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Robert Morris: America's First FinancierCyrus McCormick's Reaper and the Industrialization of FarmingJohn D. Rockefeller and the Modern CorporationJ. P. Morgan Saves the CountryHenry Ford and the Model TCharles Merrill and the Democratization of Stock OwnershipDavid Sarnoff, RCA, and the Rise of BroadcastingWalt Disney and his Family-Entertainment EmpireJohn Johnson: Finding the Black ConsumerDavid Ogilvy and the Creation of Modern AdvertisingRay Kroc, McDonald's, and the Fast-Food IndustryBetting the Company: Joseph Wilson and the Xerox 914American Express and the Charge CardMary Kay Ash and her Corporate Culture for WomenIntel's Microprocessor and the Computer RevolutionSam Walton, Wal-Mart, and the Discounting of AmericaWilliam McGowan and MCI: A New World of TelecommunicationsThe Turnaround at Harley-DavidsonKohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and the Leveraged BuyoutWilliam Gates and the Dominance of MicrosoftA Byron Preiss Visual Publications bookWhat do Bill Gates, Henry Ford, J. P. Morgan, Mary Kay Ash, and Walt Disney have in common? Uncompromising vision, a willingness to take risks, and exceptional business acumen. Not only did these individuals amass great fortunes, they revolutionized the business world and helped shape society as we know it.While most of us have a general knowledge of these and other legendary figures, few know the details of their exceptional careers. Daniel Gross and the Editors of Forbes magazine, one of the world's foremost business publications, present twenty fascinating stories. You'll meet the personalities behind some of the best-known name brands in history, including McDonald's, Harley-Davidson, RCA, Merrill Lynch, Xerox, Wal-Mart, and Standard Oil, among others.Forbes Greatest Business Stories of All Time draws on a wealth of sources to offer this priceless collection. The book brings to life extraordinary achievements, many of them forgotten or little known: how Robert Morris, the preeminent merchant of the eighteenth century, financed the American Revolution with his personal credit; how Ray Kroc used a shrewd real estate strategy to turn a faltering hamburger franchise operation into a fast-food empire; and how Mary Kay Ash built a billion-dollar direct sales cosmetics company by preaching a message of economic empowerment to women.Covering industries ranging from oil to cosmetics, from the eighteenth century up to the present, Forbes Greatest Business Stories of All Time celebrates larger-than-life ambition, inspired leadership, wheeling and dealing, and hard work. These tales are as entertaining as they are informative-an essential tool for business enthusiasts and anyone interested in how our modern commercial culture was built.