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undefined | Boston billionaires, historic figures land on Forbes’ ‘self-made’ lists by Samantha Genzer

Multiple Boston-area billionaires and historic figures with local ties have been featured on two new Forbes rankings that spotlight the “greatest self‑made Americans.” The first list, “The Greatest Self‑Made Americans,” unveiled on Thursday, ranks 250 individuals who rose from modest beginnings to extraordinary financial success, measuring each person on a “Self‑Made Score” of 1‑10 that weighs wealth, obstacles overcome, and long‑term impact. A companion list, “The Greatest Historic Self‑Made Americans,” released Friday, applies the same criteria to 250 historical personalities, drawing on more than a century of archives, reporter input, AI‑assisted research, and a panel of expert judges.

Boston’s own entrepreneurs dominate the contemporary list. Noubar Afeyan, the Lebanese‑born founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering and chairman of Moderna, landed at No. 27 with an estimated net worth of $1.9 billion after launching over 70 biotech companies. Real‑estate magnate Bill Cummings, ranked No. 115, built Cummings Properties into a major Boston‑suburban commercial portfolio, has given away roughly $1 billion through his foundation and the Giving Pledge, and funded Tufts University’s Veterinary School with $80 million. Herb Chambers, placed at No. 143, grew the Herb Chambers Companies into a network of about 60 New England dealerships; after dropping out of high school, serving in the Navy, and turning a $500 loan into an $80 million sale, he sold the business to Asbury Automotive and is now worth an estimated $2.8 billion.

The historic list also highlights several Massachusetts‑born or -raised figures. Elias Howe (No. 124) helped pioneer the sewing machine; W.E.B. Du Bois (No. 98) emerged from Great Barrington as a leading intellectual and NAACP co‑founder; and Louisa May Alcott (No. 62) rose from Concord’s poverty to write “Little Women.” Benjamin Franklin (No. 19), born in Boston, earned his place as a founding father, inventor, and publisher, while Dorchester native Sheldon Adelson (No. 38) went from selling newspapers as a child to building a global casino empire. Baseball legends Babe Ruth (No. 84) and Ted Williams (No. 188) rounded out the historic roster, both overcoming difficult childhoods to become iconic Red Sox players whose legacies endure.