Join our Waitlist for Expert Advice!

Elon Musk vs. Jeff Bezos: Who's More Successful? Eight of the best entrepreneurs face off in the Entrepreneur Bracket Madness Challenge.

By Matthew McCreary

Entrepreneur/Getty

In the midst of March Madness, we created our own bracket of the 64 best living, historical and fictional entrepreneurs ever. While we started with all sorts of silly candidates such as Lorelai Gilmore and Vito Corleone, you've narrowed the field down to a serious list of contenders.

Of the final eight, Ray Kroc is the least wealthy. The McDonald's owner was only worth $500 million at the time of his death in 1984. Back then, there were only 7,500 McDonald's locations and the golden arches franchise was worth only about $8 billion.

Today, the McDonald's franchise is worth about $100 billion.

Again: Kroc is the poorest person on this list.

There are no easy answers anymore. We don't expect anyone to get 90 percent of the vote, as Alphabet's Sergey Brin and Larry Page did when they faced off against Scarlet O'Hara. These eight people are true icons. Yet, only four can move on to the next round.

Vote for each matchup below by 4 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 6, to make your voice heard. Check the site on Friday, April 7, to see who survived and advanced to the Final 4 of the Entrepreneur Bracket Madness Challenge.

Round One | Round Two | Sweet 16

Round One Exits: Al Capone, Apu, Arianna Huffington, Bill Gates, Bob Belcher, Evan Spiegel, George Bailey, George Lucas, Gordon Gekko, Jack Ma, Jim Henson, Joy Mangano, Julia and Suzanne Sugarbaker, Kiichiro Toyoda, Lex Luthor, Lorelai Gilmore, Martha Stewart, Michael Dell, Mr. Burns, Naveen Jain, Omar Little, Reid Hoffman, Ron Popeil, Russell Simmons, Sara Blakely, Scrooge McDuck, Steve Case, Tom Haverford, Tony Soprano, Tony Stark, Tyra Banks, Willy Wonka

Round Two Exits: Bruce Wayne, Coco Chanel, Jack Dorsey, J. K. Rowling, Jessica Alba, Mark Zuckerberg, PT Barnum, Sam Walton, Scarlet O'Hara, Shark Tank Crew, Shonda Rhimes, Steve Jobs, The Babysitters Club, Thomas Watson, Travis Kalanick, Walter White

Sweet 16 Exits: Berry Gordy Jr., Brian Chesky, Charles Foster Kane, Jay Gatsby, Mr. Monopoly, Richard Branson, Vito Corleone, Walt Disney

Matthew McCreary

Entrepreneur Staff

Associate Editor, Contributed Content

Matthew McCreary is the associate editor for contributed content at Entrepreneur.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business Solutions

Cut Costs, Not Features with This Microsoft Bundle Deal

You get Office, Windows, Project, and Visio for $72.

Business News

You Have One Month Left to Buy a House, According to Barbara Corcoran. Here's Why.

"If you are planning on waiting a year and seeing where interest rates go, you are out of your mind," Corcoran said.

Side Hustle

I Made $14,000 in 1 Week With a Spontaneous Halloween Costume Side Hustle — Here's How

Sabba Keynejad was in art school when he started to refine his entrepreneurial skills.

Thought Leaders

These 3 Trends Will Change What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur in 2025

Here are three entrepreneurship trends from the new Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report that are changing the landscape for the future.

Leadership

4 Bold Leadership Moves Every Successful CEO Uses to Navigate Change

Ready to turn fear into fuel and lead with confidence? In this article, I share how leaving my corporate job without a plan led me to build a thriving business. Learn four bold strategies to embrace uncertainty and turn challenges into opportunities for growth today.