P. T. Barnum

Phineas Taylor Barnum (July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman and businessman. He started his career in New York City by showing off a slave he owned named Joice Heth. He told people that Joice was 161 years old, Barnum removed her teeth to make her look older. This made him famous at a young age. After her death, he showed off her dead body in a public autopsy.
In New York City, Barnum founded two American Museums. In these museums, he showed real acts such as General Tom Thumb and hoaxes such as the . He introduced Jenny Lind to the public. After fire destroyed his second museum, Barnum created a circus. In the circus he displayed Jumbo the elephant. He suggested the circus setting for Horatio Alger, Jr.'s book "The Young Acrobat". Barnum is also well known for saying "There's a sucker born every minute."
He may have been the first "show business" millionaire. Barnum said "I am a showman by profession," but he was also an author and publisher. For a while, he was also a politician. 
Movies.
Barnum was represented by Hugh Jackman in "The Greatest Showman" (2017).