Ma Huateng: The Visionary Behind Tencent’s Global Empire
Early Life Ma Huateng, born on October 29, 1971, in Chaoyang, China, moved to Shenzhen when his father, Ma Chenshu, secured a job as a port manager near Hong Kong. In 1989, Ma enrolled at Shenzhen University, where he graduated…
Colin Huang: From Mathematics Prodigy to E-Commerce Titan
Early Life Colin Huang, born on January 1, 1980, in Hangzhou, China, grew up in a working-class family. Demonstrating an early aptitude for mathematics, Huang participated in and won a medal in a Mathematics Olympiad, which earned him a scholarship…
Kenneth C. Griffin: A Financial Titan
Early Life and Education Kenneth C. Griffin was born on October 15, 1968, in Daytona Beach, Florida. Griffin’s interest in finance was evident early on. He began trading stocks during his freshman year at Harvard University, even installing a satellite…
The Rise of Zhong Shanshan: From Construction Worker to Bottled Water Tycoon
Early Life and Education Zhong Shanshan was born in Hangzhou, China, in 1954. During the Cultural Revolution, he dropped out of primary school and worked in construction. In 1977, he enrolled at Zhejiang Radio & TV University, where he studied…
Bunker Roy: Visionary of Rural Development and Founder of Barefoot College
Early Life and Education Sanjit “Bunker” Roy was born on August 30, 1945, in Burnpur, West Bengal, India. Growing up in an affluent family, Roy attended the prestigious Doon School, followed by St. Stephen’s College at the University of Delhi,…
Tom Szaky: Innovator in Sustainable Waste Management
Early Life and Education Tom Szaky was born on January 14, 1982, in Budapest, Hungary. After the Chernobyl disaster, his family moved to Canada, where he grew up in Toronto. He attended Upper Canada College and later enrolled at Princeton…
Simon Cowell: The Architect of Modern Entertainment
Early Life and Education Birth and Family Background Simon Phillip Cowell was born on October 7, 1959, in Lambeth, London. He grew up in Elstree, Hertfordshire. Cowell’s father, Eric Selig Phillip Cowell, was an estate agent and music industry executive,…
Yoon Suk-yeol: The Journey of South Korea’s President
Early Life and Education Birth and Family Background Yoon Suk-yeol was born on December 18, 1960, in Seoul, South Korea. He hails from a scholarly family, with his father, Yoon Ki-joong, being a prominent economics professor and his mother, Choi…
Nandan Nilekani: A Visionary Technocrat and Entrepreneur
Early Life and Education Nandan Nilekani was born on June 2, 1955, in Bangalore, India. He attended Bishop Cotton Boys’ School and St. Joseph’s High School before moving on to the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, where he…
Priyanka Chopra: From Bollywood Icon to Global Superstar
Early Life Born on July 18, 1982, in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, Priyanka Chopra grew up in various Indian cities due to her father’s job, including Ambala, Chandigarh, Delhi, Lucknow, and Pune. Her hometown is Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. Known by nicknames like…