BUSINESSPEOPLE from Belgium

Top 3

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Belgian Businesspeople of all time. This list of famous Belgian Businesspeople is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.

1. Theodor de Bry (1528 - 1598)

With an HPI of 59.34, Theodor de Bry is the most famous Belgian Businessperson.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages on wikipedia.

Theodor de Bry (also Theodorus de Bry) (1528 – 27 March 1598) was an engraver, goldsmith, editor and publisher, famous for his depictions of early European expeditions to the Americas. The Spanish Inquisition forced de Bry , a Protestant, to flee his native, Spanish-controlled Southern Netherlands. He moved around Europe, starting from his birth on the city of Liège in the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, then to Strasbourg, Antwerp, London and Frankfurt, where he settled. De Bry created a large number of engraved illustrations for his books. Most of his books were based on first-hand observations by explorers, even if De Bry himself, acting as a recorder of information, never visited the Americas. To modern eyes, many of the illustrations seem formal but detailed.

2. John Langenus (1891 - 1952)

With an HPI of 59.06, John Langenus is the 2nd most famous Belgian Businessperson.  His biography has been translated into 26 different languages.

Joannes Julianus "John" Langenus (9 December 1891 in Antwerp, Belgium – 1 October 1952 in Antwerp) was a Belgian football referee, who officiated for FIFA in three World Cup competitions, including the first ever Final match in 1930.

3. Marc Rich (1934 - 2013)

With an HPI of 53.87, Marc Rich is the 3rd most famous Belgian Businessperson.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Marc Rich (born Marcell David Reich; December 18, 1934 – June 26, 2013) was an international commodities trader, financier, and businessman. He founded the commodities company Glencore, and was later indicted in the United States on federal charges of tax evasion, wire fraud, racketeering, and making oil deals with Iran during the Iran hostage crisis. He fled to Switzerland at the time of the indictment and never returned to the United States. He received a widely criticized presidential pardon from President Bill Clinton, on his last day in office; Rich's ex-wife Denise had made large donations to the Democratic Party.