In popular TV shows, movies, and books, there is no shortage of talented, fictional entrepreneurs. From Scrooge McDuck to Tony Stark, adults are strongly represented in works of fiction. Unfortunately, children are given too few role models for early success in business.

Most Successful Child Businessmen (or Women) from Hollywood and Beyond

Locating our list of successful kid entrepreneurs took a bit of thinking. Other than a few well known characters, not many fictional kids are busy building fictional businesses. The ones that are focused on building wealth are, of course, doing an amazing job.

Richie Rich

Older readers will remember Richie Rich as either a comic book or a movie starring that guy from Home Alone. In either case, Richie wasn’t a businessman but simply the child of wealthy parents. All of this changed with the new Netflix reboot of Richie Rich into a show.

First introduced by Harvey Comics in 1953, early Richie Rich concentrated on the lifestyle of “the world’s richest kid”. Huge houses, personal swimming pools, and round-the-clock butlers were all dominate features in the early comics. Not much changed when Richie found new life on an 1980s Saturday morning cartoon show or in the live action 1990s movie. For kids of the 21st century, Netflix decided to reboot the character for kids that idolize Bill Gates as much as they do LeBron James. Richie is now a clever entrepreneur that developed a method for “turning his vegetables into a source of clean energy” and is now worth more than $1 trillion. The show also includes Richie and his friend’s struggles with staying on budget, running a business, and more.

Fred and George Weasley

In the world of Harry Potter, wizards and fantastic creatures lurk behind every bend. When kids have the option to use magic, who wants to become a businesswizard? More than a few characters it turns out. Not only are the Malfoy family known for the business acumen, so are a few members of the less wealthy Weasley clan.

Fred and George Weasley started their first business to offer mail-order (or “owl-post service” for true fans) practical joke equipment, though with a magical twist. Their mother ultimately destroyed their order slips considering the business a distraction and, potentially, dangerous. With a loan from Harry Potter, the two eventually went on to found their own joke shop in Diagon Alley known as Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes. The business became a rousing success and plays a role in the final resolution for a few of the main characters.

Billy Sure, Kid Entrepreneur

The newest creation to make our list is the brainchild of Chicago-based writer, Luke Sharpe. Billy Sure is just like most kids until one day when he finds the schematics for a new invention called the “All Ball”, which can take the shape of any sports ball. Overnight, Billy’s life is dramatically transformed. Suddenly, classmates are pitching ideas for new inventions and the pressure is on for a follow up to the All Ball.

For a children’s series, “Billy Sure” manages to tackle some complicated issues relating to business, like time management, investor expectations, and even intellectual property infringement. Entertaining and informative, “Billy Sure” should be required reading for any pre-teen looking to become the next great business leader.