Late British hairdresser and businessman Vidal Sassoon had a net worth of $200 million. Born to Jewish parents, he grew up surrounded by grinding poverty. Without high school diplomas, the future British hair guru struck out, at age 14, for a barbering apprenticeship at the suggestion of his mother. It was followed by a stint in the Israeli Defense Force, after spending seven years in an orphanage and his high hopes to become a professional player ended.

Vidal Sassoon was best known for his severe geometric cuts known as the Bob cut. The coiffure connoisseur is credited for Mia Farrow's heavily copied 'do in Rosemary's Baby. Other famous celebrities who wore the simple, close-cut geometric hair style include fashion designers Mary Quant and movie stars Goldie Hawn, Cameron Diaz, Nastassja Kinski and Helen Mirren. Due to the popularity of his styles, he was described as "a rock star, an artist, and a craftsman who 'changed the world with a pair of scissors.'" According to Paul Mitchell, his co-founded of the Paul Mitchell Systems and one of his former students, was "the most famous hairstylist in the history of the world."

In June 2011, it was reported that Sassoon had been diagnosed with leukaemia two years earlier, and was receiving treatment in Beverly Hills and London. Sassoon died on May 9, 2012 at his home in Los Angeles.

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