Forbes Publishes Archive of Historical Interviews With U.S. Business Innovators

Forbes reported on February 12, 2026, that it had assembled a collection of its interviews with prominent American business figures spanning more than a century. The publication presented excerpts in which the individuals discussed their approaches to innovation, operations and future opportunities.

The earliest entry is from January 1928, when Henry Ford addressed the development of the Model A following the end of Model T production in 1927. Ford Motor Company had introduced the new model to compete with Chevrolet. "We didn’t start from Model T and attempt to improve that.

We started from scratch. " Ford said in the Forbes interview on January 1, 1928. In 1929, Thomas Edison spoke with Forbes about electrical power and untapped energy sources including solar power. The 82-year-old inventor addressed his ongoing work and dismissed certain technologies of the period.

"I have done enough to make me 115 years old, working as other men do. And I hope to keep on for 20 years more," Edison said on June 15, 1929.

, president of IBM from 1914 to 1952, discussed business ethics with Forbes in April 1930 at the start of the Depression. Watson, who built the company into a global technology firm, emphasized practical decision-making. "No one has to be a genius to succeed in business.

One does not have to lie awake nights worrying about his job," Watson said on April 1, 1930. In an October 15, 1942, interview, Kaiser outlined a philosophy of action and improvisation. Three years after the war, he founded what became Kaiser Permanente to provide health care for his employees.

"When you’re in trouble, do something—even if it may be wrong," Kaiser said.

Lear discussed the success of his Learjet company in an April 15, 1966, Forbes interview. The engineer, who also developed the 8-track audio cartridge, had predicted far higher sales of business jets than industry forecasters. "They were wrong. I was right.