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Boston billionaires, historic figures land on Forbes’ ‘self-made’ lists
The rankings consider financial success, obstacles overcome, and long-term impact.
Multiple Boston-area billionaires and historical figures with local ties are featured on two new Forbes lists highlighting the greatest self-made Americans.
Released Thursday, Forbes’ “The Greatest Self-Made Americans” ranks 250 individuals who rose from modest beginnings to major success. Three local billionaires made the list: Noubar Afeyan, Bill Cummings, and Herb Chambers.
A second list, “The Greatest Historic Self-Made Americans,” published Friday, also includes 250 historical figures, with a handful having Boston ties, including Benjamin Franklin and Sheldon Adelson, as well as Boston Red Sox legends Babe Ruth and Ted Williams.
Forbes based its rankings on “Self-Made Scores,” a scale of one to 10 designed to measure how far each individual rose. Only those scoring a nine or 10 were included. The rankings consider financial success, obstacles overcome, and long-term impact. Forbes said its team also drew from more than a century of archives, reporter input, AI-assisted research tools, and a panel of expert judges.
Boston-area billionaires on the list
Noubar Afeyan (No. 27)
American-Canadian entrepreneur and inventor Noubar Afeyan is the founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering, a Cambridge-based life sciences innovation firm, and chairman of Moderna.
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Born in Beirut, Lebanon to Armenian parents, Afeyan fled the Lebanese Civil War and moved to Montreal in 1975. He earned a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and went on to help launch more than 70 biotech companies. His net worth is estimated at $1.9 billion.
Bill Cummings (No. 115)
Philanthropist and real estate developer Bill Cummings founded Cummings Properties in 1970, building it into a major commercial real estate firm with millions of square feet across the Boston suburbs.
A longtime philanthropist, he has donated extensively through the Cummings Foundation and joined the Giving Pledge. His net worth is about $1 billion.
With a net worth of $1 billion, Cummings has donated his money. He and his wife made generous donations to groups in the Boston area and in Rwanda after joining the Giving Pledge. His foundation also agreed to operate Tufts University’s Veterinary School, contributing $80 million over two decades.
Herb Chambers (No. 143)
New England auto retailer Herb Chambers built the Herb Chambers Companies into a network of roughly 60 dealerships. He sold the business to Asbury Automotive in July 2025.
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Raised in Dorchester, Chambers dropped out of high school to serve in the Navy before launching a copy business with a $500 loan from his mother — eventually selling it for $80 million. His net worth is estimated at $2.8 billion.
Mass. historical figures on Forbes’ list
Several notable figures with Massachusetts ties appeared on the historic list.
Elias Howe, a Spencer native, is known for helping pioneer the sewing machine and ranked No. 124.
At No. 98, W.E.B. Du Bois, born in Great Barrington, became a leading intellectual and cofounder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Louisa May Alcott, who grew up in Concord, ranked No. 62 for writing “Little Women” after working odd jobs to support her family while on the verge of homelessness.
Benjamin Franklin, who ranked No. 19, was born in Boston before becoming a Founding Father, inventor, and publisher. Sheldon Adelson, ranked No. 38, grew up in Dorchester and rose from selling newspapers as a child to building a global casino empire.
Two iconic Red Sox players also made the historic list. Babe Ruth, ranked No. 84, overcame a troubled childhood in Baltimore and time in reform school before becoming one of baseball’s greatest players, beginning his major league career with Boston.
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Ted Williams, ranked No. 188 and known as “The Splendid Splinter,” is widely considered one of the greatest hitters in baseball history. He joined the Red Sox in 1939 and famously batted .406 in 1941, a mark that has never been matched.
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