Drea Knufken
While this millionaire he didn’t invent Beanie Babies, they certainly got him off to a good start. Cameron Johson started his first business at the age of nine. At age 12, he sold his sister’s Beanie Babies on the internet for a tidy profit of $50,000. (We wonder, did she know? Little girls are rather possessive about their stuffed cute things. The greenbacks were probably enough to sway her from murdering her brother for selling what was probably a cherished collection.)
Since then, he has become (at 15) the youngest American to be elected to a Tokyo board of directors. Johnson even released a book about it, called 15-Year Old CEO, which peaked at #4 on the Japanese best seller list.
With his diverse knowledge and mad marketing skills, this young entrepreneur has enjoyed appearances on notable shows including Oprah Winfrey, MSNBC, CNBC, as well as articles in the Washington Post and the New York Times. One thing is for certain, the young Johnson is one businessman to keep your eyes on.
