Jeff Bezos

                        CEO and Founder,Amazon.com

               Things are humming at Amazon.com under the leadership of Jeff Bezos. In July the company announced a better-than-expected profit -$92 million- for the second quarter. That news boosted the stock considerably, and the gains have mostly stuck, making Bezos, who owns 18% of Amazon, the fifth richest man in the world. It hasn't been all rosy. In August The New York Times published a scathing story detailing the high-pressure, long-hour work environment inside the retailer. In a letter to employees in response, the Washington Post owner wrote that he didn't recognize the company described but said that anyone working in a company like that "would be crazy to stay." Bezos continues to make bold bets on new technologies. In late July the company proposed a plan for high-speed-drone airspace that would enable flying robots to carry packages to consumers. In September Bezos announced that his aerospace company, Blue Origin, would spend over $200 million to build reusable rockets and launch them into orbit from a site at Cape Canaveral by the end of the decade.