"Where liberty dwells, there is my country." — Benjamin Franklin Liberty is the foundation of America. As we celebrate our nation's independence, we remember the patriots who secured our freedom and every American who has defended it since. Happy Fourth of July. 🇺🇸

JUST IN: "From the beginning, our citizens have shared a deep sense of mutual respect. "Founding Father Benjamin Franklin published The Sayings of Confucius and his colonial newspaper and today sculpture. Recognizing that ancient Chinese sage is carved into the face of the United States Supreme Court very proudly." –President Trump

Honoring innovation, independence, and the spirit of discovery, Franklin County's Benjamin Franklin Statue celebrates the legacy of one of America’s most influential Founding Fathers. @America250FL

Innovation is the grease in the economic engine, the sparkle that keeps culture fresh and the key ingredient in nearly every billion-dollar fortune. To kick off our yearlong series of special reports celebrating America’s 250th birthday, we present the men and women who best embody that creative spirit. All of them are in the mold of the quintessential American innovator, Thomas Edison. That means they aren’t just inventors; they’re business leaders who bring their breakthroughs to market, transforming entire industries and creating new ones. See the full #Forbes250# America's Greatest Historic Innovators list: (Illustrations: Ricardo Santos For Forbes, Photos: Thomas Edison—Bettmann Archive/Getty Images, Benjamin Franklin—Stock Montage via Getty Images, Henry Ford—Stock Montage via Getty Images, Steve Jobs—Justin Sullivan via Getty Images)

Trillionaire Elon Musk Credits His Success to These 10 Books. Trillionaire Musk famously claims he was "raised by books," absorbing foundational knowledge from science fiction, biographies, and physics texts long before conquering Silicon Valley. When founding SpaceX, Musk did not rely on a traditional aerospace degree; instead, he devoured textbooks like Structures: Or Why Things Don’t Fall Down and Ignition! to master rocket science from the ground up. Inspired by Isaac Asimov’s vision of safeguarding human consciousness across galaxies, Musk established SpaceX to make humanity multi-planetary, demonstrating how literary inspiration can directly catalyze monumental real-world industries. To highlight the literary blueprint behind his extraordinary success, BrandAI @Brand has curated and ranked the following ten definitive books credited by Musk: 1. "The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien – Shaped his worldview to become a hero who saves the world. 2. "The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams – Taught him that the hardest part is phrasing the question. 3. "Benjamin Franklin: An American Life" by Walter Isaacson – Inspired him as a model of a self-made entrepreneur. 4. "Einstein: His Life and Universe" by Walter Isaacson – Fueled his passion for scientific ambition and genius. 5. "Structures: Or Why Things Don’t Fall Down" by J.E. Gordon – Formed his fundamental understanding of structural aerospace engineering. 6. "Ignition!: An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants" by John D. Clark – Provided the essential chemistry framework for building SpaceX rockets. 7. "Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies" by Nick Bostrom – Shaped his cautious and critical perspectives on the future of AI. 8. The "Foundation" Trilogy by Isaac Asimov – Planted the ideological seed for space exploration and cosmic preservation. 9. "Zero to One: Notes on Startups" by Peter Thiel – Recommended by Musk for its brilliance in exploring how to build the future and create breakthrough companies. 10. "Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence" by Max Tegmark – Praised by Musk as a compelling guide to the challenges and choices regarding the future of consciousness.