Forbes Publishes List of 250 Greatest Historic Self-Made Americans

Forbes published a list ranking the 250 Greatest Historic Self-Made Americans on April 10, 2026. The project recognizes individuals who advanced from slavery, poverty, or hardship to positions of influence.

Forbes staff reviewed the publication's archives for accounts of entrepreneurs and industrialists. Editors also consulted artificial intelligence tools and contacted historical societies in all 50 states. Two professors reviewed the candidates before final rankings were set.

Lincoln ranks first on the list.

He grew up in poverty, worked as a store clerk and rail splitter, and later became an attorney and the 16th president. Andrew Carnegie is ranked second. He immigrated from Scotland at age 13, worked in a cotton mill, and later founded the Carnegie Steel Company.

John Jacob Astor is listed third. He started as a butcher and built a fortune in the fur trade and New York real estate. Alexander Hamilton ranks fourth. Born out of wedlock in the Caribbean, he became a key figure in the American Revolution and the nation's early financial system.

Frederick Douglass is ranked fifth. Born into slavery in Maryland, he escaped to New York, published an autobiography and newspaper, and later advised presidents. H. Ross Perot is sixth. He founded Electronic Data Systems and Perot Systems and ran for president as an independent candidate.

Hershey, Thurgood Marshall, and Maggie Lena Walker appear among the top ten. Hershey built a chocolate company after earlier business failures. Marshall became the first Black Supreme Court justice after winning the Brown v. Board of Education case.

Walker established the first bank chartered by a Black woman. Bernard Marcus, Levi Strauss, and Andrew Jackson also appear on the list. Marcus co-founded The Home Depot after being fired from a hardware chain. Strauss developed blue jeans after arriving from Germany.

Jackson used his legal practice and land speculation to build wealth before becoming president.