Dr. Muhammad Younas Grameen:

Famous For: Grameen Bank.

Detail:

"All human beings have an innate skill - survival skill. The fact that poor are still alive is a proof of their ability to survive. We do not need to teach them how to survive. They know this already. " This firm faith in basic human ability drove the man, named Mohammad Yunus, to turn a dream called 'Grameen Bank' into a $2.5 billion (US) reality.

Dr. Mohammad Yunus was born to a well-to-do family in Chittagong, a business center in Bangladesh, in 1940. His father was a successful goldsmith who always encouraged his sons to seek higher education. But his biggest influence was his mother, Sofia Khatun, who always helped any poor that knocked on their door. This inspired him to commit himself to eradication of poverty.

Dr. Yunus lives modestly in a two-bedroom apartment at Grameen Banks headquarters in Dhaka, Bangladesh with his physicist wife, Afrozi and their daughter Deena.

Yunus was an outstanding student who won a Fullbright Fellowship to do PhD at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee in 1965. He returned home in 1972 to become the head of the economics department at the Chittagong University. He found the situation in newly independent Bangladesh worsening day by day. The terrible famine of 1974 in Bangladesh changed his life forever. He thought that while people were dying of hunger on the streets, he was teaching elegant theories of economics. He felt the inadequacies of elegant theories of economics and decided to make the poor his teachers. He began to study them and question them on their lives. One day, interviewing a woman who made bamboo stools, he learnt that, because she had no capital of her own, she had to give up more than 93% of her proceeds to the middleman. Dr. Yunus identified the problem as one of structure. Lack of credit to the poor. He thinks that people are poor today because of the failure of the financial institutions to support them in the past. Thus the idea of micro-credit was born. The idea is terribly simple and in the area of development and aid completely revolutionary.

The Grameen Bank (in Bengali, Grameen means rural) which Dr. Yunus has built over the last 22 years, is today the largest rural bank in Bangladesh. It has over 2 million borrowers and works in 35000 villages in a country of 68000 villages. 94 % of its borrowers are women. The bank is based on simple, sensible rules, meticulous organization, imagination and peer pressure among borrowers. The break that Grameen Bank offers is a collateral-free loan, sometimes equivalent to just a few U.S. dollars and rarely more than $100. In rural areas, it makes things happen. 98% of its loans are honored. Thus he has turned into reality a philosophy that the poorest of the poor are the most deserving in the land and that given the opportunity they can lift themselves out of the mire of poverty. His ideas combine capitalism with social responsibility.

Micro-credit concept is now being practiced in 58 countries. In the US, it is a success even with the Shifting poor of Chicago's toughest districts. The United States alone has over 500 Grameen spin-offs. Bill Clinton said in his election campaign that Yunus deserved a Nobel Peace Prize and cited the Experiment of Dr. Yunus as a model for rebuilding the inner cities of America. Pilot projects are starting in Britain. The methods are adapted to suit local conditions, but the principle of empowering individuals with their own capital is the same.

Professor Yunus has received honorary doctorate from many Universities in the United States, Canada, England and many other countries. The World Bank has made him the head of advisory committee to propagate his vision worldwide. The countless prizes he has been awarded include The World Food Prize, the highest honor of the Rotary International, "Award for World Understanding" and Care Humanitarian Award. Asia Week magazine called him one of the 25 most influential Asians. New York Times hailed him as the star of the UN's women's conference.

The Grameen activity has branched into non-banking activities like venture capital, textile industry, Internet and cellular phone service etc.

Dr. Yunus has set his sights on the total eradication of poverty from the world. World's leaders are starting to take him seriously.

Dr. Younus Grameen's Quote:

"We believe that poverty does not belong to a civilized human society. It belongs to museums."

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Warner Edward Buffet:

Famous American Investor - Stock Market Guru
Famous for : The successful Berkshire Hathaway Company, being one of the richest men in the world, and for being a generous philanthropist.


Detail:

Warren Buffett was born in Nebraska, Omaha USA on the 30th of August in 1930. He is one of the worlds richest men, with a fortune that is only surpassed by Bill Gates of Microsoft fame. He is considered one of the most successful investors of all time and has picked up the nickname of the "Oracle of Omaha".

Buffett was born to Leila and Howard Buffett and was the second of three children, he being the only boy. Buffett's father, Howard was a stockbroker and also became a member of congress. Warren Buffett showed early signs of being entrepreneurial through being involved in various business dealings as a child, including purchasing bottles of cola cheaply and selling them for a profit. He also made his first investment in the stock market when he was just 11 years old.

Buffett began studying at the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, but transferred to the University of Nebraska where he graduated. He then went on to the Columbia University to do a Masters in economics. This was where he met the influential value investor Benjamin Graham.

The young investor was very influenced by Benjamin Graham and went to work for him in his company "Graham-Newman". It was here that Warren Buffett developed many of his stock market investing skills that have now become legendary. Graham developed a method where investors could work out the intrinsic value of a company and make intelligent investing decisions by comparing the stock price to the intrinsic value.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Berkshire Hathaway
After Graham's retirement, Buffett returned to Omaha and began a limited investing fund partnership with a group of friends, family and associates. The "Buffett Partnerships Ltd" fund racked up amazing returns for its investors over a ten year period, with returns 10 times higher than the Dow Jones Industrial average for the same time. Buffett liquidated the fund and took control of the textile company Berkshire Hathaway.

It was a difficult time for the textile industry and Buffett eventually wound up Berkshire Hathaway's textile activities, but kept the name for Buffett's portfolio of companies and investments. The insurance industry was the first major area of success that Berkshire Hathaway had, with the funds used to acquire carefully selected investments each year. Major undervalued companies that Buffett took advantage of included "American Express", "Coca-Cola" "The Washington Post" and "Gillette". Berkshire Hathaway owns large holdings of each of the above major brand companies (more than 5% each).
Selected Berkshire subsidiary companies include:

• Borsheim's Fine Jewelry
• Acme Brick Company
• Buffalo NEWS, Buffalo NY
• Clayton Homes
• Fruit of the Loom
• GEICO Direct Auto Insurance
• General Re
• Helzberg Diamonds
  
• Nebraska Furniture Mart
• The Pampered Chef
• See's Candies
• United States Liability Insurance Group
  

Warren Buffett lives with his long time partner Astrid Menks in Omaha, USA. He was married to Susan Thompson up until her death from stroke in July 2004, but the couple were separated in 1977. They chose not to divorce and remained good friends and business associates. Buffett's late wife was set to inherit much of his fortune upon his death.

Warren Buffet Gives Away his Billions to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Buffett is a generous philanthropist and was giving more than $USD12 million each year to the Buffett Foundation (no called the "Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation"). His largest charitable donation was to be upon his death when he had planned to give 99% of his massive fortune to the foundation.

In June 2006 Buffett announced plans to give much of his wealth away while he is still living. The majority of the Buffett billions will go to the foundation of his Bridge partner and friend of fifteen years, Bill Gates.

Warren Buffett becomes the Richest Man in the World in 2008
Warren Buffett finally knocked Bill Gates out of first position to become the richest man in the world in 2008 on the world rich list according to the Forbes business magazine.

Warren Buffett Quote:
"Only buy something that you'd be perfectly happy to hold if the market shut down for 10 years."

Steve Jobs(Steve Paul Jobs):

CEO Apple Computers + CEO Pixar Animation Studios

Famous for : Being a major force behind the success of Apples computers and for being an innovative technology and Internet entrepreneur.

Detail:

Steve Jobs is the Chairman, CEO and co-founder of Apple Inc., a leading manufacturer of electronic devices including the Macintosh Computer (MAC),ipod, iPhone, and the music and video software itunes. He was CEO of Pixar Animation Studios until it was acquired by Disney in 2006. Although he is known as a business and sales wizard, Steve Jobs is credited with many of the electronic inventions now patented by Apple.

Steven Paul Jobs was born in San Francisco to Joanne Carole Schieble and Syrian Abdulfattah John Jandali and adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs. He attended the Cupertino Middle School followed by high school at Homestead H.S. in the same town of Cupertino. He spent his childhood in the South Bay area, a region that would later become known as Silicon Valley. During high school Jobs held a summer job at the Hewlett-Packard Company in Palo Alto prior to attending college. His original association with Steven Wozniak began as a result of attending lectures and working at HP.

Although he attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon, Steve Jobs never graduated, having only spent about six months at college. He returned to California in 1974 and began attending meetings of the Homebrew Computer Club with his friend Wozniak. At the same time he took a job at Atari to save money for a spiritual retreat to India. While working there he discovered that a popular whistle recreated the tones needed to make long distance phone calls with AT&T. Jobs convinced Wozniak to go into business with him to create "blue boxes" and sell them to people wishing to make free long distance phone calls.

Jobs ended up backpacking through India but returned to work with Atari. He continued to work with Wozniak on other projects and finally convinced him to market a computer Wozniak had built for himself. On April 1, 1976, Apple Inc. was born. Although the business started with printed circuit boards, Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs eventually created their first personal computer, the Apple I, and sold it for $666.66. They later followed it with the Apple II, a large success for their business. Apple Inc. began selling shares in December of 1980.

As the company grew, so did its merchandise and the hugely successful Macintosh was introduced to the public in 1984 and became the first personal computer with a graphical user interface (GUI) through which individuals could interact with the items on the screen. As Apple grew even more, Jobs experienced tension with the board and the struggles led to Jobs leaving Apple in May of 1985.

Steve Jobs went on to create the company called NeXT in 1986. Although it began as a company designed around aesthetic interpersonal computing, it later focused more on software development. NeXT ended up playing a major role in the development of email and the world wide web.

Apple bought NeXT in 1996 and reinstated Jobs as the Chief Executive Officer. His current annual salary is $1, but he receives executive gifts from the board that give better tax advantages than does his salary. He is well known for his work ethic as well as his rumored temper, but has consistently helped to grow Apple from a company bordering on bankruptcy in the 1990s to a very successful company today. Steve Jobs has helped establish the new electronic divisions and personally helped to create the ipod, iphone, and other personal devices.

Steve Jobs Quote:

"Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower."

Richard Branson(Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson):

Famous for : Founding the famous Virgin brand, attracting media attention with his marketing tactics, and for his balloon adventures.

Detail:
Richard Branson is a flamboyant British entrepreneur with a seemingly insatiable appetite for starting new businesses. His internationally recognized brand "Virgin" is splashed across everything from credit cards, to airlines and music "megastores". Branson is continuously seeking new business opportunities and loves a good challenge, especially when he enters a market that is dominated by a few major players.

Richard Branson was born on July 18, 1950. His entrepreneurial ways began early when he was publishing a student magazine at just 16 years. Branson did not go on to graduate school but in 1970 the now famous Virgin brand had its beginnings in the form of a discount records mail order venture that he and his friend Nik Powell worked on.

Virgin Records
Soon after opening a record store on Oxford Street, London, Branson began a recording label in 1972, Virgin Records. This was to be the first major success for the British entrepreneur as he started the label with a hit record. The instrumental artist Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells" released in 1973 was a cash cow for Branson's Virgin Records and it stayed in the UK music charts for 247 weeks. The record label went on to sign top music artists like "Genesis", "The Sex Pistols", "The Rolling Stones" and "Simple Minds". The Virgin Records Group was sold in 1992 to THORN EMI for $1 billion USD.
Richard Branson obviously wasn't finished with the music recording business as he went on to start V2 Records in 1996. The V2 Music brand has a stable of artists that include "Stereophonics", "Powder Finger", "Mercury Rev" and "Tom Jones".

The Virgin Brand
Richard Branson has created one of the most recognizable brands in the world. In Britain where he focuses much of his attention, Branson has managed to "Virginize" a very wide range of products and services. The variety of businesses he controls is as vast as the geographical coverage the brand has, with business located throughout The United Kingdom, the United States of America, Australia, Canada, Asian, Europe and South Africa.
Some of the businesses Branson has collected include:

• Virgin Atlantic - An international airline flying to many major destinations.
• Virgin Megastores - Music Super-markets located in major locations in the UK, USA and Australia.
• Virgin Books - Publisher and distributor of books.
• Virgin Credit Card - Branson's attempt to provide credit card at a reasonable price.
• Virgin Holidays - Book a holiday and fly Virgin Atlantic?
• Virgin Trains - Virgin making trains sexy in the United Kingdom.
• V2 Music - Largest UK based independent recording label.
• Virgin Active - Chain of fitness clubs throughout the United Kingdom.
• Virgin Galactic - Branson's planned affordable flight to space venture.
• Ulusaba - Luxury game reserve located in South Africa.
• Necker Island - Branson's own private island located in the British Virgin Islands.

There are plenty more businesses that wear the Virgin name throughout the world and there will probably be more to come as Branson is always looking for an interesting business to start. On the Virgin.com website there is even a section to submit your new and exciting business venture that Branson may consider pursuing.


Richard Branson Adventures
Branson is passionate about life and living every minute to its fullest. Since 1985 he has been getting his adrenaline rushes through world record breaking attempts by boat and hot air balloon. Several distance and speed records have been attempted and achieved, but his attempt to be the first person to circumnavigate the world in a hot air balloon was never achieved. Branson makes each record attempt a media event with his Virgin logo prominently displayed during every launch, which has been an excellent source of free advertising and brand placement for the Virgin Group.

"Sometimes I do wake up in the mornings and feel like I've just had the most incredible dream. I've just dreamt my life." Richard Branson

Branson was awarded a Knighthood in 1999 and became Sir Richard Branson for his contribution to entrepreneurship. Branson is married with two children and currently lives in London.

Richard Branson's Quote:

"A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts."

Ray Crock:

McDonald Fast Food Restaurant Entrepreneur.
Famous for :
Making the fast food franchise McDonalds one of the largest and most popular chain of fast food restaurants in the United States and around the world, nicknamed the Hamburger King. Kroc also owned the Major Legue baseball team the San Diego Padres.

Information:

Ray Kroc was the mastermind behind the worldwide McDonald's fast food franchise. He bought the fledgling restaurant chain in 1955 and grew it into the largest, most influential fast food chain in the world.

Ray Kroc was born on October 5, 1902 to Czech-Americans in Chicago, Illinois. At the age of four, Kroc's father took him to phrenologist, a person who determines fate based on the shape of someone's skull. The Phrenologist told young Ray Kroc that he would someday work in food service. But, as the first World War erupted, Kroc became interested in learning how to drive ambulances for the war effort instead. The war, however, ended before he had a chance to test his training and Kroc looked elsewhere for employment.

During the late 1950s, Kroc tried his hand at selling paper cups and even worked as a pianist for a short period of time before settling into a position as a milkshake machine salesman. He traveled around the country and sold milkshake machines to various different cafes and restaurants, all the while observing the layout and management of the industry. Kroc was convinced that many restaurants suffered from poor management and were not living up to their potential. It was during this time that he ran across a small hamburger restaurant in San Bernardino, California named McDonald's.

The restaurant, owned by the McDonald brothers, Richard and Maurice, ran eight of the same milkshake machines sold by the fifty-two year old Kroc. Since each machine could spin five milkshakes at once, Kroc was intrigued by the idea of a restaurant that needed the ability to make forty milkshakes at a time. He traveled to California and, upon seeing the orderly, efficient restaurant that served a huge community, Ray Kroc was convinced he could sell the machines to every McDonald store that opened.

In order to capitalize on the venture, Kroc approached the brothers with a business plan and they eventually settled on a deal. As a result of the partnership, however, Kroc would receive only 1.4% of the franchisees' profit, giving 0.5% to the brothers. It didn't take very long for Kroc to realize that his profit would be minimal. So, in order to gain access to more of his investment, Ray Kroc convinced the brothers to sell him the rights to the McDonald's name.

Kroc envisioned a restaurant that ran like a factory and produced hot food, fast service, and with consistent quality no matter where he opened a restaurant. He saw food preparation as a process and broke it down into steps that could be duplicated in any of his restaurants. This way he could keep the product the same no matter where the McDonald's was located.

Low franchise fees made it easy to open new stores but cut into any potential profits for Kroc. As a result, Kroc decided to purchase the land on which McDonald's would open and ultimately serve as a landlord. He set up the Franchise Realty Corporation in 1956 and was able to purchase tracts of land in order to help him produce a profit for his company. By 1960 there were over 200 McDonald's around the United States.

Kroc saw his franchise as a way to sell as service, not food. After all, Big Boy, Dairy Queen, and A&W were already established restaurant chains. Ray Kroc needed McDonald's to stand out. Consistency was the key and he made sure that every McDonald's ran the same. He established national advertising campaigns to support his restaurants and took the brand international in 1971 to Japan and Germany.

Ray Kroc died on January 14, 1984 of old age. At the time he was worth an estimated $500 million.

Quote By Ray Kroc:

"Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get."

Entrepreneur:

Entrepreneur can be described as:
"A person who organizes and manages any enterprise,especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk."