industrialist, US

An owner, manager, or financier of a manufacturing enterprise in the USA, particularly during the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century.

These leaders were involved in industries such as iron, steel, shipbuilding, and railways. Many of them made vast profits and became philanthropists. Among this dynamic and innovative group of business leaders were Leland Stanford for railways, Andrew Carnegie for iron and steel, John D Rockefeller for oil, and Henry Ford for cars. By the end of the 19th century, the USA was the largest industrial nation in the world.