Tycoon
Etymology
From Japanese taikun (“great lord”), a title foreigners used for the shogun, from Chinese elements meaning “great” and “lord.” Commodore Perry’s expedition carried the word back to the United States in the 1850s; it was applied jokingly to powerful men — even to Lincoln — before settling on business magnates.
noun · /ty-KOON/
A wealthy and powerful businessperson who dominates an industry.
What it names
The larger-than-life empire-builder — the magnate whose scale and flash set them apart from an ordinary executive.
Example
The shipping tycoon owned three ports and, it was rumored, half the city council.
Related idea
A magnate is a powerful businessperson; tycoon adds flash and scale — the empire-builder writ large.