While Elon Musk makes waves by trying to bend the world to his vision, most of American's richest individuals are happy to enjoy their wealth with more anonymity. Why it matters: America's corporate titans — from the Rockefellers to the Waltons — have long been household names. But Musk, and to an extent Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, have hit a new level of superstardom by embarking on pursuits beyond their cash cows.
Driving the news: Over the past three months, Musk, the world's richest person, has generated seven times more mentions on social media than Bezos, number two on the Forbes billionaire list, according to data from Keyhole. Musk, Bezos, Gates and Michael Bloomberg in particular have sought to leverage their success into more fame, influence or power. The other side: Tech royalty Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Larry Ellison have not ventured far afield from their original sources of wealth.