#30: Lars Ulrich

The drummer of Metallica, Lars Ulrich, found himself at the epicenter of a music industry earthquake when he spearheaded a legal battle against Napster in 2000, a pioneering file-sharing service that allowed users to freely exchange digital music. While he was vilified as a greedy musician trying to protect his wealth, Ulrich’s foresight into the ramifications of widespread digital music piracy was prescient.

He argued that unchecked digital sharing would devalue music and hurt artists and the industry as a whole. Two decades later, his concerns have been vindicated as the music landscape has been radically transformed. Musicians now depend on live performances and merchandise to make up for lost record sales revenue, and the industry itself has had to adapt to survive.