C harles "Chuck" Schwab is a pioneering American investor and the founder of the Charles Schwab Corporation, the company that revolutionized the brokerage industry by bringing discount stock trading to the masses. With an MBA from Stanford, Schwab started his company in 1971, but his big breakthrough came in 1975 when the U.S. government deregulated brokerage commissions. He seized the opportunity to create a new kind of brokerage firm that catered to individual investors with low fees and no-pressure sales tactics.

This discount model fundamentally disrupted the old Wall Street establishment and democratized investing for millions of Americans. As chairman, he has guided the company for five decades, constantly innovating and expanding its services to include mutual funds, retirement accounts, and wealth management. The company has grown into one of the largest financial services firms in the world, with trillions of dollars in client assets. A dyslexic himself, Schwab is also a major philanthropist, particularly in the areas of education and support for children with learning disabilities.