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Iconoclasts

The Magnificent Troublemakers of History

An iconoclast is a person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions. History's most interesting figures were rarely its most obedient. From Renaissance polymaths to modern-day disruptors, our roster of historic Goofy Snobs celebrates the individuals who refused to colour inside the lines — and changed the world by doing so. Each week, we spotlight a new iconoclast for your edification and amusement.

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Warren Buffett: The Billionaire Next Door Who Just Happens to Own Everything
86

Warren Buffett: The Billionaire Next Door Who Just Happens to Own Everything

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1 min
Frida Kahlo: The Queen of Selfies Before Selfies Were a Thing
81

Frida Kahlo: The Queen of Selfies Before Selfies Were a Thing

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1 min
Pablo Picasso: The Man Who Ate the Art World
85

Pablo Picasso: The Man Who Ate the Art World

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1 min
Joan of Arc: The Original Girlboss Who Got Fired
94

Joan of Arc: The Original Girlboss Who Got Fired

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1 min
Caravaggio: The Saint of Sword and Shadow
91

Caravaggio: The Saint of Sword and Shadow

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1 min
Anna Wintour: The Sun Queen of a Frozen Empire
82

Anna Wintour: The Sun Queen of a Frozen Empire

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1 min
Madonna: The Queen of Calculated Controversy
92

Madonna: The Queen of Calculated Controversy

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1 min
Lady Gaga: The Art of the Spectacle
87

Lady Gaga: The Art of the Spectacle

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1 min
Nelson Mandela: The Terrorist Who Became a Saint
93

Nelson Mandela: The Terrorist Who Became a Saint

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1 min
Steve Jobs: The Man Who Put a Dent in the Universe, and Your Wallet
82

Steve Jobs: The Man Who Put a Dent in the Universe, and Your Wallet

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1 min
John D. Rockefeller: The Man Who Owned All the Oil, But Gave Dimes to Children
83

John D. Rockefeller: The Man Who Owned All the Oil, But Gave Dimes to Children

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1 min
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: The Man Who Wrote Masterpieces and Fart Jokes
92

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: The Man Who Wrote Masterpieces and Fart Jokes

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1 min
Dorothy Parker: The Queen of Smart-Aleck Chic
92

Dorothy Parker: The Queen of Smart-Aleck Chic

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1 min
Historic Goofy Snobs: A Roster of Iconoclasts
25

Historic Goofy Snobs: A Roster of Iconoclasts

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1 min
F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Laureate of Longing
90

F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Laureate of Longing

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1 min
Banksy: The Anarchist Who Accidentally Became a Blue-Chip Artist
89

Banksy: The Anarchist Who Accidentally Became a Blue-Chip Artist

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1 min
Michelangelo: The Divine Grump
88

Michelangelo: The Divine Grump

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1 min
Rosa Parks: The Accidental Matriarch of a Movement
89

Rosa Parks: The Accidental Matriarch of a Movement

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1 min
Bill Gates: The World's Most Generous Monopolist
90

Bill Gates: The World's Most Generous Monopolist

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1 min
Leonardo da Vinci: The Ultimate Underachiever
91

Leonardo da Vinci: The Ultimate Underachiever

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1 min
Martha Stewart: The Doyenne of Domesticity, and Other Contradictions
89

Martha Stewart: The Doyenne of Domesticity, and Other Contradictions

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1 min
Mark Zuckerberg: The Accidental Emperor of the Digital World
88

Mark Zuckerberg: The Accidental Emperor of the Digital World

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1 min
Ralph Lauren: The Bronx Kid Who Invented WASP Culture
93

Ralph Lauren: The Bronx Kid Who Invented WASP Culture

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1 min
David Bowie: The Man Who Sold the World Wide Web
94

David Bowie: The Man Who Sold the World Wide Web

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1 min
Socrates: The Man Who Knew He Knew Nothing, and Made Sure Everyone Else Knew It Too
80

Socrates: The Man Who Knew He Knew Nothing, and Made Sure Everyone Else Knew It Too

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1 min
Salvador Dalí: Surrealism for Sale
90

Salvador Dalí: Surrealism for Sale

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1 min
Oscar Wilde: The Saint of Second-Rate Sinners
83

Oscar Wilde: The Saint of Second-Rate Sinners

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1 min
Oprah Winfrey: The High Priestess of Pop Culture
94

Oprah Winfrey: The High Priestess of Pop Culture

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1 min
Estée Lauder: The Invention of an American Empress
83

Estée Lauder: The Invention of an American Empress

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1 min
Mahatma Gandhi: The Saint Who Slept with Teenagers
87

Mahatma Gandhi: The Saint Who Slept with Teenagers

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1 min
Voltaire: The Man Who Died of an Overdose of Fame
80

Voltaire: The Man Who Died of an Overdose of Fame

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1 min
Ludwig van Beethoven: The Deaf Man Who Taught the World to Hear
92

Ludwig van Beethoven: The Deaf Man Who Taught the World to Hear

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1 min
Elon Musk: The Man Who Sold the World, and Then Bought It Back With Dog Money
82

Elon Musk: The Man Who Sold the World, and Then Bought It Back With Dog Money

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1 min
Tom Ford: The Man Who Built an Empire on Desire
93

Tom Ford: The Man Who Built an Empire on Desire

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1 min
Vivienne Westwood: The Anarchist in the House of Lords
82

Vivienne Westwood: The Anarchist in the House of Lords

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1 min
Harriet Tubman: The Unlikely Commuter
88

Harriet Tubman: The Unlikely Commuter

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1 min
Gertrude Stein: The Woman Who Collected Geniuses (and Got Away With It)
84

Gertrude Stein: The Woman Who Collected Geniuses (and Got Away With It)

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1 min
Ernest Hemingway: The Man, The Myth, The Bull
88

Ernest Hemingway: The Man, The Myth, The Bull

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1 min
Andy Warhol: The Man Who Made the Mundane Famous
94

Andy Warhol: The Man Who Made the Mundane Famous

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1 min
Karl Lagerfeld: The Kaiser of Contradictions
92

Karl Lagerfeld: The Kaiser of Contradictions

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1 min
Benjamin Franklin: The Man Who Contained Multitudes, and Also a Kite
80

Benjamin Franklin: The Man Who Contained Multitudes, and Also a Kite

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1 min
Thomas Jefferson: The Hypocrite Who Invented America
86

Thomas Jefferson: The Hypocrite Who Invented America

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1 min
Richard Branson: The Man Who Built an Empire on a Dare
92

Richard Branson: The Man Who Built an Empire on a Dare

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1 min
Galileo Galilei: The Starry Messenger Who Got Grounded
91

Galileo Galilei: The Starry Messenger Who Got Grounded

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1 min
Spartacus: The Slave Who Gave Rome an Ulcer
85

Spartacus: The Slave Who Gave Rome an Ulcer

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1 min
Prince: The Iconoclast in the Purple Suit
88

Prince: The Iconoclast in the Purple Suit

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1 min
Virginia Woolf: The High Priestess of Highbrow Heartbreak
82

Virginia Woolf: The High Priestess of Highbrow Heartbreak

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1 min
Winston Churchill: The Man Who Painted His Way Through Armageddon
87

Winston Churchill: The Man Who Painted His Way Through Armageddon

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1 min
Martin Luther: The Monk Who Accidentally Remade the World
91

Martin Luther: The Monk Who Accidentally Remade the World

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1 min

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