The Most Famous
BUSINESSPEOPLE from Netherlands
This page contains a list of the greatest Dutch Businesspeople. The pantheon dataset contains 847 Businesspeople, 4 of which were born in Netherlands. This makes Netherlands the birth place of the 24th most number of Businesspeople behind Israel, and Czechia.
Top 5
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Dutch Businesspeople of all time. This list of famous Dutch Businesspeople is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach (1870 - 1950)
With an HPI of 67.18, Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach is the most famous Dutch Businessperson. His biography has been translated into 38 different languages on wikipedia.
Gustav Georg Friedrich Maria Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach (born Gustav von Bohlen und Halbach; 7 August 1870 – 16 January 1950) was a German foreign service official who became chairman of the board of Friedrich Krupp AG, a heavy industry conglomerate, after his marriage to Bertha Krupp, who had inherited the company. He and his son Alfried would lead the company through two world wars, producing almost everything for the German war machine from U-boats, battleships, howitzers, trains, railway guns, machine guns, cars, tanks, and much more. Krupp produced the Tiger I tank, Big Bertha and the Paris Gun, among other inventions, under Gustav. Following World War II, plans to prosecute him as a war criminal at the 1945 Nuremberg Trials were dropped because by then he was bedridden, senile, and considered medically unfit for trial. The charges against him were held in abeyance in case he were found fit for trial.
2. Colonel Tom Parker (1909 - 1997)
With an HPI of 60.46, Colonel Tom Parker is the 2nd most famous Dutch Businessperson. His biography has been translated into 26 different languages.
Colonel Thomas Andrew Parker (born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk; June 26, 1909 – January 21, 1997) was a Dutch-American talent manager and concert promoter, best known as the manager of Elvis Presley. Parker was born in the Netherlands and entered the United States illegally when he was 20 years old. He adopted a new name and claimed to have been born in the United States. With a background working in carnivals, Parker moved into music promotion in 1938, working with one of the first popular crooners, Gene Austin, and country music singers Eddy Arnold, Hank Snow, and Tommy Sands. He also assisted Jimmie Davis's campaign to become governor of Louisiana, for which he was awarded the honorary rank of "colonel" in the Louisiana State Guard. Parker encountered Presley in 1955 and by 1956 had become his manager. With Parker's help, Presley signed a recording contract with RCA Victor, which led to a commercial breakthrough in 1956 with his sixth single "Heartbreak Hotel" and a career as one of the most commercially successful entertainers in the world. Parker received more than half of the income from the enterprise, an unprecedented figure for a music manager. He negotiated Presley's lucrative merchandising deals and media appearances and is said to have influenced Presley's personal life, including his decision to accept military service in 1958 and his marriage to Priscilla Beaulieu in 1967. Parker encouraged Presley to make musical films, and they became the focus of his career during his commercial decline in the 1960s until his 1968 comeback and return to touring. Parker's influence waned in later years, but he continued in his management role until Presley died in 1977. Parker managed the Presley estate for the rest of his life. Having previously sold the rights to Presley's early recordings to RCA he struggled to secure a steady income, and his financial situation worsened after he sustained significant gambling losses. Parker's final years were spent living in Las Vegas, in declining health, until his death in 1997.
3. Frits Philips (1905 - 2005)
With an HPI of 53.91, Frits Philips is the 3rd most famous Dutch Businessperson. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Frederik Jacques "Frits" Philips (16 April 1905 – 5 December 2005) was the fourth chairman of the board of directors of the Dutch electronics company Philips, which his uncle and father founded. For his actions in saving 382 Jews during the Nazi Occupation of the Netherlands in World War II, he was recognized in 1996 by Yad Vashem as a Righteous Among the Nations.
4. Gerard Philips (1858 - 1942)
With an HPI of 53.67, Gerard Philips is the 4th most famous Dutch Businessperson. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Gerard Leonard Frederik Philips (9 October 1858 – 26 January 1942) was a Dutch industrialist and co-founder, with his father Frederik Philips, of Philips as a family business in 1891. In 1912, Gerard and his younger brother Anton Philips converted the business to a corporation by founding NV Philips' Gloeilampenfabrieken.
5. Ton Roosendaal (b. 1960)
With an HPI of 43.02, Ton Roosendaal is the 5th most famous Dutch Businessperson. His biography has been translated into 25 different languages.
Ton Roosendaal (Dutch: [tɔn ˈroːzə(n)ˌdaːl]; born 20 March 1960) is a Dutch software developer and film producer. He is the original creator of the open-source 3D creation suite Blender and Traces (an Amiga ray tracer which was the forerunner of Blender). He is also known as the founder and chairman of the Blender Foundation, and for pioneering large scale open-content projects. In 2007, he established the Blender Institute in Amsterdam, where he works on coordinating Blender development, publishing manuals and DVD training, and organizing 3D animation and game projects.
People
Pantheon has 5 people classified as Dutch businesspeople born between 1858 and 1960. Of these 5, 1 (20.00%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Dutch businesspeople include Ton Roosendaal. The most famous deceased Dutch businesspeople include Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach, Colonel Tom Parker, and Frits Philips. As of April 2024, 1 new Dutch businesspeople have been added to Pantheon including Gerard Philips.
Living Dutch Businesspeople
Go to all RankingsDeceased Dutch Businesspeople
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Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach
1870 - 1950
HPI: 67.18
Colonel Tom Parker
1909 - 1997
HPI: 60.46
Frits Philips
1905 - 2005
HPI: 53.91
Gerard Philips
1858 - 1942
HPI: 53.67
Newly Added Dutch Businesspeople (2024)
Go to all RankingsOverlapping Lives
Which Businesspeople were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 4 most globally memorable Businesspeople since 1700.
