Dustin Moskovitz: From Facebook to Other Ventures

Surely, everyone knows about Facebook and its main man Mark Zuckerberg, but those who were able to research more about or watch the film entitled “The Social Network” might already have the idea that it is not Zuckerberg alone that made the creation of Facebook possible. Dustin Moskovitz is among the co-founders of the social networking site and as one, he became one of the richest young men in the face of the earth.

Born May 22, 1984 in Gainesville, Florida, it seems that he is meant to become friends and partner with Mark Zuckerberg with the latter just eight days older than the former. He attended the Vanguard High School and graduated from the IB Diploma Programme. Later on, he went to Harvard University majoring in economics for two years before he moved with Zuckerberg to Palo Alto, California to take Facebook into greater heights.

Moskovitz was among the four people, three of whom were roommates, who founded Facebook in their dorm room in Harvard in February 2004. The social network, originally named thefacebook.com, was initially intended to be an exclusive online directory of all the university’s students to help residential students identify members of different residences. Seeing the potential, Moskovitz and Zuckerberg took a year off from the university and moved to Palo Alto to take Facebook into full swing. Initially, they hired eight employees. Moskovitz served as the first chief technology officer and vice president of engineering. As such, he led the technical staff and monitored the site’s major architecture. He was also responsible for the company’s mobile development.

In October 2008, Moskovitz left Facebook to form a new company, Asana. His departure from Facebook was taken by Zuckerberg lightly as it was established that Asana is not a competitor of Facebook. Moskovitz remained connected to Facebook despite leaving his position and by March 2011, Forbes named Moskovitz as the world’s youngest self-made billionaire basing the announcement to his 7.6% share in Facebook.

George Keith Funston: Salesman of Shares in America

George Keith Funston was an American executive who became the president of the New York Stock Exchange. Funston was born in Waterloo, Iowa on October 12, 1910. He had a master’s degree in Business Administration from Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration.

Funston started his career with American Radiator and Standard Sanitary Corporation as sales executive. Later, he became director of sales planning of Sylvania Electric Products. He left Sylvania to become the special assistant to the deputy chairman of the War Production Board Sidney J. Weinberg, and to the board’s chairman Donald M. Nelson. He left the board to join the Industrial Readjustment Branch of the US Navy with the rank of lieutenant commander. While there, he was appointed as president of Trinity College.

In 1951, Funston became the president of the New York Stock Exchange. During his presidency, the Stock Exchange experienced rapid expansions. Its influence in the business community was revived. During his term, Funston was known as the “salesman of shares in America.”

Robert Forbes: Connecting US to the Pacific Region

Captain Robert Forbes was an American ship owner, merchant and writer. His trades and activities included ship building, maritime safety, opium trade and philanthropy. Forbes was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1804. Most of his fortunes were derived from his involvements in the opium trade. Forbes played a significant role in the Opium War. In spite of his attachments to opium trading, Forbes had active participation in charitable activities. In 1847, Forbes commandeered USS Jamestown to deliver food to Irish families who are suffering from famine.

On October 19, 1817, when Forbes was just thirteen years old, he boarded Canton Packet and made his first voyage to China. In March of the following year, he arrived at Canton via the eastern passage. According to his own narrative, Forbes said his connection with Canton was the beginning of his fortunes.

Forbes returned to Boston in June 1818. A year later, Forbes made his second journey to China on board the Canton Packet. While on board the ship, Forbes did a thorough study of maritime navigation. On his third trip, he earned the rank of third mate. He became second mate in 1821 and in 1825, he became the master of Nile.

While on the helm of Nile, Forbes travelled to Manila, Philippines. From Manila, Forbes maneuvered Nile to China, then California, all the way to Buenos Aires, and landing in Boston. It was a long trip but the trading was successful.

Forbes did his last trip to China in 1832. In 1840, he became the CEO of Russell & Company, China’s largest American commercial house at that time. His stint at Russell & Company allowed him to provide for his mother and brother. While in Canton, Forbes served as American vice consul. He continued successful trades and voyages between the US, Europe, South America and China.

Henry Flagler: Disappointments that Led to Great Business Ventures

Henry Morrison Flagler was an American real estate developer and financier. He was born in 1860 in New York. He started as a salt and grain businessman. Later, he ventured into oil refining with John Rockefeller.

Flagler’s partnership with Rockefeller was known as Rockefeller, Andrews and Flagler. In 1870, the firm was renamed Standard Oil Company. Flagler served as Standard’s vice president until his resignation in 1908. Flagler was Rockefeller’s closest business associate.

In 1883, Flagler visited Florida only to be disappointed by the inadequacy of hotel facilities and transport system. However, Flagler’s disappointment became a business opportunity. He acquired a number of railroads and consolidated them to a new company known as Florida East Coast Railway. The railway covered Daytona through Palm Beach, Miami and Key West. He organized steamships in the Miami harbor. He built a few hotels and established that made Florida the winter playground in US.

Flagler was a philanthropist who donated gifts to build churches, schools and hospitals. He used his millions to invest in Florida’s economy to make is a fast-growing state.

James Fisk Jr.: Shrewdness Has Positive Impact

James Fisk Jr. was an American corporate executive and stockbroker who became popular with the monikers “Jubilee Jim”, Diamond Jim”, and “Big Jim”. He was also oftentimes known as one of the Gilded Age’s “robber barons”.

Fisk was born on April 1, 1835 in Bennington County, Vermont. He stayed in school only for a brief period of time. In 1850, Fisk ran away to join the Mammoth Circus and Managerie. Fisk’s father was a peddler. Later on, Fisk joined his father in his peddling business. He used his experiences with the circus in peddling. Soon, his father’s business grew.

Soon, Fisk worked as a salesman for Jordan Marsh, a dry goods business based in Boston. He did not perform well as a salesman, so he moved to Washington D.C. in 2861 where he sold textiles to the government. Fisk was a shrewd businessman. He had exclusive contracts with the Army for the supply of textiles during the Civil War. He smuggled cotton across enemy lines. He accumulated much wealth for his shrewdness.

Daniel Drew employed Fisk in 1864 and became a stockbroker. When Drew got into a battle with Cornelius Vanderbilt for the control of Erie Railroad, Fisk played a significant role to help Drew. Drew won the battle and Fisk became a Director of Erie Railroad later.

Fisk and fellow director Jay Gould were alleged to have been involved in extreme financial buccaneering. Among these manipulations included open alliance with Boss Tweed, a New York politician, and bribery of legislators and judges. Fisk and Gould were linked to the September 24, 1869 Black Friday for cornering the gold market. Many investors were ruined but Fisk and Gould were able to escape without any financial harm.

Fisk was just 19 years old when he married Lucy Moore in 1854. Fisk had extramarital affairs but they stayed close to each other. They used to spend vacations and summers together.

Carl Fisher’s Participation in Road and Racetrack Building

Carl Fisher was an American entrepreneur who developed roadways, racetracks and resorts. He was born in Greensburg, Indianapolis on January 12, 1874. He worked in a local grocery store at 12 years old. In a few years, Fisher owned a bicycle shop, and eventually a car dealership.

In 1904, Fisher opened his Prest-O-Light company to sell headlights to car manufacturers in the US. He sold the company in 1913 for $9 million to build a race track and an automobile testing ground.

Soon, Fisher owned the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which held its first race on August 19, 1909. Because of an accident that killed six people on his race track, Fisher paved the track with bricks, which was estimated to be 3.2 million pieces.

Fisher hosted the first International Sweepstakes race on May 30, 1911. The race was later on known as Indianapolis 500, which eventually became an annual event in the US.

Fisher was also linked to the construction of the Lincoln Highway. He also helped develop Miami Beach into a vacation resort that it is known today.