14. Thomas Edison
It would appear Thomas Edison, and Nikola Tesla are, despite their lifelong feud, truly inseparable from each other, even when it comes down to their handsomeness in youth. Thomas Edison, born in 1847 in Ohio, is one of America’s most famous inventors and businessmen. He truly reshaped the American landscape through his advances in mass power generation, mass communication, and the light bulb. He also shaped ideas of mass production and established the first industrial research laboratory. He also played a significant role in the development of motion pictures and took a keen interest in films. Unfortunately, he was quoted as saying his favorite movie was the deeply racist The Birth of a Nation.
In addition to being a prolific inventor who held over 1,000 patents in his lifetime, Edison was also an excellent businessman. He founded 14 companies during his lifetime, the largest of which, General Electric, is still one of the largest publicly traded companies in the world. He had a lifelong feud with Nikola Tesla, often dubbed the War of Currents, as a large part of the dispute was based around their current competing systems, with Tesla supporting AC and Edison backing DC.
Much like his rival Tesla, the young Edison was a sternly handsome man with intelligent, piercing eyes.
