How Bill Gates, Richard Branson and other billionaires got rich: 13 of the best books by successful entrepreneurs
- Richard Branson initially funded his first business venture at 15 years old with a necklace his mother found on the ground before launching the Virgin Group
- Michael Dell launched the company that would become Dell Computer from his dorm room at the University of Texas
Autobiographies make for good summer reading, and the life stories of entrepreneurs offer both entertainment and insight. You’ll find some of the best on this list of 13 books by billionaire business leaders who started from relatively modest beginnings.
From Bill Gates to Richard Branson, each title offers insights into the principles and strategies that helped guide their success.
1. Behind the Cloud, by Marc Benioff
Marc Benioff has been selling software for four decades, starting as a 15-year-old with programming applications and games that earned him enough royalties to pay for college.
His 2009 book gives readers a peek inside the rise of Salesforce, which he founded in a rented apartment after a 13-year stint with Oracle and is today worth nearly US$168 billion.
Throughout the book, Benioff weaves 111 of his entrepreneurial tips, from “integrate philanthropy from the beginning” to “have the courage to pursue your innovation – before it is obvious to the market”.
