Carl Icahn is an American billionaire investor and corporate executive, famous as the founder and controlling shareholder of Icahn Enterprises, and a legendary, sometimes feared, figure in activist investing. Born in 1936 in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York, he was raised in a middle-class Jewish family. His father was a secularist choirmaster, and his mother was a teacher.

Icahn received a rigorous education, graduating from Princeton University in 1957 with a degree in philosophy. This background in logic and argumentation gave him the intellectual firepower to dissect corporate structures and engage in high-stakes boardroom battles. He briefly attended NYU School of Medicine but dropped out, choosing instead to begin his Wall Street career in the early 1960s as a stockbroker for Dreyfus Corporation.

Carl Icahn's entrepreneurial journey began when he founded his own investment firm, Icahn & Co., in 1968 after purchasing a seat on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). His career is defined by his invention and mastery of activist investing (often called 'corporate raiding' in the 1980s). His strategy is to acquire a large minority stake in a publicly traded company he believes is undervalued or poorly managed, and then publicly challenge the board and management to enact changes—such as selling off assets or improving governance—to increase shareholder value.

Over five decades, Icahn has targeted dozens of major American corporations, including TWA, Texaco, Nabisco, and Apple, generating colossal returns on investment. He manages his own fund through his publicly traded diversified holding company, Icahn Enterprises (NASDAQ: IEP). Although he has been involved in legal and financial controversies, his relentless focus on maximizing shareholder value has cemented his legacy as one of the most transformative, influential, and wealthiest figures on Wall Street.

Carl Icahn's philosophy is rooted in the belief that maximizing shareholder value is itself a form of social good, as it improves the returns for millions of pension funds and retail investors. His personal philanthropy, however, is substantial and targeted, focusing on education, medical research, and charter schools.

He has made major donations to his alma mater, Princeton University. His commitment to education includes founding and funding several charter schools in New York City aimed at providing high-quality educational opportunities for underserved children. His structural contribution is forcing corporate efficiency and accountability across numerous publicly traded American companies.

Carl Icahn maintains the intense, sharp, and highly disciplined style of an activist investor. His attire is consistently formal, favoring tailored suits and a classic aesthetic. His public persona is defined by his unflinching aggression and intellectual arguments in defense of shareholder value.

Residing in the exclusive East Hampton, New York, area, his luxury is the security of his multi-billion dollar fortune and the autonomy to challenge the management of any major American corporation he chooses. His life is a relentless pursuit of financial optimization, embodying the competitive spirit of Wall Street.