| (1870
- 1949) |
| Inducted: |
1975 |
| Region: |
West |
| Industry: |
Finance
|
|
Amadeo Giannini built the largest non-government bank in the world. He was a dynamic businessman who traveled throughout California and offered to bring farmers’ crops to market. He was honest and treated people with respect. He joined the board of a San Francisco bank in 1902 and discovered it cared only for the wealthy. Giannini decided to start a rival, the Bank of Italy, to serve the small customer. Its assets multiplied six times in 10 years, and in 1931 it became the Bank of America, the world’s largest privately owned bank. |
