William Randolph Hearst was an American publishing magnate. His father George Hearst, was a self-made millionaire.

During his student days at Harvard University, he successful ran a newspaper his father had won as a gambling debt. He later moved to New York City, where he acquired The New York Journal and engaged in a bitter circulation war with Joseph Pulitzer`s New York World which spawned so-called "yellow journalism" — sensationalized stories of dubious veracity.

Hearst acquired more newspapers, nearly 30 in total. He later branched out to magazines, creating the largest newspaper and magazine empire in the world.

Hearst was elected elected to the U.S. House of Representatives twice, but was lost a race for governor of New York in 1906.

Through his newspaper and magazine empire, he wielded enormous political influence, most notably in stirring public opinion in to a frenzy which led to the 1898 U.S. war with Spain.

The life of William Randolph Hearst inspired the classic Orson Welles` film `Citizen Kane`.