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New York Fashion Week for fall 2017 has been a wild ride, and the highlights have almost been too many to count. In the last week, craftsmanship and creativity reigned in collections that ranged from minimalist to ornate.

There were the sumptuous designs sent out by the always-wonderful Adam Lippes — a grouping of shearling jackets, pink velvet pantsuits, swingy culottes and leather shift pink prom dresses uk. It was all as fun in execution as it was serious in its design — the kind of clothes you can wear every day, yet never worry for a second that it’s boring.

And at Diane Von Furstenberg, designer Jonathan Saunders has revamped the brand, and this collection kept that reinvention going. He offered up flowing mixed-print midi dresses galore, alongside puffy fur jackets in bright hues and a slew of accessories — from low-slung belts and studded pumps to cross-shoulder leather bags and metallic boots.

On the more minimalist front, Cushnie et Ochs have build their brand over the years with bodycon, cutout dresses and streamlined suits. That expertise continued this season, too, and was well represented with sleek shift and slip dresses that seemed to be almost seamless. One departure for them: sequins, and lots of them. A jewel-toned dress of cascading panels one minute, a sequined jumpsuit the next.

Meanwhile, the luxurious sportswear of Derek Lam got what you might call a “convenience” makeover this season. The designer went in for easy-to-wear, day-to-night pieces that combine athleisure with office-ready and date-night-friendly combinations. Fur collared-trenches, groovy red velvet pantsuits, purple leather skirts and lots of midi green prom dresses revved up with details like embroidery.

And then, back to the minimalism, a la The Row. Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen’s work this time around got an even neater, cleaner treatment than usual. Monochromatic looks dominated, in muted hues (a lot of neutrals like cream, nude, tan, black and white). Lots of big, full length, tailored coats over pants (both high-waisted and low-riding cuts) and simple-looking but sumptuous cashmere.

And how about Tibi’s Amy Smilovic, whose many takes on the pinstriped suit were funked up with sneakers and feminine, anything-but-neat hair. She put tight trousers and micro-miniskirts with plaid pencil skirts that will inspire us all to be perfect, but imperfect at the same time. What’s not to love about that?

“La La Land” is deceptively innovative. It evokes classic musicals while pushing the genre forward; it’s old-fashioned and modern at the same time.

Damien Chazelle makes his bold intent clear from the outset: Drivers stuck on a jam-packed freeway ramp exit their cars to sing and dance in a dazzling pyrotechnic display. When the music stops, they get into their cars and the movie’s star-crossed lovers-to-be lock eyes for the first time. They don’t swoon; Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) flips the bird at distracted Mia (Emma Stone) before speeding away.

The traffic and her Prius are thoroughly modern; so, too, his reaction. The fact that she’s clearly an actress preparing for an audition suggests we could soon be heading into familiar territory, however.Sure enough, visual allusions to classic musicals soon pop up on-screen. Mia and her actress wannabes sport candy-colored mint green prom dresses similar to the ones Catherine Deneuve wore in “Umbrellas of Cherbourg”; her apartment seems like a Technicolor throwback to an earlier decade. And the story itself, about dreamers trying to make it in Hollywood, harks back to classic musicals such as “Singin’ in the Rain.”

Chazelle deviated from musical norms by filming on actual city streets rather than studio soundstages. He shot at familiar spots throughout the greater Los Angeles area, from Griffith Park to Hermosa Beach. What’s more, he recorded some of the actual singing on location, adding another logistical hurdle to the production.

“Part of the goal was to not only shoot in L.A., but to shoot L.A. for L.A.,” Chazelle says. “So if there’s a dance number on a freeway, it had to be a real freeway. And then we saved the ‘Brigadoon’-style soundstage stuff for the final sequence of the movie.”

Chazelle’s shooting style gave “La La Land” a looser indie feel than glossier big studio predecessors. Gosling and Stone are appealing enough hoofers without seemingly too polished; their song-and-dance routines fit their aspiring characters.

By the movie’s end, both have found their way as artists. Jazz purist Sebastian moved beyond the cover bands and pop music that tormented him, while pragmatic Mia triumphs beyond her dreams. The moviemaking itself has become more elaborate.

Like his characters, Chazelle reveres the past. But he is not slavishly devoted to it.

By fusing retro and modern he has reinvigorated a genre sadly in need of it. Musicals used to be a staple on the big screen, but in recent years have been neglected for trendier fare. Hit musicals have tended to be stage adaptations a la “Chicago” or “Mamma Mia!” with song performance showcases a la “Pitch Perfect” or grind-’em-ups like “Magic Mike” filling the song-and-dance void.

But truly original musicals where characters burst into song and dance out of sheer joie d’vivre have been rare indeed. “La La Land” may inspire more filmmakers to give this genre another spin.

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Salman Rushdie may not consider himself a clotheshorse, but it turns out the fashion crowd still loves him. The “Satanic Verses” author was sitting front row at “friend” Bibhu Mohapatra’s show on Wednesday afternoon, and the day before he had hit up designer Stacey Bendet’s Alice + Olivia presentation.

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“[Bendet’s] show was inspired by a book of mine,” Rushdie tells The Post at Mohapatra’s show. “She read my novel ‘The Enchantress of Florence,’ and the whole show is images from the Renaissance. She made my book into clothes — I’ve never had that happen before.”

Mohapatra’s collection was inspired by the empowered female character in David Ives’ .......y play “Venus in Fur,” and the designer came out for his bow wearing a “Fashion Stands for Planned Parenthood” button.

Rushdie says that he appreciates that the fashion community seems to be thinking about more than pretty clothes, no matter how big or small the gesture. “I think anything anyone can do to [get people] to think about [current events] is worth doing,” he says.

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This Valentine's Day, many couples in east Tennessee are saying their “I do’s."

Several weddings took place in Gatlinburg, where the wedding industry initially took a hit after the devastating wildfires.

The Chapel in the Park hosted 10 weddings on Valentine's Day.

"We started early this morning and we’ll finish late this evening. So it’s been a good day," said Reverend Lee Bennett with the chapel.

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While Valentine's Day may be a busy one, business overall is down.

After the November wildfires, Bennett said they saw a 50 percent decrease between their two venues, Chapel in the Park and Cupid’s Chapel of Love, which didn’t survive the fire.

“Hopefully we’ll recover by the end of the year but it’s been a tough year for us as well as waiters and arts and crafts people," Bennett said.

As part of the Gatlinburg Wedding Center, they are the largest provider of weddings in the entire state of Tennessee. Last year alone, 2,000 couples tied the knot with them.

“We are hoping to be able to get back to that level," Bennett added.

Only a few minutes away sits another chapel, the Wedding Chapel in The Glades, where one wedding took place on Tuesday.

“January and February are slow. Usually Valentine’s Day is our peak day of February but being as it fell on a Tuesday that made a big difference," said wedding coordinator Barbara Martel.

Martel said the fire only affected their business slightly.

“We’ve had a lot of couples that have been married here just wanting to call and check that their favorite chapel was still okay," she said.

Both Reverend Bennett and Martel want future brides and grooms to know they’re open and ready to help them say “I do."

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The New Hanover Regional Medical Center Foundation will host the I Heart Fashion Benefit to support area congestive heart failure patients.

This is the second time the event will be held and will showcase the latest fashions modeled by more than 20 people affiliated with the hospital's Heart Center.

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Proceeds from the event will go towards patient care bags that include items like scales, hear-healthy recipes, pill boxes and patient education.

“Our patients will directly benefit from the awareness this event brings to the needs of those living with heart failure,” said John Rommel, MD, cardiologist with NHRMC Physician Group – Cape Fear Heart Associates and NHRMC Congestive Heart Failure Program director. “We are grateful to the NHRMC Foundation for informing our community about the services our specialists offer and how to live a heart healthy life.”

The fashion show will be held at the Coastline Conference and Event Center in downtown Wilmington Thursday, Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m. The event is open to the public and tickets are $35 per person. Purchase of an individual ticket includes admission, hors d’oeuvres and two drink tickets.

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The cloudy skies on Saturday didn’t put a damper on any Valentine's Day plans.

Las Vegas is one of the leading destinations for romantic getaways. Wedding chapels around the valley are packed and lines to get a marriage license are long ahead of the holiday.

The economic impact from wedding tourism here is about $2 billion.

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Out of the more than 40 million visitors every year, about 4% of those people are getting married or renewing their vows.

Wedding chapels are shifting into overdrive to accommodate the surge of people they'll see this weekend ahead of Valentine's Day on Tuesday.

"Typically from years past the 12th, 13th, 14th we do about 400 each day. So, over the five days I'm hoping that we're going to do 1500 to 1700," said Paula Cook, the Supervisor for the Marriage License Bureau

So why is Las Vegas such a popular spot? One reason is celebrities like Elvis Presley and Angelina Jolie said "I do" in here.

For some couples getting married in Las Vegas is cheaper. For others, they're looking for something different.

"Not only do they get the unique experience coming to Vegas weddings, but they go away somewhat surprised at the professionalism and the the general feeling they have of how much everyone actually care about what they're doing," said Richard Nielson, a marriage officiant.

The Marriage License Bureau is expecting as many as 400 couples to get their license just on Saturday alone.

The Marriage License Bureau issues more than 80,000 marriage licenses every single year, dubbing Las Vegas as the "Wedding Capital of the World."

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Valentine Uhovski has been with Tumblr for much of its young, culture-shaping existence, where he's turned a passing interest in fashion into a full-time passion job: head of cultural content at Tumblr, an essential role inside the web community that serves artists, designers, fashionistas and other creative types. That's the short version of the story.

The job basically demands spending all day on Tumblr, where Mr. Uhovski, 32, juggles nine pages dedicated to fashion and culture. There's also required attendance at events like New York Fashion Week and Art Basel in Miami, where he gets to mingle with some of the most influential people in the industry.

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Mr. Uhovski said he fell into fashion "almost by accident."

"I never dreamt that I was going to work at a tech company focused on fashion," Mr. Uhovski said.

As it turned out, after attending New York City's New School, he found a job as an editor at fashion-focused digital magazine The Daily Front Row, then owned by IMG.

From there he rose through the ranks of fashion journalism, covering the industry at influential sites, niche publications and The Wall Street Journal. He helped launch Interview magazine internationally.

Then, in 2012, Mr. Uhovski landed a job as fashion evangelist at Tumblr, a title he didn't really believe existed "until I saw it in my contract," he said.

He was introduced to Tumblr as a contributor for Milk Studios' website, where one year he interviewed and took portraits of Tumblr creators during Fashion Week.

"Tumblr was looking for a new fashion head a few months later and I reached out," Mr. Uhovski recalled in an email. "I must have gone through six interviews, but all of them felt like a lively, kinetic brainstorm. I was offered a consulting gig shortly after, and in the winter of 2012, I oversaw my very first Fashion Week program before officially landing the best job I've ever had."

Tumblr, founded by David Karp, was just about to be bought by Yahoo as a billion-dollar bet on social media.

Tumblr has had its struggles, but it's maintained a community of millions of creators, many of whom are focused on culture and art. Brands and publishers also contribute, and that's where Mr. Uhovski fits into the company.

"I am working with some of the biggest artists and creators that make up the community," Mr. Uhovski said.

His favorite part of the job is helping discover young artists and then collaborating with them on "magical things" to celebrate Tumblr.

Mr. Uhovski has worked with brands like Calvin Klein, Burberry, Diesel and Chanel.

"Brands have become editorial forces," he said. "The coolest thing about that is to populate their own Tumblr pages, brands take a lot of Tumblr artists who we helped propel."

In 2015, he joined Mr. Karp at the Met Gala in New York, and introduced the boss to Kanye West, whom he'd met before in Paris, Mr. Uhovski said. They also met Beyoncé at the event.

"That was insane," Mr. Uhovski said. "I got to actually talk with A-List, Tumblr-loving celebrities in person. That was really cool."

So what advice does Mr. Uhovski have for anyone looking for a job where they can impress their CEO with an introduction to Kanye West?

Meet every relevant person in the company

"When you interview for the job, you want to meet a lot of people, and you want to project your passions but also you want to listen to people."

Come in with big ideas

"I brainstormed in the middle of the interview. And they were open to having someone come in who truly understood the vertical and was ready to come in and execute right away."

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Thanks to the help and generosity of strangers, a New York father with cancer was able to walk his daughter down the aisle.

Alyssa Kamm, 28, a Rochester resident, moved up her wedding after learning that her dad Karl Jones was diagnosed with the disease just three weeks ago.

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"It was more than I could've ever asked for," Alyssa Kamm told ABC News of her nuptials. "My dad's always been a superhero to me, invincible. I'm such a daddy's girl, so when I heard that about him it just broke my heart. To imagine not having him with me, there to walk me down the aisle, was the worst thought. I would've been heartbroken if my dad couldn't have done that for me."

"I kept getting cryptic texts and no one was really telling me what was going on," she recalled. "I knew it was bad but I didn’t know it was going to be as bad. When I got to my parents’ house finally, I cried. My mom told me to go upstairs and talk to my dad, and that’s when he told me. Finally, I just came to terms."

Jones learned he had multiple myeloma -- a cancer of the plasma cells.

Jones has been through two cycles of chemo at Interlakes Oncology and Hematology at Unity Hospital, an affiliate of the University of Rochester Medical Center, Jones' medical oncologist Dr. Dirk Bernold told ABC News.

"He was starting on chemotherapy that he received on a weekly basis and he's getting his third dose today," Bernold said of Jones. "His pain is already improving, his blood cell counts looking like it's improving. So we are hoping that he has a good response to his chemotherapy and then from here he will go on to a stem cell transplant. We're hoping that he has an excellent response and many years, so not only did he see the wedding of his daughter, but we're hoping for the birth of his grandchildren too."

Alyssa Kamm and her now-husband Michael Kamm had hopes of marrying in 2018, but due to Jones' illness, she wanted to ensure he'd be there to celebrate.

Jennifer Kamm, Alyssa Kamm's sister-in-law, posted the family's story on a Facebook bridal forum. Soon after, messages poured in from wedding vendors in the Rochester area.

All in all, nearly 20 businesses donated their services pro bono, including the Finger Lakes Hotel Wedding and Banquet Center in Farmington, New York, who hosted the couple's Feb. 4 nuptials.

Venue owner Angelo Prestigiacomo reached out after seeing Jennifer Kamm's Facebook post.

"It was definitely intriguing to us and it was really sad," Prestigiacomo told ABC News. "It was a tragic situation and we told them, 'Whatever we got to do to make it work' ... everyone from the DJ to the flowers -- there's been so many donations, it's been incredible."

On the evening of Feb. 4, in front of 100 family members and friends, Jones walked Alyssa Kamm down to her groom. Later, the pair shared a father-daughter dance.

"She wanted to rush this because when you hear 'cancer,' you don't know how long someone has to live and she wanted to make sure that daddy walked her down the aisle," Jones said. "That was her main thing. I didn't use the walker that I had. I was in pain, but I said 'I'm going to walk through this.' It was wonderful."

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You guys, it’s Katie Maloney‘s life, she can ruin it if she wants to, but everyone else better cheer, clap, and act happy! Frankly I’m confused about what’s even going on with Vanderpump Rules. It is all over the place – like we went from church to Jax Taylor and Tom Sandoval trying on Lisa Vanderpump‘s bras to princess prom dresses in drag for Tom Schwartz‘s bachelor party. Read that sentence back to yourself and tell me this show isn’t perplexing?

Last episode ended with SUR’s Aging Warriors stalking and harassing James Kennedy. This episode opens with everyone acting like it was so stupid that anyone would even bother stalking and harassing James Kennedy. Like, DUH! Obviously!

Now, James, who was trying to move on with his life, is left trying to convince Raquel that he didn’t cheat, which is obviously a lie, one which she thankfully isn’t sure she believes. This slippery slope leads Raquel to chardonnay, but James remains strong – for now – with lemon zinger and the consoling presence of Tom 1 – who is like, ‘Dude, don’t blame whiskey for your wandering peen.’

So, Katie is no mere mortal; she’s a human rage monster who engulfs all happiness that crosses her path, then roars that she is too nice of a person. K-Hulk needs to simmer down before her wedding dress bursts into flames. What I’m saying is, beware the ever-shifting ire of Katie.

Even Kristen Doute isn’t immune! She visits Tom and Katie, where they’re collecting wedding RSVP’s that have penises drawn on them. Tom is trying to decipher which dick-pic best represents which friend group. Katie spent $42,000 on invites and all they got was a tea towel, but no place for prospective guests to write their actual NAMES on the RSVP card. This is Scheana Marie‘s fault, apparently.

Over at SUR, Ariana tattles to Lisa about Scheana and Jax tormenting James. Lisa is like, ‘Oh well, hmm, will it raise ratings on this shit show? Then by all means… just don’t do it at SUR… until I rehire James for the 400th time!'”

Katie is also annoyed that Scheana crashed James‘ gig because she doesn’t see the point. This coming from the woman who threatened to shove Scheana in the oven at SUR for even having casual co-worker niceties with Lala Kent. Katie has also directed her wrath to Ariana Madix because Scheana has ‘changed’ since becoming re-friends with Ariana, which means Scheana has turned disloyal to The Muva.

Yes, Ariana is now persona non grata because she won’t kiss the feet of Stassi Schroder, Katie’s chosen one. Does anyone else find it insanely odd that Katie is marrying Tom 2, yet she is so overly concerned and obsessed about what Stassi thinks? After Katie warns Tom 2 that Ariana better get in line, Tom 2 in turn warns Tom 1.

In other news, Tom 1 has ditched the whole music thing and is now focused on modeling again. Under the tutelage of JOE SIMPSON (as in boob-obsessed father of Jessica), who is wearing harem sweatpants cropped at the ankle like he’s Justin Bieber from 2015. Papa Joe dresses Tom up in a smokey eye and druid robes, then has him prance and spin around to a wind machine. Joe is no Tyra. There was no smize.

Even Tom 2, watching from the sidelines as ‘support,’ was embarrassed, but Tom 1 was proud to bare his vapidly shrouded soul to the lens of supremely F-list fame. Ariana sneers that she hates models. So Tom abandons that to shoot a scene for a short film Peter is producing. I cannot say anything bad about this because I was distracted by Peter looking hot in a tank top. James – please take note, this is how a tank top is supposed to look on a man. Also, did you notice, Peter, who has a real job, has a nice apartment to go with it?

While Tom is at Peter’s role playing – badly – Tom warns Ariana that she better make nice with Stassi by apologizing. But Ariana will not be lowering her standards for any wedding party. For that I salute her. She is the captain, I mean commander, of her own life!

In the TomKatastrophe Wedding, Ariana is separate but equal, expected to be all things to all parties, while being afforded few rights. In planning the Bachelor/Bachelorette weekend in New Orleans she finds herself at a cross-roads. Ariana can’t dress in drag with the groomsman because she’s already a girl; she’s expected to get along with the bridal party who’ve made it clear they do not want her included, even though she’s not included in planning any of the events. Ariana is pretty much the Pump Rules eunuch at this point – the androgynous filibuster wearing lumberjack plaid with mini skirts.

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Today I’m sharing a list featuring 11 of history’s most famous entrepreneurs. From Oprah to Hans Christian Anderson, we’re sharing these tales of past and present entrepreneurs who had to claw their way to the top.

1. Oprah Winfrey

I think Oprah Winfrey has one of the most amazing modern rags-to-riches stories of all time. As you’re probably well aware, Oprah is the richest African American of the 21st century, and with a net worth of over $3 billion, she is regarded as arguably the most influential woman in the world.

Her incredible success is all the more impressive considering her rough upbringing. The daughter of an unmarried teen who worked as a housemaid, Oprah grew up in extreme poverty. Her family was so poor that, as a child, Oprah was teased at school for wearing mermaid prom dresses made of potato sacks. She also was the victim of .......ual abuse at the hands of family members, which she discussed with TV viewers during a special episode of her show.

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Oprah’s first big break was her gig at the local black radio station. Stations managers were impressed with her oration and passion, leading Oprah to work her way up the ranks to bigger radio stations, eventually resulting in her appearing on TV as well.

It was actually Robert Ebert who convinced Oprah to sign the deal that launched The Oprah Winfrey Show. And the rest, folks, is history.

2. Walt Disney

Walt Disney started off as a farm boy drawing cartoon pictures of his neighbor’s horses for fun. When he was older, Walt tried to get a job as a newspaper cartoonist, but was unable to find one and ended up working in an art studio where he created ads for newspapers and magazines. Eventually he grew to work on commercials, became interested in animation, and eventually opened his own animation company.

Disney’s first original character creation was Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, but it was officially owned by Universal Pictures because he was working under contract at the time. When Walt walked out on Universal Pictures after getting a pay cut, he needed to create a replacement, which is how Mickey Mouse came into being.

Disney was wildly successful with his animation company, but he wasn’t satisfied. He was determined to make the biggest and greatest theme park ever seen, saying to a colleague, “I want it to look like nothing else in the world.”

One of the biggest entertainment moguls of all-time, with an unrelenting spirit and commitment to his vision, Disney is undoubtedly an entrepreneurial all-star.

3. J.K. Rowling

Today J.K. Rowling is a household name for fans of the beloved Harry Potter book series, but she wasn’t always gifted with magic. The fact is, J.K Rowling was at her rope’s end before her misfit gang of witches and wizards saved her. Before her bestseller cast a spell on readers, J.K. Rowling was living on welfare and struggling to get by as a single mother.

Today she is estimated to have a net worth of $1 billion. Rumor has it she’s also the president of Gringotts Wizarding Bank, although it’s a bit of a secret among the goblins.

Did you know that some people believe that J.K Rowling sold her soul to the devil in exchange for the Harry Potter inspiration? When you’re so successful people think you’re making deals with the devil, you’re a pretty big deal.

4. John Paul DeJoria

Today he’s known for his Paul Mitchell hair products and for Patron Tequila, but John Paul DeJoria started off at the bottom. A first-generation American, DeJoria was born to German and Italian parents. He was sent to live in a L.A. foster home, and he even spent time in a street gang.

When he first created John Paul Mitchell Systems, he was selling his hair products door to door while living out of his car. It all paid off, though — today John Paul Mitchell Systems earns over $900 million a year.

John Paul DeJoria proves that things have to get worse before they get better.

5. Madam CJ Walker

Sarah Breedlove (aka Madam CJ Walker) was one amazing lady. She is regarded as the first black female self-made American millionaire.

Born in 1867, her parents and older siblings had been slaves on a Louisiana plantation. She was the first of her family to be born into freedom (that’s some lucky timing!).

Madam CJ Walker started her own line of beauty and hair products specifically designed for black women. She saw a market that wasn’t being met, and created a solution to a problem no one else seemed interested in solving.

As you can imagine, during her time she had to fight tooth and nail for every step up the ladder. A smart, strategic, and enterprising woman, she perfectly embodies the entrepreneurial spirit (with stylish hair to match).

6. Steve Jobs

You can’t really make a self-respecting “famous entrepreneurs” list without throwing in Steve Jobs. Jobs dropped out of college because his family couldn’t handle the financial burden of his education. He unofficially continued to audit classes, living off free meals from the local Hare Krishna temple and returning Coke bottles for change just to get by. Jobs credited the calligraphy class he stopped in on as his inspiration for the Mac’s revolutionary typefaces and font design.

Jobs went on to have an unbelievable career, eventually forming the Apple Computer Company with his childhood friend and electronics expert Steve Wozniak. Often referred to as “The Grandfather of the Digital Revolution,” Jobs forever changed the consumer electronics industry. At the time of his death, his net worth was over $8.3 billion, and his influence will be felt for many digital generations to come.

7. Andrew Carnegie

Just hearing Andrew Carnegie’s name brings back yawns and daydream distractions from high school history class. I had no interest in Carnegie back in school, but today he serves as a pretty amazing example of entrepreneurship.

Carnegie had a really rough life growing up. He spent his childhood working in factories, and at night he forced himself to sleep as a way to forget his constant hunger.

Carnegie eventually worked his way up to becoming a superintendent for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company before creating several of his own businesses, the most successful being the Carnegie Steel Mill. Despite being one of the richest Americans of all-time, he also serves as a class act example of generosity.

Following his belief that “the man who dies rich dies disgraced,” Carnegie donated nearly 90 percent of his wealth to various charities and foundations. His is widely considered one of the largest benefactors of libraries and educational institutions across the country. Thank you, Carnegie, for giving a second home to us nerdy kids who practically lived in our local libraries.

8. Benjamin Franklin

Only an entrepreneur would conduct some of the wacky experiments old Benny was always up to. Franklin is credited with creating the lightening rod, bifocals, and the Franklin stove (yeah, that last one might have been a bit of a flop).

Like many famous entrepreneurs before and after him, Franklin was a man of a thousand hats. Scientist, printer, politician, inventor, author, diplomat, and savvy businessman were just a few of his many trades.

9. John D. Rockefeller

Even though we give these Gilded Age guys a lot of tough love for being so filthy rich, you can’t say they didn’t do good with their fortunes.

One of the world’s wealthiest individuals of all time, Rockefeller was born the son of a traveling salesman. He showed early entrepreneurial promise selling candy and doing odd jobs for neighbors, eventually going on to become the founder of the Standard Oil Company. There’s no business quite like oil business, and it made Rockefeller filthy rich.

While Rockefeller is accused of using shady business tactics to wipe competitors off the map, over his lifetime he donated $500 million to philanthropic causes (which he was inspired to do by Carnegie).

10. Hans Christian Anderson

Hans Christian Anderson’s fierce determination and self-starter mentality make him another great example of a famous entrepreneur.

Anderson grew up poor, but set off alone to Copenhagen at 14 when a fortuneteller told him that although he would suffer early on, eventually he would become famous.

Those predictions came true, as Anderson first tried and failed to become actor and singer. Seeing something special in Anderson, the director of the Royal Danish Theater took him under his wing and attended to his education. Anderson was teased terribly at school and harassed by students and a hateful headmaster, and he considered those some of the darkest days of his life.

After leaving school, Anderson began to publish his writing. His fairy tales became immensely popular and eventually earned him the fame he was promised as a child. He never forgot his initial poverty — The Little Match Girl was inspired by how his mother was forced to go begging in the streets as a young girl.

Today Hans Christian Anderson is still beloved, known for rich fairy tales, many of which have inspired Disney animation classics (which, it should be noted, have muchhappier endings than the original tales).

11. Bill Gates

Bill Gates is one of the most famous entrepreneurs of our era. The richest man in the world, Gates has a net worth estimated to be over $79 billion. He’s held the title of “world’s wealthiest individual” for 16 of the past 21 years.

Co-founder of the world’s largest PC software company, Microsoft, Gates was one of the defining figures of the personal computer revolution.

Gates showed an interest in computer programming at a very young age, spending all of his free time creating programs on the teletype terminal computer his school had donated. Gates went on to create Microsoft and develop the Windows operating system, which continues to be tremendously popular.

Bill Gates is, like many other famous entrepreneurs, also known for his philanthropic activities, donating very large amounts of money to charitable organizations and scientific endeavors. Gates established the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000, a private philanthropic foundation dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing health care, improving education opportunities, and providing access to technology worldwide. Gates himself has donated over $28 billion to the foundation, which he continues to work for.

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