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Photo credits
212 photos
Every portrait on this site is a freely licensed image (most from Wikimedia Commons, a few from Flickr). The author and licence of each one are listed below. Some images are cropped to the face. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by the people shown or the photographers.



Warren BuffettChairman emeritus of Berkshire Hathaway, value investor
Author: USA International Trade AdministrationPublic domainOriginal
Bill GatesCo-founder of Microsoft, philanthropist

Sam AltmanCEO of OpenAI, former president of Y Combinator
Author: 首相官邸ホームページ / Office of the Prime Minister of Japan Official WebsiteCC BY 4.0Original





Albert EinsteinPhysicist who developed relativity (1879-1955)
Author: Oren Jack TurnerPublic domainOriginal

George SorosHedge fund investor and philanthropist
Author: Aris Oikonomou / European CommissionCC BY 4.0Original


Demis HassabisCo-founder of Google DeepMind, Nobel laureate in chemistry
Author: John SearsCC BY-SA 4.0Original

Masayoshi SonFounder, chairman and CEO of SoftBank
Author: European Communities, 2025 / EC - Audiovisual ServiceCC BY 4.0Original
Walt DisneyCo-founder of The Walt Disney Company (1901-1966)
Author: Boy Scouts of AmericaPublic domainOriginal


Napoleon BonaparteFrench emperor and military commander (1769-1821)
Author: Jacques-Louis DavidPublic domainOriginal
Vincent van GoghDutch post-impressionist painter (1853-1890)
Author: Vincent van GoghPublic domainOriginal
Winston ChurchillBritish prime minister in World War II (1874-1965)
Author: Yousuf Karsh / Library and Archives CanadaPublic domainOriginal

Michael JordanBasketball player, six-time NBA champion
Abraham Lincoln16th president of the United States (1809-1865)
Author: Alexander GardnerPublic domainOriginal
Bernard ArnaultChairman and CEO of LVMH
Author: Jérémy Barande / Ecole polytechnique Université Paris-SaclayCC BY-SA 2.0Original

Gautama BuddhaFounder of Buddhism
Author: Tevaprapas Makklay (พระมหาเทวประภาส วชิรญาณเมธี)CC BY-SA 3.0Original
Leonardo da VinciRenaissance painter, engineer and scientist (1452-1519)
Author: Attributed to Francesco MelziPublic domainOriginal
Linus TorvaldsCreator of Linux and Git
Author: Krd (photo) Von Sprat (crop/extraction)CC BY-SA 4.0Original
Oprah WinfreyTalk show host and media entrepreneur
Author: US Embassy South AfricaPublic domainOriginal


William ShakespeareEnglish playwright and poet (1564-1616)
Author: Attributed to John TaylorPublic domainOriginal
Coco ChanelFashion designer, founder of Chanel (1883-1971)
Franklin D. Roosevelt32nd president of the United States (1882-1945)
Mahatma GandhiLeader of India's nonviolent independence movement
Author: Elliott & FryPublic domainOriginal
Arnold SchwarzeneggerBodybuilder, actor, former governor of California
Author: Bernhard HolubCC BY-SA 4.0Original

Isaac NewtonPhysicist who described gravity and motion (1642-1727)
Author: Godfrey KnellerPublic domainOriginal


Friedrich NietzscheGerman philosopher (1844-1900)
Author: Friedrich Hermann HartmannPublic domainOriginal

Marie CuriePhysicist and chemist, twice a Nobel laureate (1867-1934)
Author: Henri ManuelPublic domainOriginal
Albert CamusFrench author of The Stranger, Nobel laureate (1913-1960)
Author: Photograph by United Press InternationalPublic domainOriginal
Nikola TeslaInventor who pioneered AC electricity (1856-1943)
Author: Napoleon SaronyPublic domainOriginal





Thomas EdisonInventor, co-founder of General Electric (1847-1931)
Author: Louis Bachrach, Bachrach Studios, restored by Michel VuijlstekePublic domainOriginal
Richard BransonCo-founder of the Virgin Group
Author: U.S. Department of State from United StatesPublic domainOriginal

Benjamin FranklinUS Founding Father, inventor and writer (1706-1790)
Author: Joseph-Siffred DuplessisPublic domainOriginal
Daniel KahnemanPsychologist, Nobel laureate in economics (1934-2024)
Author: nrkbetaCC BY-SA 2.0Original
Fyodor DostoevskyRussian novelist, author of Crime and Punishment (1821-1881)
Author: Vasily PerovPublic domainOriginal
Jean-Paul SartreFrench existentialist philosopher (1905-1980)
Author: Unknown author / Anefo (Dutch National Archives)CC BY-SA 3.0 nlOriginal
Richard FeynmanNobel Prize-winning physicist (1918-1988)
Author: Copyright Tamiko Thiel 1984CC BY-SA 3.0Original
Theodore Roosevelt26th president of the United States (1858-1919)
Author: Pach Brothers; restored by Adam CuerdenPublic domainOriginal
Charles DarwinNaturalist who founded evolutionary theory (1809-1882)
Author: Henry Maull (1829–1914) and John Fox (1832–1907) (Maull & Fox); derivative work: BeaoPublic domainOriginal
Lee Kuan YewFirst prime minister of Singapore (1923-2015)
Author: White House Photographic Office. 1974-1977Public domainOriginal
Leo TolstoyRussian novelist, author of War and Peace (1828-1910)
Author: Sergei Prokudin-GorskiiPublic domainOriginal
Stephen KingAmerican novelist of horror and suspense
Author: Kevin Payravi / WikiPortraitsCC BY-SA 4.0Original
Li Ka-shingFounder of Cheung Kong Holdings, Hong Kong businessman
Author: EdTech Stanford University School of MedicineCC BY 2.0Original


Paul GrahamCo-founder of Y Combinator, essayist
Author: TechCrunch (Charles Eshelman/Getty Images for AOL)CC BY 2.0Original

Kazuo InamoriFounder of Kyocera and KDDI (1932-2022)
Author: Conrad Erb / Science History InstituteCC BY-SA 3.0Original

Dale CarnegieAuthor of How to Win Friends and Influence People
Author: Unknown authorPublic domainOriginal
Johann Wolfgang von GoetheGerman writer, author of Faust (1749-1832)
Author: Joseph Karl StielerPublic domainOriginal







C. S. LewisBritish author of The Chronicles of Narnia (1898-1963)
Author: John S. MurrayPublic domainOriginal
John D. RockefellerCo-founder of Standard Oil (1839-1937)
Author: Published by Scientific American Compiling Dep't, New York. 1907.Public domainOriginal
Oscar WildeIrish writer and playwright (1854-1900)
Author: Napoleon Sarony / Adam CuerdenPublic domainOriginal
Reed HastingsCo-founder and former CEO of Netflix
Author: re:publica from GermanyCC BY-SA 2.0Original

Andrej KarpathyFounding member of OpenAI, former head of AI at Tesla



Niccolò MachiavelliFlorentine thinker, author of The Prince (1469-1527)
Author: Santi di TitoPublic domainOriginal
Reid HoffmanCo-founder of LinkedIn, venture investor

Adam SmithEconomist, author of The Wealth of Nations (1723-1790)
Author: Unknown authorPublic domainOriginal



Mark TwainAmerican novelist and humorist (1835-1910)
Author: A.F. Bradley, New YorkPublic domainOriginal
Miyamoto MusashiJapanese swordsman, author of The Book of Five Rings
Author: Miyamoto MusashiPublic domainOriginal

Sheryl SandbergFormer COO of Meta, author of Lean In
Author: World Economic Forum from Cologny, SwitzerlandCC BY-SA 2.0Original


Yi Sun-sinKorean admiral who led the navy in the Imjin War
Author: Unknown authorPublic domainOriginal

Jordan PetersonPsychologist, author of 12 Rules for Life
Author: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of AmericaCC BY-SA 2.0Original

Sam WaltonFounder of Walmart (1918-1992)
Author: George Bush Presidential Library and MuseumPublic domainOriginal

Eleanor RooseveltUS first lady and human rights advocate (1884-1962)
Ratan TataFormer chairman of the Tata Group (1937-2024)
Author: St. Gallen Symposium / Universitätsarchiv St.Gallen, HSGN 028/01812CC BY-SA 4.0Original

Claude ShannonMathematician, founder of information theory (1916-2001)
Michael PorterHarvard professor, authority on competitive strategy
Author: World Economic Forum from Cologny, SwitzerlandCC BY-SA 2.0Original
Stephen CoveyAuthor of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Author: Neshan H. NaltchayanPublic domainOriginal
Thomas SowellEconomist, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution
Author: Internet Archive Book ImagesPublic domainOriginal
Viktor FranklPsychiatrist, author of Man's Search for Meaning (1905-1997)
Author: Prof. Dr. Franz VeselyCC BY-SA 3.0 deOriginal
Andy GroveFormer CEO and chairman of Intel (1936-2016)
Author: Steve Jurvetson from Los Altos, USACC BY 2.0Original

Estée LauderCo-founder of the Estée Lauder Companies (1908-2004)
Author: New York World-Telegram and the Sun staff photographer: Sauro, Bill, photographerPublic domainOriginal


Andrew CarnegieSteel industrialist and philanthropist (1835-1919)
Author: Theodore C. MarceauPublic domainOriginal
Henry David ThoreauAmerican thinker, author of Walden (1817-1862)
Author: Benjamin D. Maxham active 1848 - 1858Public domainOriginal


Philip KotlerMarketing scholar, professor emeritus at Kellogg
Author: Jack11 PolandCC BY-SA 3.0Original

George Bernard ShawNobel Prize-winning playwright (1856-1950)
Author: Bain News Service, publisherPublic domainOriginal
Ingvar KampradFounder of IKEA (1926-2018)
Author: Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications of Sweden/Sandra BaqirjazidCC BY 2.0Original


P. T. Barnum19th-century American showman and circus founder
Author: Brady-Handy Photograph Collection (Library of Congress)Public domainOriginal

Ralph Waldo Emerson19th-century American essayist and poet
Author: Josiah Johnson HawesPublic domainOriginal

Clayton ChristensenAuthor of The Innovator's Dilemma (1952-2020)
Author: World Economic Forum from Cologny, SwitzerlandCC BY-SA 2.0Original
Indra NooyiFormer chairman and CEO of PepsiCo
Author: JeffBedford from Arlington, Virginia, United StatesCC BY-SA 2.0Original
Jiddu KrishnamurtiIndian-born philosopher and speaker (1895-1986)
Author: Unknown authorPublic domainOriginal
Katharine GrahamPublisher of The Washington Post (1917-2001)
Author: Unknown / Anefo; derivative work: Der AngemeldeteCC0Original









Ryan HolidayWriter on Stoicism, author of The Obstacle Is the Way
Author: Luiz BerengueCC BY-SA 2.0Original





John WoodenUCLA basketball coach, 10 NCAA titles (1910-2010)
Author: Associated Students of the University of California at Los AngelesPublic domainOriginal
Scott GallowayNYU Stern marketing professor, author
Author: Phil Whitehouse from London, United KingdomCC BY 2.0Original
Maya AngelouAmerican poet and civil rights activist (1928-2014)
Author: Clinton LibraryPublic domainOriginal
William JamesAmerican psychologist and philosopher (1842-1910)
Author: Notman Studios (photographer)Public domainOriginal
Ernest ShackletonBritish Antarctic explorer (1874-1922)
Author: George Charles Beresford / Adam CuerdenPublic domainOriginal
Jason FriedCo-founder and CEO of 37signals (Basecamp)
Author: Cory Doctorow from Beautiful Downtown Burbank, USACC BY-SA 2.0Original
Kevin KellyFounding executive editor of Wired, technology thinker
Author: Cmichel67CC BY-SA 4.0Original
Michel de MontaigneFrench thinker, author of the Essays (1533-1592)
Author: Unknown authorPublic domainOriginal


Carol DweckStanford psychology professor, author of Mindset
Author: Satheesh GopalanCC BY-SA 3.0Original

Dara KhosrowshahiCEO of Uber, former CEO of Expedia
David Heinemeier HanssonCreator of Ruby on Rails, co-owner of 37signals
Author: David Merrett from Daventry, EnglandCC BY 2.0Original
Grace HopperComputer pioneer and US Navy rear admiral (1906-1992)
Author: James S. DavisPublic domainOriginal
Jerry SeinfeldAmerican comedian, co-creator of Seinfeld
Author: Zafrir Keren - צפריר קרןCC BY-SA 3.0Original

Rick RubinRecord producer, co-founder of Def Jam Recordings

Balaji SrinivasanFormer CTO of Coinbase, author of The Network State
Author: KristyuhortonCC BY-SA 4.0Original

Carl von ClausewitzPrussian general, author of On War (1780-1831)
Author: Wilhelm WachPublic domainOriginal

W. Edwards DemingStatistician, pioneer of quality management (1900-1993)
Author: FDAPublic domainOriginal

Steve BlankCreator of customer development, startup educator




Madam C. J. WalkerHair care entrepreneur, self-made millionaire (1867-1919)
Author: Addison N. Scurlock / Adam CuerdenPublic domainOriginal
Brunello CucinelliFounder of the Italian cashmere brand bearing his name
Author: US Embassy ItalyPublic domainOriginal



Rory SutherlandOgilvy advertising veteran, behavioral science writer



Edwin LandCo-founder of Polaroid (1909-1991)
Author: Gotfryd, Bernard, photographerPublic domainOriginal

Ben ThompsonFounder of Stratechery, technology analyst
Author: Thor Brødreskift / Nordiske MediedagerCC BY-SA 2.0Original

Patrick McKenzieSoftware entrepreneur and writer known as patio11

Baltasar Gracián17th-century Spanish Jesuit writer and philosopher
Author: anonymousPublic domainOriginal

Eric HofferLongshoreman turned social philosopher (1902-1983)
Author: White House of the President of the United States; uploaded to YouTube by TheLBJLibraryPublic domainOriginal
James StockdaleUS Navy vice admiral, Vietnam prisoner of war (1923-2005)
Author: U.S. Navy File PhotoPublic domainOriginal
Jim O'ShaughnessyFounder of O'Shaughnessy Ventures, quant investor
Author: Matthew RyanCC BY-SA 2.0Original



Other images
Aristotle tutoring Alexander
Used in the film of the price section on the home page.
Author: Jean Leon Gerome Ferris, 1895Public domainOriginal