Mark Burnett

The godfather of American reality television and a pioneer of in-program product placement, this British-born entrepreneur is responsible for the unscripted megahits Survivor and The Apprentice. Before getting into entertainment, Burnett saw combat as a member of the British Army Parachute Regiment and was a self-declared thrill seeker. While participating in an extreme race called Raid Gauloises in the early '90s, he got the idea to film it and eventually gave the footage to ESPN in exchange for half the commercials, which he sold at a profit. Thus began his showbiz career. In 2000 Burnett rocketed to fame and fortune as the producer of Survivor, based on a Swedish show. Despite some subsequent high-profile disappointments (The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, The Contender), he continues to dominate the genre.