James Dyson

"Money was really unimportant" when James Dyson was a child, he told the BBC. With a net worth of £23 billion, he now has plenty to spare. In the 1990s, his vacuum cleaners became famous, and he has since expanded his product line to include hairdryers, air conditioners, hand dryers, and lighting. Dyson's design and economic success added credibility to his mission to rekindle the British spirit of creativity. Against the Odds, an autobiographical narrative of his perseverance in the face of adversity was released in 1997. He was awarded a Commander of the Order of the British Empire the following year.

Dyson was asked by the Conservative Party to offer strategies to boost innovation in 2009, and he responded in March 2010 with Ingenious Britain: Making the United Kingdom the Leading High-Tech Exporter in Europe. According to The Sunday Times, his most recent innovation, the Dyson Zone, is a pair of over-ear noise-canceling headphones with an air-purifying mask "that gives the wearer more than a passing resemblance to a cyberman."

Net worth: $23 Billion