Gene Giannotta
George H.W. Bush
While the elder Bush is most well-known for his career in government, his early career and wealth was made in the oil business. After returning from service in World War II and graduating from Yale university, Bush spent almost twenty years in the drilling industry, first with Dresser Industries and then as a founder and president of Zapata Petroleum. Bush would eventually enter politics, becoming chairman of Houston Republican Party in 1962 and later vice president under Ronald Reagan. He served one term as president before being defeated by Bill Clinton in 1992.
