Calouste Gulbenkian "Mr Five Percent" (1869-1955)
Owned five percent in the Iraq Petroleum Company.

Kirk Kerkorian, billionaire businessman
Founded Transinternational Airlines in 1948,which he operated until 1968, and cashed in his investment for $104 million.

A son of immigrants from Armenia, Kerkorian has owned Western Airlines, MGM movie studios, and the MGM Grand hotel and casino in Las Vegas. As a financier, Kerkorian has been very generous to charitable organizations, and to many worthy causes, including aid to Armenia, Red Cross, and Boys and Girls Clubs. Although, he has avoided the spotlight, his accumulated wealth, through his adroit investments, places him in Forbes magazine as one of the richest Americans.

Cher, the movie star,
Whose father was Armenian, was born Cherilyn Sarkissian. When the Armenian earthquake occurred in 1988, she visited the country of her ancestors for the first time to show her support and concern for fellow Armenians. Cher has performed in movies such as Silkwood, The Witches of Eastwick, Mask, Moonstruck, and Suspect. The highlight of her career came in 1983, when she received the Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress in the movie "Silkwood".

Alex Manoogian, businessman and great philanthropist
Arrived at Ellis Island at age 19 and settled in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He began working as a machinist in 1924, and five years later started the Masco Screw Company. His real success came when he redesigned a faucet from scratch, which went under the Delta label, and sales of the faucet exploded and took off. Mr. Manoogian was a Life President of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) and contributed generously to the Church, and to charitable organizations and educational institutions.

Rouben Mamoulian, director
His noteworthy films included City Streets, The Mark of Zorro, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Golden Boy He directed the feature film Becky Sharp, which was the first film that utilized the colorizing process called Technicolor. Mamoulian was considered instrumental in launching the careers of Rita Hayworth, Claude Rains, and William Holden. Mamoulian began his American directing career on Broadway in 1929 with the musical "Porgy" and returned in 1935 to stage the original production of "Porgy and Bess."

Dr. Hampar Kelikian, medical
Known as the healer of shattered bodies, was instrumental in helping U.S. Senator Robert Dole. When Dole returned from World War II with injuries that had left his right arm useless and was about to be amputated, Dr. Kelikian through medical techniques he had invented stepped in and "lifted" the shattered shoulder and allowed Dole some use of his arm.

There are many American-Armenians that have applied their creative ideas and genius to develop products such as the Zildjian Cymbals, Colombo Yogurt, Gatorade sports beverage, and Mounds and Almond Joy candy bars.

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