Born in London, England in 1859, Samuel Insull was a Chicago-based businessman, contributing enormously to the development of the electricity infrastructure of the United States during the 1920s. Insull used holding companies to buy railroads and utilities, but in the 1930s his Midwest holding company collapsed under the weight of the expanding Great Depression. Insull was the moving force behind the building of the Chicago Civic Opera House in 1929.
As a young man of only 21 years Insull first came to the United States to work with Thomas Edison, taking increasing responsibility for the expansion of Edison’s business projects. Insull founded Edison General Electric which eventually became the electric appliance giant General Electric. Soon Insull was named vice-president of the new company, but left because he was not named president. When another person was named president, Insull left for Chicago and took charge of the Chicago Edison Company.