The social history of business leaders has always been considered as an essential ingredient in the understanding of business performance. It has nevertheless remained comparatively neglected by scholars.This volume has been classified according to four main issues in the social history of business elites: social origins and social mobility, cultural background (including education), unity and diversity of the business elites and the upper strata of the business elites and their integration into high society. The articles selected cover the five major economies: the US, the UK, Germany, France and Japan.