
While tycoon in English usually refers to legendary businessmen like Howard Hughes or Bill Gates, the word was taken from Japan. In Japan 大君 (Taikun) was a title meaning “great lord” that referred to the supreme military general and ruler known as the Shogun. The word was brought back to the United States, and one of the first people to receive the nickname was President Abraham Lincoln by his aides John Hay and John Nicolay.