Industrialist mainly refers to a person who takes a leading or visionary role in the process of building up an industry over a long time. Often an industrialist invests his own capital and thus has some degree of capitalist ownership control. Still the industrialist will often claim that he is more than merely a capitalist because he doesn't only profit on his investment, but also provides many jobs over a prolonged time.

Alternatively an industrialist could be a politician who uses his political power to build up industry.

Famous industrialists

• Henry Ford
• John D. Rockefeller
• Bill Gates
• Henry H. Rogers
• Andrew Carnegie
• Bruce Wayne (fictional)

see also List of America's richest men