Robert Bosch

Bosch opened a workshop for precision mechanics and electrical engineering in Stuttgart in 1886 and found his market in a stubborn problem: reliable ignition for engines. The low-voltage magneto, and then the high-voltage magneto with spark plug developed by his engineer Gottlob Honold in 1902, made Bosch indispensable to carmakers worldwide. He was also known for paying well and cutting hours early, and most of the company is still owned by a foundation he set up.