-billio…

No one expected much from Tim Cook when he took over the top job on the Apple founder’s death. But he has quietly led the firm to extraordinary new he…

Hu Xijin had been described as the only man in China who could speak his mind – not least because his mind was as one with the ruling party – and what…

It has been an especially turbulent year in politics, monetary policy and new stockmarket listings. Four key movers and shakers caught our eye

Bob Iger is stepping down as head of the entertainment giant after 15 years in charge. He leaves a far stronger company in prime position for the futu…

Stéphane Bancel had a safe job as CEO of a French multinational when he decided to risk it all on a promising but unproven medical technology. The bet…

Narayan Murthy was a pioneer in bringing American business methods to bear in his home country of India. But now the advocate for “compassionate capit…

Polish entrepreneur Rafal Brzoska’s company almost drowned in debt before being rescued and refocusing on its big idea – automated postal boxes. He is…

Charlie Mullins bunked off school as a child to earn money fixing pipes. Over 50 years on, he sold his plumbing business for more than £125m. Now he h…

Since Jamie Dimon became CEO of JPMorgan, the bank has made total returns that easily outstrip its rivals and sits on $3.4trn in assets. What’s the se…

Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao first spotted business opportunities in the former Soviet Union. Now she is Vietnam’s first and only female billionaire. Here i…

Chris Hohn made more money in financial markets than any of the world’s most successful hedge funds. But his lucre is all for a higher purpose – not l…

Indra Nooyi put the principles of stakeholder capitalism into practice at the soft-drink giant before it was fashionable and grew returns for sharehol…

Larry Fink survived two big financial crises and went on to build a massive asset manager, doing for investing what Henry Ford did for cars. He has hi…

Bernard Tapie, who has died aged 78, was a colourful French entrepreneur, star of screen and stage, politician, sports icon, press baron and convicted…