Steve Forbes
As the longtime steward of Forbes magazine, he championed supply-side economics and made flat taxes a mainstream political idea.
Born 1947 (age 79)·American businessman and publisher·Birthday: July 18·Baby Boomers
Biography
Steve Forbes stepped into a media dynasty, but he carved out a distinct identity far beyond the glossy pages of his family's business magazine. After graduating from Princeton, he bypassed immediate corporate ascent for a stint in the New Jersey National Guard. He took the helm of Forbes in 1990 following his father's death, steering the publication through the digital revolution while maintaining its focus on capitalism and entrepreneurs. Forbes's personal passion, however, has always been economic policy. He became a ubiquitous advocate for a flat tax, a simplified monetary system, and robust free-market principles. This wasn't just editorializing; he twice sought the Republican presidential nomination in 1996 and 2000, using his campaigns as megaphones for these ideas. Though unsuccessful, his campaigns significantly influenced the party's tax policy discourse for decades. His voice, delivered in a distinctive, deliberate cadence, continues to resonate through his writing, his television appearances on 'Forbes on Fox,' and his leadership of the Forbes School of Business & Technology, cementing his role as a persistent ideological force in American business and politics.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Steve was born in 1947, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Steve Was Born
The biggest hits of 1947
#1 Movie
The Egg and I
Best Picture
Gentleman's Agreement
Steve's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1947Born
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1952Started school
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1960Became a teenager
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Could drive
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1965Could vote
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Turned 21
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1977Turned 30
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 40
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 50
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 60
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 70
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 79 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media, overseeing one of the world's most influential business publications.
- Authored the book 'Flat Tax Revolution,' a seminal text that popularized the concept of a single-rate income tax.
- Sought the Republican nomination for President of the United States in 1996 and 2000, centering his campaigns on economic reform.
- Launched Forbes.com in 1996, helping to pioneer digital business journalism.
Did You Know?
He has a mild speech impediment, a lisp, which has become a recognizable part of his public speaking style.
He collects historical presidential campaign memorabilia, particularly buttons and documents.
He is an accomplished sailor and has participated in several transatlantic races.
He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump in 2021.
“The real source of wealth and capital in this new era is not material things; it is the human mind, the human spirit, the human imagination, and our faith in the future.”
