Inspirational Quotes by Samuel Insull (American Businessman)

Samuel Insull (1859–1938) was a British-born American public utility magnate responsible for the electrification of the cities of the Middle West. He was co-founder with Thomas Edison of the General Electric Company in Schenectady, New York, and the head of the Chicago Empire of utility and transportation companies.

Born in London, Insull worked with one of Thomas Edison’s London representatives. He traveled to America in 1881 and became Edison’s private secretary. When the Edison General Electric Company was started in Schenectady, N.Y., in 1889, Insull became vice president. Three years later, he became president of the Chicago Edison Company.

Insull developed a business strategy that encouraged electricity use among all types of energy consumers. This approach made him an innovator in using rate structures and promotional campaigns to create a mass market for electric light and power. By 1907, all of Chicago’s electricity was supplied by Insull’s firm, extending to most of Illinois and parts of neighboring states by 1917 because of investments in central power stations. His utility empire increased during the 1920s, producing one-tenth of the nation’s electricity, serving 5,000 communities in 32 states by 1930.

However, Insull’s utility empire collapsed during the 1930s depression years. Insull escaped to Europe and opposed extradition. He was returned to Chicago in 1934 and tried three times for securities fraud, but he was acquitted each time. He spent most of the rest of his life in Europe.

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