Financiers, bankers and economists who built institutions, markets and tools that supplied capital to a growing nation.
Hamilton arrived in the mainland colonies from the Caribbean and became the first U.S. Treasury secretary. He designed key elements of the federal financial system, including public credit, debt assumption, customs administration and the first Bank of the United States.
“Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.”
Seligman built J. & W. Seligman & Company into an important 19th-century investment bank. During the Civil War the firm helped market Union bonds in Europe and later supplied capital for American railroad and industrial expansion.
“I have always found that to be honest is the best policy.”
Goldman immigrated to the United States and founded Marcus Goldman & Co. in New York in 1869. The firm specialized in commercial paper and, after Samuel Sachs joined, evolved into Goldman Sachs, one of the country’s most enduring investment banks.
“The worth of a man must be measured by his life, not by his death.”
Schiff became head of Kuhn, Loeb & Company and helped finance major American railroad systems and industrial development. He was also a prominent philanthropist and used his financial influence in international affairs, particularly in opposition to persecution of Jews in Imperial Russia.
“An honorable man is one who is truly honest.”
Bache built J.S. Bache & Co. into a major brokerage business with offices across the United States. He helped widen access to securities investing and also became a significant art collector whose holdings entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
“The wise investor knows that the road to wealth is paved with patience.”
Warburg became a senior partner at Kuhn, Loeb and a major figure in American philanthropy. He supported Jewish social-service organizations, cultural institutions and relief efforts; his former Manhattan home later became the Jewish Museum.
“The human spirit is almost indestructible.”
Peterffy left Communist Hungary and built a career in the United States as a programmer and trader. He became a pioneer in using computers to automate securities trading and later built Interactive Brokers into a major electronic brokerage platform.
“Freedom is not a birthright. It has to be defended, cherished, and nurtured.”
Soros survived Nazi-occupied Hungary, left Communist rule and later built one of the most successful investment careers of the late 20th century. He also committed much of his fortune to philanthropy through the Open Society Foundations.
“It’s not whether you’re right or wrong that’s important, but how much money you make when you’re right and how much you lose when you’re wrong.”
Milken helped make high-yield bonds a major source of corporate financing, expanding access to capital for companies below investment grade. His Wall Street career ended after a securities conviction; he was later pardoned and became a large-scale philanthropist in medical research and education.
“I learned more about business from my first job than from my MBA.”
Scholes, working with Fischer Black and Robert Merton, helped develop the modern mathematical framework for pricing options. The Black-Scholes model became foundational to derivatives markets and quantitative finance; Scholes shared the 1997 Nobel memorial prize in economics.
“The goal of financial theory is to understand the structure of equilibrium prices.”