2006: Wendelin Wiedeking

CEO, Porsche AG

In our words: “He transformed Porsche from a money loser into one of the best performers in the industry, with the highest profit per car…[In 2005,] Porsche made $794 million–its tenth straight year in the black. Porsche now rivals Toyota and BMW for financial stability.”

What happened next: Wiedeking served as CEO until July of 2009, and is currently working for Novartis AG, a consumer health company. Wiedeking’s products–most notably the Cayenne and Panamera–are doing better than ever, despite Porschephile’s cries of brand dilution.