In this article, we will talk about the 20 most influential entrepreneurs today. If you want to skip our detailed analysis of the entrepreneurship industry, head straight to the 5 Most Influential Entrepreneurs Today.

Entrepreneurs have changed the way of thinking about business and forged feasible ideas to scale businesses worldwide. Thanks to technology and social media, entrepreneurship is not a mystery anymore and anyone with the grit and will can achieve their dreams in the world. The COVID-19 pandemic was a challenging period where businesses had to suffer a lot, but new opportunities opened up for entrepreneurs, at the same time. In the last few years, unprecedented economic conditions have created havoc in the global markets. The challenge to raise funds, recent sell-offs in equity markets, and lay-offs at large scale are some of the few reasons that have created ambiguity for entrepreneurs. 

However, counterintuitively, such challenges create great opportunities for new businesses to be born and built. For instance, the remote working concept got huge attention during the lockdowns and now companies are adopting remote working culture to save costs. Moreover, tech giants including Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), and Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) have replaced a lot of job postings from physical to remote work. On July 17, CNBC mentioned in an article that almost 34% of job roles in the tech sector during May 2023 were open for remote or hybrid flexibility. 

Most Supportive Economies for Entrepreneurs to Start Business

After the pandemic, the global environment for businesses has significantly changed. Especially for the new startups, it has been a bit tricky to enter the market and understand the dynamics, considering the economic upheaval. According to the 2022/2023 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Global Report, the entrepreneurial opportunities have varied across different economies in 2022. Out of 38 economies participating in GEM’s Adult Population Survey (APS), there were 12 economies in which the percentage of individuals willing to start a business fell by five points or more, compared to 2019. Whereas, another nine economies highlighted that the percentage actually increased by more than five points against 2019. As per GEM’s global report, one of the reasons for entrepreneurs to start a business before 2022 was the government support for businesses and households during the pandemic. Apart from that, ongoing factors such as limited venture capital funding and high interest rates have played a major role in entrepreneurs not starting a business. 

As per the 2022 global report by GEM, the United Arab Emirates ranks number one in the GEM National Entrepreneurship Context Index (NECI). The UAE government is offering the best environment for entrepreneurs to start businesses in the region. The UAE Ministry of Economy has announced Future100, an initiative that has forged 25 strategic partnerships. On September 25, Arabian News reported that Future100 is set to unveil its inaugural list on December 2, 2023. Future100 will create business opportunities for entrepreneurs and companies to expand their regional development. According to GEM, the second most suitable economy to start a business is Saudi Arabia, on third we have Taiwan, then India, and The Netherlands at number five.  

To add to the information, the lowest business exit rates for early-stage entrepreneurial businesses were within Europe, while the highest business exit rates for early-stage entrepreneurial businesses were in Latin and North America. In Europe, the business exit rate was less than 6%, while the rest of the world had a business exit rate of more than 6%. 

Entrepreneurs that Created Successful Businesses

What makes business innovations so exciting and successful around the world? It’s the team behind the idea and the innovators who started things from scratch. Steve Jobs founded one of the most notable companies in the world, the tech giant Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), which is worth well over $2.5 trillion now. As we mentioned earlier, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) leads the global smartphone market with a market share of 28.52%, as of August 2023. Today, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is one of the biggest companies in the world with a market cap of $2.68 trillion, as of September 26. Warren Buffett has a large position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) through Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-A). As of June 30, Warren Buffett’s hedge fund has a position worth $177.5 billion in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL).

Similarly, Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), one of the most innovative companies in America, has changed the dynamics in the e-commerce market. Founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994, Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) has become a global brand through its online store. According to Jungle Scout’s 2023 seller report, 89% of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) sellers are profitable in 2023, and almost 37% of sellers said that their profits increased in 2022. With a global presence across more than 50 countries, the e-commerce giant has changed the lives of many people. Thousands of Amazon.com sellers became millionaires by selling products on the e-commerce platform.

Apart from its online business, Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) is also a leader in the cloud computing market with a market share of 32-34%, as of the second quarter of 2023, as per Synergy Research Group. Under Bezos, Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) became a phenomenon in the business world. In July 2021, Bezos stepped down as the CEO and became executive chairman of the company after serving it for almost 27 years.

Elon Musk is certainly one of the biggest names among all the entrepreneurs in the world. Musk has created some unique businesses from scratch, which has made him one of the world’s wealthiest people. In 1995, Musk founded Zip2, which he sold to Compaq Computer Corporation for over $300 million in 1999. The very same year, Musk invested some of the money from the sale of Zip2 to launch X.com, an online payments platform, which merged with a software firm, Confinity, in 2000 forming PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL). 

Later, Musk founded more companies and now he owns, SpaceX, Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA), Neuralink, The Boring Company, and Twitter. Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) is one of the major companies that has added most to Musk’s wealth. Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) is changing the dynamics of the automobile industry. On September 14, Reuters highlighted that Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) is working on gigacasting, a process that can lead the company to save production costs. Musk wants to dominate the EV market and he is working tirelessly to ensure that his company makes the best moves. 

Now, let’s take a look at the most influential entrepreneurs list who have and continue to inspire millions today.

Our Methodology

For our list of the 20 most influential entrepreneurs today, we considered net worth to identify the influence of an entrepreneur. We hypothesized that there is a strong correlation between an entrepreneur’s net worth and their level of influence in their respective industries and beyond. We have listed all the entrepreneurs who founded, co-founded, or built businesses. We did not include businesspeople who had inherited their family businesses.

We gathered and cross checked our net worth data from the Forbes Real Time Billionaires list and the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. We took the top common billionaires listed on Forbes and Bloomberg and narrowed down on entrepreneurs from there. The entrepreneur with the highest net worth is ranked higher on our list of the 20 most influential entrepreneurs today.

20 Most Influential Entrepreneurs Today

20. Ma Huateng

Total Net Worth (As of September 26): $33.9 Billion

Ma Huateng led the research and development at the China Motion Telecom Development before starting Tencent Holdings Ltd (HKG:0700) in 1998. Ma Huateng has led the Chinese internet giant and made it one of the biggest global firms. Ranked 20th on our list, Ma Huateng is one of the most influential entrepreneurs today.

Some of the top global companies founded by remarkable visionaries of all time include Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA), and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). 

19. Colin Zheng Huang

Total Net Worth (As of September 26): $34.6 Billion

Colin Zheng Huang founded the Chinese e-commerce firm, PDD Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:PDD). Also, the founder of the online game company Xinyoudi, Colin Zheng Huang makes it to our list of the most influential entrepreneurs today.

18. Ken Griffin

Total Net Worth (As of September 26): $35.4 Billion

Ken Griffin founded Citadel Investment Group, LLC, a hedge fund that manages assets worth around $60 billion. Griffin also founded Citadel Securities, one of the biggest Wall Street market making firms. Ranked 20th on our list, Ken Griffin is one of the most influential entrepreneurs today.

17. Jensen Huang

Total Net Worth (As of September 26): $35.4 Billion

Jensen Huang co-founded the chip-making giant NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) and has been the CEO of the company since its inception. Under Jensen Huang, NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) became one of the biggest public companies in the world and a dominant force in the global chip-making market. Jensen Huang ranks among the most influential entrepreneurs today.

16. Gautam Adani

Total Net Worth (As of September 26): $55.8 Billion

The Indian billionaire has created a fortune from his Adani Enterprises Limited (NSE:ADANIENT). Gautam Adani’s company deals in ports, airports, power generation and transmission, and green energy, among others. Gautam Adani is one of the most influential entrepreneurs today.

15. Zhong Shanshan

Total Net Worth (As of September 26): $61 Billion

Zhong Shanshan is a school dropout who has created his empire in the beverages and pharmaceutical industry. Zhong Shanshan founded Nongfu Spring Co., Ltd. (HKG:9633), a leading beverage company in China. Zhong Shanshan also controls Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy Enterprise Co., Ltd. (SHA:603392). Zhong Shanshan ranks among the most influential entrepreneurs today.

14. Michael Dell

Total Net Worth (As of September 26): $71.5 Billion

In 1984, Michael Dell founded Dell which went on to become the biggest PC company in the world. After the merger of Dell and EMC, Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:DELL) was formed in 2016 and Michael Dell became the CEO of the company. Innovating the manufacturing of computers, Michael Dell ranks among the most influential entrepreneurs today. 

13. Amancio Ortega

Total Net Worth (As of September 26): $88.1 Billion

One of the world’s wealthiest clothing retailers, Amancio Ortega co-founded Industria de Diseno Textil, S.A. (MCE:ITX), owner of the famous fashion brand Zara. Amancio Ortega generally makes $400 million in dividends each year. With his investments in real estate across Madrid, Barcelona, New York, London, Chicago, and Miami, Amancio Ortega is one of the most influential entrepreneurs today.

12. Carlos Slim Helu

Total Net Worth (As of September 26): $89.3 Billion

Owner of Latin America’s biggest mobile telecom firm, América Móvil, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE:AMX), Carlos Slim Helu is the richest person in Mexico. Carlos Slim Helu has stakes in Mexican construction, mining, consumer goods, and real estate companies. Carlos Slim and his family also own Grupo Carso SAB de CV (BMV:GCARSOA1). Ranked 12th on our list, Carlos Slim Helu ranks among the most influential entrepreneurs today.

11. Mukesh Ambani

Total Net Worth (As of September 26): $91.4 Billion

India’s richest person, Mukesh Ambani is the owner of Reliance Industries Limited (NSE:RELIANCE), which has operations in oil and gas, petrochemicals, telecom, and retail. Though Ambani inherited Reliance Industries Limited (NSE:RELIANCE) from his father, he later found companies such as Jio and Reliance Retail, among others. India’s most influential businessman, Mukesh Ambani ranks 11th on our list of the most influential entrepreneurs today.

10. Steve Ballmer

Total Net Worth (As of September 26): $97.5 Billion

Steve Ballmer joined Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) as an employee in 1980. Ballmer became the CEO of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) in 2000 and led the company till 2014. Steve Ballmer also owns the NBA team LA Clippers. Steve Ballmer ranks among the most influential entrepreneurs today.

9. Sergey Brin

Total Net Worth (As of September 26): $106.1 Billion

Sergey Brin co-founded Google with Larry Page in 1998. In December 2019, Brin retired as the president of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG), but he remains a board member of the company. Being a controlling shareholder of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG), Sergey Brin is one of the most influential entrepreneurs today.

8. Mark Zuckerberg

Total Net Worth (As of September 26): $106.8 Billion

Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook when he was at Harvard in 2004. Today, the company trades as Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) which owns Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp. Ranked eighth on our list, Mark Zuckerberg is one of the most influential entrepreneurs today.

7. Bill Gates

Total Net Worth (As of September 26): $108.9 Billion

Bill Gates generated his wealth from Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), which he co-founded in 1975 along with Paul Allen. Inventor of Windows, Bill Gates ranks among the most influential entrepreneurs today.

6. Larry Page

Total Net Worth (As of September 26): $110.5 Billion

Larry Page is a board member of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG), a company that he co-founded with Sergey Brin. Served the company as CEO for the second time until 2019. Larry Page has also funded space exploration company Planetary Resources and remains a key investor in ‘flying car’ startups Kitty Hawk and Opener. Larry Page ranks sixth on our list of the most influential entrepreneurs today.

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA), and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) are some of the top companies founded by innovative and bright entrepreneurs.