“Captains of Industry” is a term that describes persons of great wealth who also make major contributions to society. The term was first used by Thomas Carlyle in his book, Past and Present, referring to the United Kingdom during the Industrial Revolution. In America, the term Captains of Industry referred to The Gilded Age of industrialization in 19th Century America. In addition to the magnates profiled on this site, John D. Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and J. P. Morgan are often included in this group. Many people believe that some current persons of great wealth, such as Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, fall into this category.