Steve Jobs, Richard Branson 'more inspiring than Simon Cowell'

Young people aspire to be like businessmen including Richard Branson, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg more than Simon Cowell and other figures from the world of entertainment, according to a new survey.

A study from Hotels.com found that 17.5% of 8-15-year-olds wanted to follow in the footsteps of Branson and 16.8% wanted to be like Jobs, compared to 9.6% aspiring to be like Cowell.



Of the 1,000 children surveyed, only 4.3% said that they aspired to be like US president Barack Obama.

Stuart Silberg, VP of technology at Hotels.com, said: "The 'typical celebrity' aspirations are being overtaken by pioneers such as Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs.

"Gadgets have inspired future generations who want to design the next cool phone or website.

"A career in technology can open many doors – not only can you work on a diverse range of projects, but it also gives you the opportunity to work on a global scale and have a real impact on society."

The top ten most aspirational celebrities according to the 1,000 children surveyed was as follows:

1. Richard Branson
2. Steve Jobs
3. Bill Gates
4. Mark Zuckerberg
5. David Beckham
6. Cheryl Cole
7. Simon Cowell
8. Kate Middleton
9. Tim Cook
10. David Cameron