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Samuel Zemurray
1877-01-18 - 1961-11-30
Banana kingpin who went from broke immigrant to running United Fruit. Ruthless, scrappy, and basically invented modern banana capitalism.
Completeness:
9/10
Confidence:
9/10
The Overview
Deceased (1877-1961)
Where are we at ?Age 28 to 84 (56 years)
🚀
First Major Success
Age 28
🏢
Companies
2
💰
Peak Net Worth
$31 million (in stock)
🌍
Industries
2
👥
People Employed
Tens of thousands (United Fruit was a behemoth)
🎓
Education
Dropout
Dropped out of school at 14 (no college)
🤝
Key Partner
United Fruit Board
Adversaries turned subordinates
⭐
Known For
United Fruit Company
Cuyamel Fruit Company
The Timeline
Click on a milestone or inactivity period to see details
Career
Personal
Education
Setback
Breakthrough
Financial
Relationship
Inactivity
Connections, Finances & Insights
United Fruit Board
Adversaries turned subordinates
Tried to sideline Zemurray, but he outmaneuvered them and took control.
Timeframe: 1929-1933
Manuel Bonilla
Puppet President
Bonilla becomes president thanks to Zemurray, gives Cuyamel favorable deals.
Timeframe: 1911-1912
Minor Keith
Rival/Predecessor
Keith built United Fruit before Zemurray took over. Their rivalry shaped the industry.
Timeframe: 1900s-1930s
Data quality: 9/10 completeness, 9/10 confidence
Based on 8 sources • Last updated: 2024-06-10