1870-1954
Automotive Investor

Wide Interests.

Scion of the great chemical, gunpowder, and banking family, Pierre S. du Pont was one of the most successful businessmen and financiers of the 1920s. Active in the management of the Du Pont Company, he and the company had wide interests in other firms and finally took control of General Motors when William C. Durant was ousted in 1920.

Venture Capital.

After World War I, the Du Pont Company, which had considerable cash on hand, began looking for what today would be called venture-capital possibilities, and GM looked attractive. The automobile industry was booming, and GM was the largest producer in the industry. Working through Pierre du Pont, the du Ponts became large holders in GM even before Durant's departure.

Investment and Control.

Since GM had always been a major customer of the Du Pont Company, buying vast quantities of...