oday I’m sharing an article with 11 of the world’s most well-known entrepreneurs. From Oprah to Hans Christian Anderson, we’re sharing the stories of current and past entrepreneurs who had to fight for their way up to the highest levels.
Oprah Winfrey
I believe that Oprah Winfrey has one of the most unique modern rags-to-riches storylines of our time. As you probably know, Oprah is the richest African American in the 21st century. And with an estimated net worth of $3 billion, she’s considered the most powerful woman in the world.
The extent of her accomplishments is all the more impressive, given her poor childhood. As the daughter of an unmarried teenager who worked as a housekeeper, Oprah grew up in extreme poverty. The family she was born into was deprived that, as a kid, Oprah was teased at school for wearing dresses made from potato bags. Oprah was also victimized by sexual assault by family members, something she spoke about with viewers in an episode on her show.
Her first big break came from her job at a small black station in the area. Managers at stations were impressed by her enthusiasm and charisma, which led Oprah to move into the upper ranks of larger radio stations. It eventually culminated in her being on television too.
In fact, it was Robert Ebert who convinced Oprah to sign the contract which launched the Oprah Winfrey Show. The rest, dear readers, is history.
Walt Disney
Walt Disney started as an agricultural boy who would draw cartoons of his neighbor’s horses to enjoy. As he matured, Walt tried to get an opportunity as a cartoonist for a newspaper but could not find one. He found himself at an art center, where the artist created advertisements for magazines and newspapers. Later, he started working on commercials, was fascinated by animation, and started his own animation business.
The first Disney original character is Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. However, it was part of Universal Pictures because he was employed under an agreement then. When Walt quit Universal Pictures after getting a pay cut, he was forced to find a replacement. That’s the way Mickey Mouse came into being.
Disney was a massive success with its animation business. However, he wasn’t content. He was determined to build the largest and most impressive theme park ever known, telling one of his colleagues, “I want it to look like nothing else in the world.”
One of the most prominent entertainment moguls in history, Disney is undoubtedly an innovative all-star with a relentless determination and dedication to his dream.
J.K. Rowling
Today, J.K. Rowling is a famous name for those who love the popular Harry Potter book series. However, she was not always blessed with the ability to create magic. In reality, J.K Rowling was in a bind when her misfit group of wizards and witches saved her. Before her book started a spell for readers, J.K. Rowling was being a welfare recipient and struggling to make ends meet as a single mom.
The current estimate is that she will have a total net worth of 1 billion dollars. There is a rumor that she’s the head of Gringotts Wizarding Bank, although it’s still a little mystery among the goblins.
Do you realize that some consider that J.K Rowling gave her soul to the devil in exchange for Harry Potter inspiration? When you’re that successful, and it’s believed that you’re making deals with Satan, that’s quite a significant person.
John Paul DeJoria
He’s now famous as the creator of Paul Mitchell’s hair products and for his Patron Tequila However, John Paul DeJoria started in the middle. First-generation American, DeJoria was born to German and Italian parents. He was placed in an L.A. foster home and was even a part of a street gang.
When he started John Paul Mitchell Systems, it sold hair products by the door and lived out of his car. The business was a success, but today, John Paul Mitchell Systems earns more than $900 million yearly.
John Paul DeJoria proves that things need to become worse before they become better.
Madam CJ Walker
Sarah Breedlove (aka Madam CJ Walker) was a remarkable lady. She is known as the first black woman to self-made an American millionaire.
Her birth year was 1867. Both her parents, as well as older siblings, were enslaved people on the Louisiana plantation. She was the very first in her family members to be granted the freedom of America (that’s some luck! ).
Madam CJ Walker launched the company with her hair and beauty products specifically designed for women of color. She identified a market that was not being served and came up with an answer to a problem that nobody other than her seemed interested in solving.
It’s not difficult to imagine that during her career, she was fighting with her teeth and nails for each climb up the ladder. She is an intelligent, strategic, savvy, and entrepreneurial lady who represents the spirit of entrepreneurship (with sleek hair to match).
Steve Jobs
Creating a self-respecting “famous entrepreneurs” list is challenging without including Steve Jobs. Jobs quit the university because his family could not afford the cost of his college education. He was a student in unofficial classes, eating free meals at his local Hare Krishna temple and returning Coke bottles for cash just to survive. Jobs credits the calligraphy course he attended as the source of inspiration for Mac’s innovative font design and typefaces.
Jobs would have a fantastic career, later creating The Apple Computer Company with his childhood friend and expert in electronics Steve Wozniak. Sometimes referred to by the title “The Grandfather of the Digital Revolution,” Jobs was the one who forever revolutionized the world of consumer electronics. When he died, the value of his assets was more than $8.3 billion. His impact will be felt by the next generation of digital technology.
Andrew Carnegie
The mere mention of Andrew Carnegie’s name reminds me of sighs and daydream distractions from my high school history classes. I was not interested in Carnegie then; today, he is seen as a fantastic model of entrepreneurialism.
Carnegie was a very rough childhood. He was a child worker in factories, and in the evenings, he slept in his bed to get rid of the constant hunger.
Carnegie eventually made it into the position of superintendent of his company, the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, before creating many of his own companies, one of which was his Carnegie Steel Mill. While he is among the wealthiest Americans of all time, He also is an excellent example of generosity.
According to his conviction that “the man who dies rich dies disgraced,” Carnegie gave more than 90% of his fortune to foundations and charities. It is widely believed to be one of the top patrons of schools and libraries across the nation. We thank Carnegie, Carnegie, for giving an additional home to the nerdy kids that resided in the local libraries.
Benjamin Franklin
A true entrepreneur could only conduct some of the bizarre experiments that Benny was always doing. Franklin is believed to have invented an electric rod that lightens the bifocals and the Franklin stove (yeah, this one could be a bit of an unintentional failure).
Like many famous entrepreneurs before and following him, Franklin was one of the men with many different hats. Scientist and printer, politician, author, inventor, diplomat, and eminent businessman were only some of his many professions.
John D. Rockefeller
While we give this group of Gilded Age guys a lot of harsh treatment for being filthy rich, it’s not a stretch to say that they didn’t make good use of their wealth.
One of the most wealthy people of all time, Rockefeller, was born the son of a salesman who traveled the world. He was a young entrepreneur who showed promise by selling candy and performing odd jobs for his neighbors and eventually became the director of the Standard Oil Company. There’s not a business that’s quite like oil, and it was the reason that made Rockefeller wealthy and filthy rich.
Although Rockefeller is accused of employing unsavory business practices to erase competitors off the market, Over his life, he gave 500 million to charitable causes (which was encouraged to make because of Carnegie).
Hans Christian Anderson
Hans Christian Anderson’s unwavering determination and self-starter spirit provide another excellent example of a famous entrepreneur.
Anderson was born in poverty. However, he set out on his own to Copenhagen at 14 when a fortuneteller informed Anderson that, despite having to struggle at first, Anderson would eventually be famous.
These predictions proved true in the end, as Anderson initially tried but was unsuccessful in his attempts to become a singer and actor. In recognizing something unique in Anderson Director of the Royal Danish Theater took him under his wing and devoted himself to his schooling. Anderson was constantly teased at school, harassed by the students, and by a demeaning headmaster. Anderson thought that those were the most difficult times of his life.
After having left high school, Anderson started to write his work. The fairy tales he wrote became extremely popular, eventually bringing him the fame he had been promised as a young child. He didn’t forget his early hardships. The Little Match Girl was inspired by his mother’s experience of being required to beg on the streets when she was just a girl.
The present Hans Christian Anderson is still popular. He is known for his rich fairy tales, many of which have been inspired by Disney Animation classics (which, as should be noted, feature more satisfying end-of-the-world than the original stories).
Bill Gates
Bill Gates is one of the most well-known businessmen of the present. The most wealthy man on earth, Gates, has an estimated net worth of more than $79 billion. He’s been referred to as the “world’s wealthiest individual” for more than 16 of the 21 years.
Co-founder of the world’s most prominent P.C. software firm, Microsoft, Gates was one of the most critical individuals that ushered in the revolution in personal computers.
Gates discovered a keen interest in computer programming early and spent his spare time developing programs using the teletype computer that his school had given him. Gates created Microsoft and created his Windows operating system, which is extremely well-known.
Like many famous entrepreneurs, Bill Gates is also renowned for his charitable activities, which include donating vast amounts of money to charitable organizations and research projects. Gates created his foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, in 2000, a private and philanthropic organization focused on reducing the burden of poverty, improving healthcare, enhancing educational opportunities, and access to the latest technology in the world. Gates has given over $28 billion in foundation funds and is still working.
