tycoon

The business magnate tycoon is first seen in 1857 as a transliteration of the Japanese honorific 大君 (taikun). It was a term of respect for the shogun of Japan, indicating that while he was neither the emperor, nor of imperial lineage, he was nonetheless the head of state. In 1861, US Cabinet members started jokingly referring to President Lincoln as the Tycoon. Tycoon’s meaning generalized to any important person in business during the late 1800s.