100 Entrepreneurs Who Changed The World
91. Friedrich Bayer (1825-1880)
Friedrich Bayer was the founder of what would become Bayer, the German pharmaceutical company. They discovered and marketed aspirin, which of course has relieved pain for millions of people and saved countless lives. They’ve had various other discoveries. The word Heroin was a Bayer trademark until World War I, as it was originally developed as a substitute for morphine. They have also developed various other drugs and pesticides. Controversially, Bayer became part of the IG Farben group, which experimented on prisoners in the Nazi concentration camps. The lessons of Bayer’s success and controversies prove the double edged sword of science and medicine, while the good Bayer has done is notable, the harm caused in that pursuit must also be noted.
