Forbes

American business media company founded by B.C. Forbes in 1917 — whose Forbes 400 list of wealthiest Americans became the defining annual measure of American wealth.

The Forbes 400 as cultural institution: the annual wealth ranking (first published 1982) created a competitive benchmark for American wealth that shaped how billionaires think about their status relative to peers. Forbes's business journalism model — profile-driven, entrepreneurial, explicitly pro-capitalism — established a template for business media that celebrates wealth creation rather than examining it critically. Under Malcolm Forbes, the magazine became as famous for its owner's lifestyle (hot air balloons, Fabergé eggs, motorcycles) as its journalism.