Noble made his money in oil, borrowing $15,000 from his mother to buy his first drilling rig, eventually leading to the creation of Noble Drilling Corporation and Noble Energy, Inc. <A HREF="http://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/magazines/2005/janfeb/associateprof.htm" target="_blank">http://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/magazines/2005/janfeb/associateprof.htm</A>