8. Lloyd Blankfein

Lloyd Craig Blankfein is currently the CEO and Chairman of Goldman Sachs. He was born in the Bronx borough of New York City in a Jewish family.

His father was a clerk at the U.S. Postal Service and his mother was a receptionist. He grew up in Brooklyn where he shared his bedroom with his grandmother.  At a very young age he started working as a lifeguard and also served as a concession vendor at Yankee Stadium.

Blankfein was an excellent student and used to do well in his studies.  He told Fortune magazine that he did well because he wanted to succeed in life. His classmates voted him "most likely to succeed” during his high school. He attended Harvard College and Harvard Law School and received a J.D. (Juris Doctor) degree. He practiced law for a while before entering into the investment banking world.

Blankfein has helped Goldman Sachs transform into one of the leading global investment banking and financial services firm. He has been paid an estimated compensation of $137.74 million over the last five years.