How Great Fortunes Were Built: History
The people behind great fortunes, from Rockefeller, Onassis and Armani to centuries-old family firms, and the lessons their accounts still teach.
Alfred Nobel's 1895 Will: Where the Prize Money Came From
Alfred Nobel left most of his estate of over 31 million kronor to the prizes; Baku oil shares made up about 12% of the fund. How the will became a foundation.
Willis Carrier at 150: Why His Net Worth Is Unknown
Willis Carrier's fortune is unknown: no bankbooks or financial statements have been found. How his company was shared, and who gains from an invention.
How the Medici Got Rich: Cosimo I Exhibition in London
The Medici got rich banking for popes, then turned money into a duchy. A free Cosimo I display opens at London's Wallace Collection on 18 November.
Does the Disney Family Still Own Disney? Walt at 125
The Disney family owns under 3% of Disney, Roy P. Disney said in 2019. How Walt's private firm, Retlaw, held rides and his name, and why Disney bought it out.
Who Owns Zeiss? A Foundation, Not a Family, at 180
The Carl Zeiss Foundation is the sole owner of ZEISS, which turns 180 on 17 November. How Ernst Abbe put a foundation in place of heirs, and the trade-off.
Stanley Ho at 105: How His Casino Empire Was Passed On
Stanley Ho would have turned 105 on 25 November. How a 2010 share issue moved his Macau casino stake to his family, and what the fight teaches.
Giorgio Armani's 2016 Plan: Foundation and Six Share Classes
Giorgio Armani set up a foundation in 2016 and bylaws with six share classes to apply after his death. How the design worked, and what families can learn.
Giorgio Armani's Partners, Not Buyers: L'Oréal to Emaar
Giorgio Armani grew through partners like L'Oréal, Luxottica and Emaar, not a sale. How the licences and reported offers worked, and what families learn.
Giorgio Armani's Strategy: Seven Lines Cut to Three in 2017
Giorgio Armani cut seven lines to three in 2017, took back factories and stores and refused to sell. What one name under tight control teaches a family.
Giorgio Armani's Accounting: €332m Invested, Self-Financed
Giorgio Armani's group paid for €332m of 2024 investment from its own resources and kept net cash. What that and a 2024 supplier case teach families.
Giorgio Armani's Early Years: Founding His Company in 1975
Giorgio Armani founded his company in Milan in 1975 with Sergio Galeotti, after 20 years in retail and design. What his late start teaches family firms.
Soichiro Honda at 120: Why Honda Never Became a Dynasty
Soichiro Honda, born 17 November 1906, retired in 1973 and left Honda to a manager from outside the family. What his exit teaches about succession.
Charles Vance Millar's Stork Derby Will, 100 Years On
Charles Vance Millar died on 31 October 1926, leaving his estate to Toronto's most prolific mother. Why Canada's top court upheld it, and what it teaches.
Oei Tiong Ham at 160: The Sugar King Who Moved to Singapore
Oei Tiong Ham, Java's sugar king, born on 19 November 1866, moved to Singapore and left a will his children contested. Why it did not save his Java assets.
Beretta at 500: Lessons From 15 Generations of One Family
Beretta marked 500 years on 18 September 2026, still owned by one family. What the 1526 Venice order, its holding and a few habits say about longevity.
Ford and Hewlett Families in 2001: Two Ways to Keep a Voice
In autumn 2001 Bill Ford became Ford's CEO and Walter Hewlett fought HP's Compaq deal. Special voting shares versus a foundation-backed block.
Jacques Necker, 250 Years On: Publishing the King's Accounts
In October 1776 Louis XVI put banker Jacques Necker in charge of France's treasury. His 1781 report won lenders' trust; its gaps still teach families.
Tata Steel's Bid for Corus, 20 Years On: A £6.2bn Win
Twenty years ago Tata Steel bid for Corus, a far bigger steelmaker, and won at about £6.2bn, mostly with borrowed money. What the long tail teaches.
HEMA at 100: From Private Equity to the Van Eerd Family
Dutch chain HEMA turns 100 on 4 November 2026. Its owners ran from private equity to creditors to the van Eerd family. What fund and family horizons mean.
James C. Flood at 200: Money Meets Know-How on the Comstock
James C. Flood, a Bonanza King, turns 200 on 25 October by most accounts. How he paired money with mining know-how, then moved into a bank and land.
Andrónico Luksic at 100: Chile's Copper and Banking Dynasty
Andrónico Luksic, founder of Chile's Luksic Group, was born on 5 November 1926. How he left two holdings: one for mining, one for finance and industry.
Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Mauritshuis Swap 25 Paintings
Madrid's Thyssen-Bornemisza museum and the Mauritshuis swap 25 paintings each way. Behind it: a family collection split, bought back and sold to Spain.
Japan's 1946 Capital Levy: Wealth Taxed Once, at Up to 90%
Japan's 1946 Property Tax Law taxed net wealth once, at rates up to 90%. How the levy worked, what zaibatsu families lost, and how it compares today.
Iba Teigo: Sumitomo's Hired Manager Who Stepped Down at 58
Iba Teigo, who died in 1926, ran Sumitomo as a hired manager, moved its smelter offshore and stepped down at 58. What owners can learn about succession.
Aristotle Onassis's Financing: The Charter as Collateral
Aristotle Onassis helped pioneer loans backed by oil companies' charters, not just ships. How it paid for his tankers, and what family borrowers can learn.
Aristotle Onassis's Monte Carlo Takeover and How He Lost It
In 1953 Aristotle Onassis took control of SBM, owner of the Monte Carlo casino; in 1966 Monaco diluted his 52% stake. Why a majority is not secure control.
Aristotle Onassis's Strategy: Buy Low, Build Bigger Tankers
In 1932 Aristotle Onassis bought six freighters for $20,000 each, then ordered an early supertanker. What buying low and building ahead teaches families.
Aristotle Onassis's Accounting: Cutting the Cost per Ton
Aristotle Onassis cut his cost per ton with bigger tankers, cheap surplus ships and offshore structures. What that arithmetic means for a family office.
Aristotle Onassis's Early Life: From Smyrna to Buenos Aires
Aristotle Onassis fled Smyrna at 16 and reached Buenos Aires in 1923. How a night job and family contacts gave him a start, and what families can learn.
Railroad Rebates: How John D. Rockefeller Cut Freight Costs
What were railroad rebates? Rockefeller's firm swapped freight volume for lower rates: $1.65 a barrel, not $2.40. How they worked and where they crossed a line.
Cleveland Massacre of 1872: How Rockefeller Bought Rivals
What was the Cleveland Massacre? In early 1872 Standard Oil bought most of Cleveland's 26 refineries within months. How the offers worked and why it mattered.
John D. Rockefeller's Strategy: Refining, Not Drilling
John D. Rockefeller left drilling to others and took refining and transport: about 90% of US refining by 1880. Why owning the bottleneck matters.
John D. Rockefeller's Cost Accounting: 39 Drops of Solder
John D. Rockefeller tracked Standard Oil's costs to fractions of a cent and made his own barrels. What per-unit cost discipline means for family wealth.
John D. Rockefeller's Early Years: Ledger A to Standard Oil
John D. Rockefeller kept Ledger A from age 16. How that habit led to his first firm and to Standard Oil, and why good records matter to families.
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