William C. Durant

About

Founder of General Motors who created some of the most enduring automobile brands in the world.

Before Fame

He bought a carriage company using family money and expanded it to one of the largest suppliers of horse-drawn carriages in the country.

Trivia

His first automobile acquisitions included David Dunbar Buick's car company, quickly followed by the Olds Corporation and more than two dozen others.

Family Life

His father was a wealthy banker and stock speculator, and his grandfather on his mother's side was a railroad magnate and a one-time governor of Michigan.

Associated With

He founded the Chevrolet car company after leaving GM, named after Louis Chevrolet who was the engineer of its first model.