Phil Knight

Net Worth: $39.2 billion
Company: Nike
Country:  USA
Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman founded Nike, Inc in 1964, initially as a distributor of Japanese shoes. In the beginning, they would usually fire up the gas on Knight’s car and go to track meets and sell their shoes directly out of the vehicle. When the business expanded, they needed a logo, so they commissioned a student to design the now-famous “swoosh” logo. They paid only $35 for it, but later on, they gave Carolyn Davison shares of stock.

Knight is known to have good interpersonal skills, and he liked building relationships with the people he worked with. He has worked closely with famous athletes like Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan to help promote the brand. The businessman is also known for his charitable work and is one of Oregon’s most generous givers. His lifetime donation is estimated to be $2 billion, which he has given to institutions like Stanford University and the University of Oregon.