Ford Motor Company entered the business world on June 16, 1903, when Henry Ford and 11 business associates signed the company’s articles of incorporation. With $28,000 in cash, the pioneering industrialists gave birth to what was to become one of the world’s largest corporations. …
The earliest record of a shipment is July 20, 1903, approximately one month after incorporation, to a Detroit physician. With the company’s first sale came hope—a young Ford Motor Company had taken its first steps.
Two the 12 investors were Horace and John Dodge; they put up $5,000 each, $3,500 of it in write-offs of previously unpaid bills.
Another was Charles Bennett of the Daisy Air Rifle Company. His company board of directors balked at getting involved in the whimsical car business when they were so successful with air rifles — that is, B-B guns; Henry Ford balked when told the car would have to be called Daisy. Bennett ultimately invested his personal credit instead.
Henry Ford himself invested no cash.
An original $500 investment was worth $1,750,000 when Ford bought out the shareholders in 1919. That doesn’t include dividends along the way.