B. C. Forbes: Built And Empire On Titans Of Fortune

Forbes Magazine's annual lists profiling the ultra rich is one of the most successful series in magazine history. But B.C. Forbes had a fascination for the great tycoons of business long before founding Forbes Magazine. His book, "Men Who are Making America," a collection of short biographies about successful titans of business, was published in 1917. Its success prompted B.C. to start a business magazine, a bimonthly "devoted to doers and doings." At first, he intended to call the publication Doers and Doings, but decided to use his last name just as other successful publishers, Collier and McClure, had done. In September, 1917, the first issue of Forbes appeared, bearing a price of 15 cents. B.C. shied away from dry, standard business news, opting. instead, to highlight people in business. That first issue listed the "foremost 50" businessmen of that day. Award-winning author Daniel Alef tells the fascinating story of B.C. beginning with his birth in Scotland and ending with his death as one of the tycoons he so admired and often wrote about. [1,565-word Titans of Fortune article].