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g_100671_howard_hughes_280x210.jpg Howard Hughes
Image: Bettmann /Getty Images

1910s
Walter L Jacobs
Founder, Rent-A-Car
In 1918, 22-year-old Chicagoan begins renting fleet of 12 Model T Fords revenues top $1 million by 1925 sells out to John Hertz, remains president of Hertz Corp until 1960.

1920s
Howard Hughes
Film Producer
The wealthy oil-patch heir storms Hollywood by 1927, the 22-year-old has financial, critical hits with Everybody’s Acting and Two Arabian Knights. Later: Hughes Aircraft, RKO, TWA, Vegas casino, recluse.

1930s
Ernest and Julio Gallo
Co-Founders, E&J Gallo Winery
Following Prohibition, 24-year-old Ernest borrows $6,000 from his mother-in-law in 1933 to start a winery with brother Julio, they make E&J into America’s largest winemaker perennial members of Forbes 400.

1940s
Patrick J Frawley
Founder, Frawley Pen Co
As a teenager, the Nicaraguan-born American sells tyres to Panama in 1949, at 26, buys failing ballpoint-pen maker and develops leakproof Paper Mate, sells to Gillette. Second act: Schick razors.

1950s
Dan and Frank Carney
Co-Founders, Pizza Hut
Two Wichita State students, 27 and 20, borrow $600 from mom to open Pizza Hut in 1958 start franchising 1959 delivery pioneers sell to PepsiCo in 1977 for $300 million.

1960s
Saul Steinberg
Founder, Leasco
Brooklyn-born financier starts by leasing IBM mainframes, becomes infamous as corporate raider 1968 hostile takeover of Reliance Insurance makes the 29-year-old rich unsuccessful runs at Chemical Bank, Disney finally, bankruptcy.

1970s
Debbi Fields
Founder, Mrs Fields
In 1977, the recently married 21-year-old secures a high-interest loan to start a bakery in Palo Alto her warm cookies soon win over millions still the company spokesperson at 61.

1980s
Steve Jobs
Co-Founder, Apple
At 27, member of 1982 Forbes 400 is worth $100 million introduces Mac in 1984 fired in 1985. Founds NeXT, Pixar. Comes back with a vengeance: iPod, iPhone, iPad.

1990s
Jonathan Coon
Co-Founder, 1-800-CONTACTS
Frustrated by high costs and waits at eye docs, BYU grad teams with optician in 1995 to sell lenses directly to consumers at 28 took company public financed Napoleon Dynamite.

2000s
Mark Zuckerberg
Co-Founder, Facebook
Nineteen-year-old Harvard sophomore hacks together social networking site in 2004. Hypergrowth: Company worth $15 billion by 2007 now 2 billion active users Zuck is world’s fifth-richest person.

2010s
Patrick and John Collison
Co-Founders, Stripe
At 29 and 27, the Irish-born, California-residing brothers are among world’s youngest self-made billionaires thanks to their entrepreneur-friendly internet payment processor Stripe, which they started in 2011.

First Published: Nov 03, 2017, 07:18

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