Frights At The Museum

Marvel at these medical and scientific wonders at museums and exhibits across the U.S. where getting grossed-out is just part of the educational experience.

Bodily functions and body parts are on full display at The Mutter Museum.
Most of us have dissected a frog or coaxed lava to spew from a vinegar volcano. But for many people, scientific exploration ends on graduation day. Sadly, it's easy to lose touch with the natural world -- to take gravity for granted and let the periodic table fade from memory, one element at a time.

To help rediscover your inner science geek, we've featured eight of country's weirdest, wackiest and at times -- grotesque science-related destinations.
The Mütter Museum (Philadelphia)
In 1858, retired surgeon Thomas Dent Mütter donated his collection of medical equipment and pathology specimens to The College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Mütter intended his gift to educate future doctors, but today his eponymous museum enlightens the public on human anatomy and disease. Visitors can cringe at antique surgical tools, or gawk at President Grover Cleveland's tumor. But the Mütter's most intriguing displays are as much carnival as medical: a 40 pound colon, a woman whose body turned to soap, and a plaster cast of Siamese twins joined at the liver are just some of the highlights.

 The Exploratorium (San Francisco)
Ever wonder what the world would sound like if your ears were reversed? At San Francisco's Exploratorium you can find out. Billed as a "museum of science, art and human perception," the Exploratorium was opened in 1969 by Frank Oppenheimer, a professor, high school teacher, cattle rancher, and experimental physicist who felt people could learn to understand the world around them through fun, interactive experimentation. A day at the Exploratorium is a far cry from memorizing physics equations. Exhibits are divided into five categories: seeing, hearing, traits of life, the material world and the mind. Visitors can analyze their own DNA, learn how the eyes and ears work through various perceptual tricks and hallucinations, or experience the tension between reason and emotion by drinking from a water fountain shaped like a toilet.
Strange surgical devices

 Mingle with the medical immortals at the International Museum of Surgical Science, Chicago.
International Museum of Surgical Science (Chicago)
Chicago's collection of all things surgical may not be on the usual list of Windy City tourist essentials (deep dish pizza, Wrigley Field, Millennium Park, etc.) but it's just as worthwhile for anyone with an interest in weird science or medicine, or in staging a pleasantly creepy afternoon. The 56 year-old museum is housed in a gorgeous old stone mansion overlooking Lake Michigan -- think marble floors, grand staircases and a cold starkness right out of a Poe story. Exhibits rotate but expect iron lungs, antique surgical and x-ray equipment, and a collection of skulls once treated with trepanning, the archaic practice of drilling holes into a patient's skull to treat neurologic disorders. Medical art -- old and new -- lines the walls and a turn of the century apothecary shop replica will have you wishing your local pharmacy dabbled in homemade tinctures, salves and pills.

Marfa Lights (Marfa, Texas)
Everyone loves a mysterious light phenomenon. The aurora borealis. UFO sightings. And in Texas, it's the Marfa lights. Nine miles outside the little desert town of Marfa, visitors gather on a viewing platform to witness this odd and eerie event: on most clear nights, spheres of light in various colors appear to hover in the distance; they disappear, reappear, lazily creep across the horizon, and, sometimes, dart hastily back and forth. Various explanations have been suggested: distant ranch lights, traffic lights from nearby Highway 67, a mirage caused by a hot and cold air gradient. But still no one knows for sure what causes the mysterious light show. And it's probably better that way.

 See what you spy in the Microscopy Hall of the Museum of Jurassic Technology.
The Museum of Jurassic Technology (Culver City, Calif.)
The Museum of Jurassic Technology is hard to decipher. Is it for real? A playful farce? Something in between? The museum bills itself as an "educational institution dedicated to the advancement of knowledge and the public appreciation of the Lower Jurassic." But you won't find any relics from the Jurassic age. Instead visitors browse odd scientific, artistic and historical exhibits that may or may not be rooted in fact: horned humans, a bat-like creature that can supposedly pass through objects, and an entire display devoted to dogs of the Soviet space program. Be sure to view the Mosaics of Henry Dalton exhibit, featuring colorful micromosaics made from individual butterfly wing scales. The bottom line is this quirky institution is more about warped, poetic wonder than scientific accuracy.
Makes your skin crawl

 A psychograph, seen at The Museum of Questionable Medical Devices, was an antique phrenology machine.
 The Bodies Exhibit (Cities across the U.S.)
Now in its fifth year, this controversial anatomy exhibit continues to shock and intrigue across the US and abroad. It's part grotesque, part med school lab, and mostly just a really, really interesting way to appreciate how our arms and legs work. Bodies features whole human cadavers dissected to demonstrate the various bodily systems; some stand frozen in real-life positions -- playing volleyball, conducting an orchestra -- introducing a playful element to what could be an otherwise frightening display.
The Museum of Questionable Medical Devices (St. Paul, Minn.)
Weight loss glasses. A vibrating chair for constipation. An "energy accumulator" to cure the common cold. These are just a few of the medical oddities housed in The Museum of Questionable Medical Devices. The museum was the brainchild of Robert McCoy, a steel salesman with an interest in weird and wacky medical gizmos and "remedies" that never quite lived up to their inventor's claims. McCoy retired in 2002 and donated his collection to the Science Museum of Minnesota, where a portion of it is currently on display.

Grand Central Station Whispering Gallery (New York)
Shhhh. Watch what you say beneath the bustling concourses of New York City's Grand Central Station: here, sound travels in funny ways. Near the entrance to GCS's legendary Oyster Bar is a massive ceramic tiled archway, colloquially known as the whispering gallery. Grab a friend and stand at opposite ends of the arch. Then let out your softest whisper and chances are your pal will hear you loud and clear, as the ceiling carries even the faintest sound along the arch and down theother side. Stick around long enough and you'll likely catch one of the spot's frequent hushed marriage proposals.


Bret Stetka is a science, medical and food writer based in Brooklyn, N.Y. He recently authored the Eat Manhattan iPhone app, a guide to essential Manhattan dining.

See Cute Critters in the Wild

Where to See Cute Animals
It's fun to visit favorite animals in the zoo, but visiting them in their natural environments can be much more meaningful. Here we present great places around the world to view 16 irresistible creatures. Any time you’re viewing wild animals, of course, remember that you are in their territory; respect their habitat and keep your distance.

Bison

American bison have made a triumphant return from the brink after being hunted nearly to extinction in the 1800s. While most bison these days are part of captive herds, a few locations have populations of free-roaming animals. Notable among these is Yellowstone National Park, where the number of bison ranges between 2,300 and 4,500.  Yellowstone is the only place in the U.S. where bison have lived continuously since before recorded history.

Elephants

Both cute and mighty, elephants are the largest land animals on the planet. These intelligent creatures are found in much of Asia and, especially, in Africa. Some of the best places to see free-roaming pachyderms are in Kenya’s Amboseli National Park, which boasts large elephant herds. Other good sites include Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa and the Maputa Special Reserve in Mozambique.

Wild Horses

Assateague Island National Seashore, split between Maryland and Virginia, is home to a population of several hundred wild horses. It’s likely that the graceful creatures are descended from domestic horses that lived in the area a few hundred years ago, although local folklore holds that the horses’ ancestors survived a shipwreck off the Virginia coast. The horses gallop through the park, so you’re likely to see them on the beach or in marshes.

Gorillas

Gorilla habitat covers only a small part of Africa, and both gorilla species are considered endangered. There’s disagreement over the potential risks tourism might hold for gorillas, but the International Gorilla Conservation Programme states that gorillas and tourism are “inextricably linked. Arguably, neither has a future without the other.” Good places to see these magnificent primates include Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park.

Giraffes

Want to stick your neck out and see giraffes in their natural habitat? A great place to do so is in Chobe National Park in Botswana. Giraffe families tend to hang out in the northeast area of the park, near the Chobe River. Other good giraffe-viewing spots include Kenya’s Nairobi National Park and Tanzania’s Arusha National Park.

Marmots

If you’re on a hike in the mountains, keep your eyes peeled for adorable, fuzzy marmots. Similar to prairie dogs, these big ground squirrels are a common sight in the world’s mountainous regions. In North America, you’re likely to see hoary and yellow-bellied marmots in the Cascades and Rockies of the U.S. and Canada; their close relatives, the Olympic marmots, live on Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula and are especially easy to spot on Hurricane Ridge.

Bighorn Sheep

Bighorn sheep are quintessential denizens of the Rocky Mountains. You can find them at parks throughout the Rockies, but perhaps the best place to see them is in Alberta’s Jasper National Park. During winter, you’ll find them at lower elevations; in the warmer months, they’re likely to be hanging around in the high alpine meadows.

Polar Bears

Churchill, Manitoba, on the shores of Hudson Bay, is often called the “Polar Bear Capital of the World” thanks to the graceful white ursines that visit in the fall. The best way to see the furry white beasts is in the special all-terrain vehicles, called “tundra buggies,” that take visitors on polar bear tours throughout the area. Prime polar bear viewing lasts from early October to mid-November.

Penguins

Emperor penguins are always popular with cute-animal fans, but their Antarctic home base is awfully cold and remote. One of the most accessible places to see these tuxedoed seabirds is on Snow Hill Island, on the Antarctic Peninsula, which stretches north toward South America. Around 4,000 breeding pairs of penguins live here, and tours take place in October and November, at the tail end of the breeding season.

Moose

Moose are a common sight in many parts of the world, but the largest subspecies — whose scientific name translates loosely to “giant moose” — calls Alaska and Canada’s Yukon territory home. The critters are common throughout the area, but if you want to make sure you see one, try one of Alaska’s national parks, such as Kenai Fjords National Park. Your odds are highest along the Seward Highway or in the Exit Glacier area.

Blue-footed Boobies

A little more than 500 miles west of Ecuador lie the Galápagos Islands, a veritable treasure-trove of endemic wildlife. One of the islands’ most famous residents is the blue-footed booby, a seabird with distinctive turquoise-blue feet. While those colorful toes certainly catch the eyes of human fans, the birds are more concerned with impressing each other: Male blue-footed boobies show off their blue feet while “dancing” during courtship.

Harp Seals

The harp seal’s genus, Pagophilus, means “ice lover,” so you know you’ll have to get cold to see these cute, social marine critters. The world’s biggest harp seal population breeds off the coast of Labrador and Newfoundland or around the Gulf of St. Lawrence. They like to haul themselves out of the water and hang out on ice or snow, and your best chance of seeing them is on the ice floes off Canada’s Maritime provinces.

Wallabies

Australia is famed for its kangaroos and koalas, but arguably the cutest marsupial you’ll find in the wild is the wallaby. One of the most common species is the red-necked wallaby, frequently found in the Queensland, New South Wales and Tasmania states. Look for them in the grassy areas of Bunya Mountains National Park in Queensland, where they’re abundant.

Manatees

These gentle aquatic giants are endangered, but it’s possible to visit them — and even swim with them — while still respecting their space. One of the best places to see manatees is at the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, on Florida’s Gulf Coast, which aims to protect the manatee and its habitat. Try going with an established company to make sure you follow all laws and regulations when visiting.

Lemurs

Lemurs resemble a cross between a cat and a monkey (they’re related to the latter but not the former), and they’re found in the wild only in Madagascar and the Comoro Islands. Most lemur species are either endangered or threatened. Spot them at places such as Madagascar’s Andringita National Park, Ranomafana National Park and Andasibe Special Reserve. They’re a lot of fun to watch, with behaviors such as dancing across the sand or leaping more than 30 feet.

Zebras

What’s black and white and striped all over? A zebra, of course. These horselike critters look like they’re wearing a referee’s uniform and are native to sub-Saharan Africa. You can find zebras in places such as Zambia’s Luangwa National Park, Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve and Namibia’s Etosha National Park.

The 10 Richest Americans

A majority of billionaires in the Forbes 400 have regained at least some of the wealth lost in the recession and stock market meltdown. But as a group, they're still down from 2008.

Who's on top in 2010?

 

It has been a year of reclamation for America's richest. The total net worth of the Forbes 400 is up 8%, to $1.37 trillion, well outgaining the 1% rise in the S&P 500 Index ($INX) over the past 12 months. More than half (217) are richer than they were a year ago.
The headline numbers tell only part of the story. About 45% of the 400 failed to add to their fortunes or lost ground. And the record of $1.57 trillion in total net worth, set in 2008, still stands.
The very top of the list gained, with good friends Bill Gates and Warren Buffett up $4 billion and $5 billion, respectively. They are short of their personal highs, though.

No 1: Bill Gates, $54 billion

Source of wealth: Microsoft
Residence: Medina, Wash.
Age: 54
2009 rank: No. 1
In March, Bill Gates lost his title of world's richest person to Mexico's Carlos Slim Helú. But that's because the software king is the most generous person on the planet. To date, he has cut checks totaling $28 billion. Even so, Gates is still America's richest person, topping the Forbes 400 for the 17th straight year.
Most of his donations have passed through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which now has a $33 billion endowment, including contributions from his buddy and bridge partner Warren Buffett. The foundation has given money to help prevent millions of deaths from AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis; now it's undertaking the eradication of polio. It is also fighting hunger by helping 400,000 farmers in Asia and Africa with rice varieties that resist cold, flooding and drought, and by giving 100,000 farmers on those two continents access to small, inexpensive irrigation systems.
As the foundation's work accelerates, Microsoft (MSFT) is stuck in neutral. Gates' stake in the company he co-founded is now worth $16 billion; its stock has been flat over the past year despite the release of a new Windows operating system and heavy investments in online advertising and games. (Microsoft owns MSN Money.)
Gates regularly sells shares in the software giant, pouring proceeds into investment outfit Cascade, which accounts for 70% of his wealth. Other investments include trash collector Republic Services (RSG), investment firm Gamco Investors (GBL), vehicle seller AutoNation (AN) and an inflation-hedging fund.

No. 2: Warren Buffett, $45 billion

 

Source of wealth: Berkshire Hathaway
Residence: Omaha, Neb.
Age: 80
2009 rank: No. 2
Along with bridge partner Bill Gates, Warren Buffett is coaxing America's richest to pledge half of their fortunes to charity. "You keep making the list; I'll keep milking it," he says.
The Oracle of Omaha plans to give 99% of his wealth to charity, primarily to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and it all has to be spent 10 years after he's gone. "Too often a vast collection of possessions ends up possessing its owner. The asset I most value, aside from health, is interesting, diverse and long-standing friends."
Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) continues its capital stewardship excellence, beating the S&P 500 Index by 15 percentage points over the past 12 months. His secret to success: emotional stability. "When you come to a conclusion, you have to really not care what other people say," he says.
Buffett faked breathing problems when he was 12 so he could move back to Omaha from Washington, D.C., where his father was a freshman congressman. He had read every book about investing in stocks in the Omaha Public Library by the time he was 12.
He later met value investor Benjamin Graham, one of the key influences on his investing style, at Columbia University. In 1965, he bought textile firm Berkshire Hathaway and eventually transformed it into massive company with holdings including food, insurance, utilities and industrials. Buffett acquired railroad giant BNSF Railway for $26 billion in 2009.

No. 3: Larry Ellison, $27 billion

 

Source of wealth: Oracle
Residence: Woodside, Calif.
Age: 66
2009 rank: No. 3
The Oracle (ORCL) chief made headlines recently when he brazenly chastised Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) for ousting chief Mark Hurd over his relationship with a marketing contractor. Then he hired Hurd to replace Oracle's co-president, Charles Phillips, who had resigned at the same time. HP sued Hurd, prompting Ellison to say that HP was making it "virtually impossible" for the two companies to do business together. (The two parties recently settled.)
Oracle, which has acquired 66 companies over the years, figured out a way to turn a profit on its latest big buy, Sun Microsystems, in 2010. One of the highest-paid executives in the country, Ellison has gotten $960 million in compensation in the past five fiscal years, mostly from the exercise of stock options; he recently cut his salary to $1.
Ellison's fortune is almost entirely tied up in Oracle; he also owns a $580 million stake in Web business-software outfit Netsuite (N) and is one of the largest private landowners in the celebrity haven Malibu, Calif. Ellison also has two houses in the Bay Area: a Japanese-style compound in Silicon Valley and a water-view mansion in San Francisco.
An avid yachtsman, Ellison spent a decade and more than $100 million on his quest for the America's Cup, which he finally won in February. He beat rival Ernesto Bertarelli, thanks in part to a trimaran with a rigid mainsail longer than a Boeing 747's wingspan. Now he's deciding where to hold the next Cup regatta and is said to favor the seas near his own backyard, San Francisco. He intends to give 95% of wealth to charity.

No.4: Christy Walton and family, $24 billion

 

Source of wealth: Wal-Mart Stores
Residence: Jackson, Wyo.
Age: 55
2009 rank: No. 4
The widow of John Walton, one of the Walton family heirs, gained her wealth after the former Green Beret and Vietnam War medic died in an airplane accident in 2005 near his home in Wyoming. Christy Walton got an extra bump in her fortune because of her late husband's early investment in First Solar (FSLR); shares are up more than 400% since the company's initial public offering in 2006. But the bulk still comes from her shares in Wal-Mart Stores (WMT). An active philanthropist, Christy Walton supports museums, education and organic gardening.
Her father-in-law, Sam Walton, who died in 1992, founded the company in Bentonville, Ark., with his brother James in 1962. Today, Wal-Mart has annual sales of about $400 billion and employs more than 2.1 million people.

No. 5 (tie): Charles Koch, $21.5 billion

 

Sources of wealth: manufacturing, energy
Residence: Wichita, Kan.
Age: 74
2009 rank: No. 9 (tie)
Since inheriting control of the refining business built by his dad, Fred Koch, in 1967, Charles Koch has expanded the Wichita conglomerate more than 100-fold, to $100 billion in annual revenue. Koch Industries is now the second-largest private company in the U.S. behind Cargill. Koch's biggest deal to date: a $21 billion purchase of building-products-maker Georgia Pacific right before the housing market crashed. Charles and his brother David bought out siblings Frederick and William for $790 million in 1983.
Each year, Charles and David Koch reinvest 90% of the profit in the business, with enough left over to pour hundreds of millions of dollars into their favorite charities and causes, a mix of libertarian think tanks and New York City arts institutions. Most recently, they angered California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger by giving $1 million to help efforts to overturn the state's climate change regulations.

No. 6 (tie): David Koch, $21.5 billion

 

Sources of wealth: manufacturing, energy
Residence: New York
Age: 70
2009 rank: No. 9 (tie)
More gregarious than his brother Charles, David Koch may have made his shrewdest decision in 1983, when he kept his stock in Koch Industries instead of selling out like his brothers William and Frederick, who got about $790 million for their stakes.
Since then, the company has expanded rapidly and now is worth more than $50 billion; it has interests in pipelines, refineries, Lycra and Dixie Cups.
David, who was the Libertarian Party's candidate for vice president in 1980, now restricts his political activities mostly to supporting conservative think tanks and activist organizations. From his home base in New York City, he runs Koch's chemical technology group. He and his wife, Julia, are also active on the charity circuit and have given or pledged $600 million, mostly to cancer research and the arts, since 2000. He sits on 26 nonprofit boards.

No. 7: Jim Walton, $20.1 billion

 

Source of wealth: Wal-Mart Stores
Residence: Bentonville, Ark.
Age: 62
2009 rank: No. 5
Jim Walton is the chairman and chief executive of family's Arvest Bank; he also chairs Community Publishers, a local-newspaper company. Sam Walton's youngest son has served on Wal-Mart's board of directors since his brother John's death in 2005.
Although Wal-Mart's shares have been nearly flat over the past year, the three surviving children of founder Sam Walton collected $1.2 billion in dividends.

No. 8: Alice Walton, $20 billion

 

Source of wealth: Wal-Mart Stores
Residence: Fort Worth, Texas
Age: 61
2009 rank: No. 6
Alice Walton is building the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Ark. The daughter of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, she was an equity analyst after college and later formed investment bank Llama and led the creation of Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport. The horse lover also runs Rocking W Ranch in Texas.

No. 9: S. Robson Walton, $19.7 billion

 

Source of wealth: Wal-Mart Stores
Residence: Bentonville, Ark.
Age: 66
2009 rank: No. 7
S. Robson Walton has been the chairman of Wal-Mart since his father's death in 1992. The Columbia Law School grad joined the company in 1969. The positions he's held: senior vice president, secretary and general counsel, and vice chairman.

No. 10: Michael Bloomberg, $18 billion

 

Source of wealth: Bloomberg LP
Residence: New York
Age: 68
2009 rank: No. 8
America's richest politician, Michael Bloomberg only recently saw his campaign spending record of $109 million surpassed, by California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman. He is serving his third term, set to expire in 2013, after successfully campaigning for extended term limits in 2008.
The Boston-born son of a Russian immigrant accountant is registered as an independent, but he is a social liberal. In a recent address, he said: "I'm pro-choice. I'm pro-gay rights. I'm pro-immigration; I'm pro-gun control. I believe in Darwin."
Outside politics, the mayor owns an 88% stake in Bloomberg LP, a data analytics company he founded in 1982 after being fired from Salomon Brothers. ("Living well is the best revenge," he recently said of his multibillion-dollar turnaround.)
While other financial-media companies have been cutting jobs and selling titles, Bloomberg is on a growth spurt. The company, which operates about 290,000 data terminals, has increased its employee head count 25% over the past three years; it picked up BusinessWeek for less than $5 million. Overall revenue is up an estimated 10% this year to $6.9 billion, thanks in part to the company's expansion into the legal-data field.
Michael Bloomberg has given more than $1.4 billion to charities over the years; his causes include anti-smoking, public health and the arts.
In a letter accompanying his promise to donate the bulk of his net worth through the Giving Pledge, he explained why he chooses to give money now rather than bequeath his fortune: "Why wait? Why deny financial aid to this generation? Why deny a possible cure for a disease to this generation?"

Billionaire Givers

The Giving Pledge

About 40 billionaires have signed on to "The Giving Pledge," a charitable initiative started by Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates. Each has made a commitment to give the majority of their wealth to the causes and charities of their choice.

Forbes estimates there are 403 billionaires in the U.S. Some, including a talk show host, haven't commented publicly on the pledge, and others, including a California gubernatorial candidate, reportedly have declined.

You don't have to be a billionaire - or even have money -- to help others. Here's how you can find volunteer opportunities in your area.

Warren Buffett

Net worth: $47 billion, Forbes estimates.

What is one of his nicknames?

Here's how he made his fortune.

Why did he start The Giving Pledge with Bill and Melinda Gates?

Bill and Melinda Gates

 

 Net worth: $53 billion

Here's how Bill made his fortune.

How did Bill Gates and Melinda Ann French first meet?

The couple said they started The Giving Pledge for a specific reason.

Michael R. Bloomberg

 

 Net worth: $18 billion

Here's how he started making his fortune.

He makes astonishingly little as mayor of New York City.

Why did he sign The Giving Pledge?

Is he married?

Barry Diller and Diane Von Furstenberg

 

 Net worth: $1.2 billion

He began making his fortune in this medium. What is his wife famous for?

Here's what Von Furstenberg said about their marriage.

The couple pledged, but they don't say why.

Larry Ellison

 

 Net worth: $28 billion

For what is he well known?

He started out making money in this line of work.

He took a pay cut; what's his current salary?

Why did he sign The Giving Pledge?

Barron Hilton

Net worth: $2.5 billion

He took a menial job when he joined the family business.

Hilton also owned this football team.

Why did he sign The Giving Pledge?

What is his relationship to famous socialites Nicky and Paris Hilton?

George Lucas

Net worth: Over $3 billion

This movie breakthrough helped give him the clout for his "Star Wars" (see clips) success.

Why did he sign The Giving Pledge?

How much did "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (see clips) gross worldwide?

Thomas S. Monaghan

 

Net worth: The Domino's Pizza founder sold his stake for $1 billion.
Here's how he got his start.

What is he doing with his fortune?

Why did he sign The Giving Pledge?

He realized a boyhood dream by purchasing this baseball team.

Pierre and Pam Omidyar

 

 Net worth: $5.2 billion

In 1995, Pierre launched this online auction site.

This happened as soon as it went public.

Why did they sign The Giving Pledge?

What foundation did they found?

Ronald O. Perelman

Net worth: $11 billion

Here's how he got his start.

Why did he sign The Giving Pledge?

How many times has he been married?

T. Boone Pickens

 

Net worth: $1.1 billion

He got his start creating this company.
He holds extensive rights to this important commodity.

Why did he sign The Giving Pledge?

What is his memoir called?

David Rockefeller

 

 Net worth: $2.2 billion

Rockefeller was given a helping hand to start out.

His parents helped found a famous museum.

Why did he sign The Giving Pledge?

Ted Turner

 

 Net worth: $1.8 billion

Turner made his fortune starting this 24-hour news channel.

He lost a chunk of his billions in two years.

Why did he sign The Giving Pledge?

He still owns more of this than anyone in the U.S.

Sanford and Joan Weill

 

 Net worth: $1.8 billion in 2008, but dropped from Forbes' list a year later.

How did Sanford get his start?

He rose to lead a major financial concern, only to watch it crumble.

Why did Sanford and Joan sign The Giving Pledge?

Shirt iPhone Style

Interesting idea, shirt-style iPhone, you first need to unlock, I wonder what?