Biographies of the most successful people in the world. The history of successful people in the world

Wealth is the main goal of almost every person. How do the richest people live? What is their history? Let's delve into the chronicle of the life of successful people. Everyone wants to be successful in their favorite business and earn a lot of money. What is needed for this? Probably, first of all, to have a head on your shoulders. However, luck and success are important factors. Looking at the lives of billionaires, we always wonder how they got there. Sometimes we are simply tritely jealous and dream of being in their place. Some people simply admire the success of rich people, and some try in every possible way to learn from their experience.

All these people, one way or another, worked very hard and believed in their future. Over the years, they studied the structure of their activities, gained experience and made an invaluable contribution to their development. By tradition, Forbes magazine periodically publishes and updates the list of the richest people, where we will look.

Rich people statistics

The list of "Rich People of the World" for February 2015 has 1827 names. Their total fortune is equal to 7 trillion dollars! It's hard to believe, but it's true. Just think about this number. Compared to last year, statistics show that general state all the lucky ones increased by 650 billion dollars. In just one year, 285 new names entered the list of rich people. Interesting fact that all newcomers are citizens of the Republic of China.

Bill Gates story

His financial condition is about 75 billion dollars. It's no secret that Bill Gates is the founder of Microsoft. This is a man with a capital letter who changed the fate of mankind in the direction of computer technology. Bill Gates is a citizen of the United States of America, this is his native country, where he was born, raised and has lived for 59 years.

For many years, Bill has been at the top of the Forbes list of all the billionaires in the world. The creation of new computer technologies and investment continue to enrich the owner of Microsoft. Per Last year his fortune increased by $8.5 billion. The continuous victories of the computer genius are confirmed by the fact that he became the leader of the list 15 times!

You can talk a lot about Bill Gates, but the most important thing to note is that he is the main philanthropist of mankind. The richest people also have a sense of humanity, well, at least some of them. Thanks to Gates, a family fund for the needy was created, which has already used over $27 billion. On the this moment the family foundation stood up to fight such a disease as polio. Aid is directed mainly to third world countries.

Media Mogul Carlos Slim

The capital of the owner of a large telecommunications network Grupo Carso is 72 billion dollars. Carlos was born in Mexico and is 75 years old. For the past four years, Carlos Slim has been at the top of the Forbes list of the richest people. However, with the depreciation, he shifted and lowered his position. Unfortunately, this is the only person on the list of the top 10 "Richest People of the World" who has lost his fortune by $ 1 billion in the last year.

The Mexican financial corporation encompasses many different companies. Huge flows of money turnover haunt even government officials. Carlos' holdings include such well-known companies as Gruppo Carso, Gruppo Finacieo Inbursa and many others. The name of a Mexican can often be heard on television news, in various reports and statistics.

Amancio Ortega's secret to success

The Spaniard has a total fortune of $64 billion. Amancio is the main representative and owner of the largest trading platform Inditex. This includes brands such as Zara, Pull and Bear, Bershka and others. The Spanish oligarch is the richest man in Europe!

Per last year Amancio increased his net worth by $6.5 billion. This is an incredible figure, but do not forget that the year before last, Ortega managed to earn over $ 20 billion. At the moment he is not the king of Inditex. There is now another manager in his chair, but nevertheless Amancio still controls over 60% of the company's shares.

Ortega is a well-known collector. The subject of his collecting is real estate! The total estimated value of all facilities is about $4 billion. The most significant part of his ownership is a 43-storey skyscraper in Madrid called Torre Picasso. It is in this skyscraper in Madrid that the main branch of Google in Spain is located. In 2013, the billionaire purchased 26 new buildings for about $835 million.

Amancio Ortega grew up in a humble working-class family railway. My labor activity the future businessman started in a clothing store. Ortega doesn't even have a high school education! The first production came out in 1972, hence his meteoric career began.

American dream. Warren Buffett

This man knows a lot about investments. The academic knowledge gained at the university and the difficult life experience helped him to reach a fortune of 58 billion dollars. The 84-year-old American is the second richest person in the United States of America.

Warren is not embarrassed by his advanced age, so he continues to work actively and make new financial transactions, which are discussed with obvious interest on the pages of international media. According to the statistics of the past year, Buffett became richer by 5 billion dollars.

He managed to get such an excellent profit thanks to the purchase of a large Heinz ketchup holding, as well as a successful investment in the Central Asian oil industry. The American does not forget about charity! His most recent donations to those in need amounted to $3 billion, and all-time over $20 billion.

As the billionaire himself says, his success largely depends on the book he read in his youth. The Smart Investor - This business and investing primer by Benjamin Graham inspired a young businessman to great feats. Buffett has acquired basic investment skills and the right approach to this matter. The eternal advice that can be heard from Warren Buffett: "You should not turn your attention to short-term investing, which can be dispersed over trifles to smithereens, you should always focus on long-term investments and wait."

Larry Ellison - America's Information Genius

Born in the USA and has about 48 billion dollars. Larry enters big business as a spokesperson information technologies. His company is named Oracle. Ellison is already 70, and he is not going to stop his activities. His credo is to always be the first in everything. The tech genius has overstated his fortune by $5 billion over the past year. He often likes to talk about competing companies that fail in his opinion. Similar statements could be heard against companies such as Google and Apple.

Larry Ellison also likes to collect real estate. The largest cluster of his private objects is located in the city of Malibu. In addition, he is the owner of a small island in Hawaii. The cherished dream of a billionaire is to build a house on the island of Lanai, which will combine all the signs of paradise on our planet.

Charles and David

The fortune of the brothers Charles Koch and David Koch totals about 80 billion dollars for two. They share 6th and 7th place in the top "List of World Billionaires". Each has about 40 billion. The American brothers have long passed over 70. Charles is 79 years old, and David is 74 years old.

In 1967, Charles Koch becomes chairman of the board of directors and part-time CEO of Koch Industries. This company ranks second in the United States in terms of profit. Over the past year, the company managed to earn $120 billion, while Koch himself replenished his capital by $6 billion.

The Koch brothers own over 80% of the shares of Koch Industries. Younger brother David Koch is considered the richest Mr. of New York City. Charles and David are involved in charity work and are among the 10 most influential philanthropists in the world.

Sheldon Adelson - the king of the gaming empire

He is an interesting and incredibly talented person. His source of income is gaming business, namely the casino Las Vegas Sands. At the age of 81, Adelson has $38 billion. In 2013, Sheldon made $33 million overnight. This incident helped the billionaire rise to the top of the World's Billionaires List. The king of the gaming empire got rich in as soon as possible by introducing their business in countries South-East Asia.

To date, countries such as Macau and Singapore have become very popular. All this thanks to the largest playgrounds where the richest people from all over the world like to gather. In Southeast Asia, $12 billion was earned.

And Sheldon Adelson does not think to stop there. His plans include opening large casinos in Western Europe. Not far from Madrid, Adelson is developing new project, which has already invested 30 billion dollars. Such business strategies are incredibly risky. However, the billionaire achieves his goals, which as a result gives him the growth of all shares up to 3% per month.

Paradoxically, Sheldon Adelson supports the Republican Party of the United States of America. The multi-billionaire invests huge sums for the provision and goals of the party. Recently, thanks to Sheldon, a ban on online casinos in the United States has been made public.

Members of the Walton family

There are 4 billionaires in the Walton family. The fortune of Christy Walton is 37 billion, Jim Walton - 35 billion, Alice Walton - 34.5 billion, Robson Walton - 34 billion. All members of the clan are tied to the Retail company. The age of billionaires is 70, 67, 65, 70 respectively.

A rare case when almost the whole family is on the Forbes list. Christy Walton is the richest female billionaire in the world. The founder of Retail is John Walton (Christie's late husband). For the last year, the promotions of the chain of stores retail increased by 6%, which made it possible to earn 460 million dollars.

The Retail Empire was founded in 1962. At the moment, the company has about 11 thousand different branches and franchises around the world, and the total number of employees of the company is over 2 million people. In addition, the family also owns ArvesBank banks and the Hyatt Hotels chain.

Forbes: list of rich people in Russia

Among the most wealthy in the Forbes list there are also Russians. The number of rich people from Russia has more than 100 people. Each of them is followed by the press, and statistics are kept for the American Forbes magazine. Almost everyone on this list once started working for a penny. They are always talked about on television, in newspapers, and just on the streets.

It is impossible to determine the capital of a billionaire with 100% accuracy. Their financial condition is changing every second. For some it grows, for others it falls. Some people make significant changes, some don't.

Here is a list of the top ten places taken from the 100 richest people in Russia:

• Vladimir Potanin - about $15.4 billion.
• Mikhail Fridman - $14.6 billion
• Alisher Usmanov - approximately $14.4 billion.
• Viktor Vekselberg, his fortune is estimated at $14.2 billion.
• Alexey Mordashov has $13 billion.
• Vagit Alekperov - just over $12.2 billion;
• Leonid Mikhelson - $11.7 billion
• Vladimir Lisin - $11.6 billion
• Gennady Timchenko occupies the penultimate place with a fortune of $10.7 billion.
• Closes the list of billionaires Mikhail Prokhorov. His net worth is $9.9 billion.

Most of the Russian list started climbing the career ladder in the early 1990s. All of them also studied at schools, higher educational institutions, worked and worried about their future. They all believed in the good old saying: "Patience and work will grind everything."

Many people dream of fame, wealth and happiness. However, not everyone succeeds in achieving something in life. From the article you will learn about how successful people became successful, how to find the main secrets and principles of luck.

Age-old mystery

Thousands of thinkers, scientists and ordinary people trying to create a universal path to victory. Some people believe that the only way to achieve your goals in life is through hard work. Others are sure that people receive a "ticket" from fortune from birth. Still others are convinced that a person becomes great only because of mystical coincidences. But people who have actually succeeded know that only all of the named points together will help to catch the "firebird".

Absolutely everyone is sure that everything depends on a particular person and his ability to recognize and use the chances that fate offers. Of course, it is impossible to reach heights in one hour or several lessons on the topic “How to become a successful person” from a famous lucky person. But if you strive for this and read relevant literature, communicate with interesting people, then there is every chance to change your life for the better.

In any case, there are rules that unite all rich and beautiful men and women among themselves. The first secret is to set goals and priorities correctly. Immediately think about who you want to be, for example, in 10-20 years, what you need to do to achieve what you want. Start with small tasks. If they are successful, then continue to work in the same spirit.

The second secret: when you go to the goal, do not waste time on things that make you vulnerable and insecure. Try to avoid people who do not share your intentions. The ability to deal with difficulties, criticism and temptations are the main qualities of a successful person. Remember that no matter how hard you try, there will be people who will not appreciate your work.

The third secret: do not put things off until later. Enthusiasm and ideas often lose to laziness and lack of initiative, so try to cultivate punctuality and patience in yourself. After all, men and women with such traits are valued in the world.

Computer genius

The idol of many dreamers is Bill Gates. The story of this man is fascinating and instructive. He was born into a wealthy family. My father worked as a successful lawyer, and my mother was actively involved in charity work. The boy lived in a good area and attended an excellent school. From childhood, parents tried to instill in their son the spirit of competition. Relatives made sure that the boy aspired to science. Little Bill liked to play various games, in which he was often the winner.

Already at the age of 10, the boy decided that he would enter the circle in which there are successful people. His father was a role model. Consequently, instead of playing sports and having fun with friends, the boy read a lot and spent time studying.

Ironically, the school had one of the very first computers. Even then, he was interested in a unique machine. Intuitively, he felt that the world will change the program, not the devices on which they are installed. It was at this time that Bill created the first projects. The director encouraged the students with bonuses. For his work, the boy received the first 500 dollars at the age of 15. After graduating from school, the guy set himself the goal of making money on programming. It should be noted that not all the people around him believed in Bill's powers.

Target and means

Parents who knew nothing about computers were against such a desire. They believed that successful people could not do such a thing, and saw their son as a lawyer. The young man entered Harvard. On the machines of the university, he continued to write programs. The money that I got for my ideas I invested in the business. In 1975, Bill and his friend opened their own company, which they called Microsoft. Often a genius worked so hard and diligently that he fell asleep right in the office. The guy dropped out of Harvard. Parents did not share his choice, but the computer genius did not give up.

Bill Gates knew how to become a successful person. The secret of the man was hard work and fabulous ambitions.

In 1978, there were already 11 people in the Microsoft office. Today, the program that his company created has 90% of computer users.

There were ups and downs in the history of this genius, but he confidently walked towards his goal. Several times Bill Gates topped the list of the richest people in the world. Now the multibillionaire gives significant funds to charity. He donates millions to the poor and disadvantaged. His new goal in life is to save the world.

Grief as an incentive

The most successful people work in different directions. If Bill Gates got the fame of a computer genius, then in the world of the book, J.K. Rowling is the leader.

The future writer was born in a simple family. Her homeland was the county of Gloucestershire, which is located in England. She had younger sister. It was to her that the author read her first stories. At the age of 5-6 Joan wrote a fairy tale. Childhood can not be called sweet. The family often lacked money. The girl was afraid of her father because of her difficult nature. And her mother, whom she loved very much, died when Joan was 25 years old. She took the tragedy very hard. But it was this death that pushed her to work. It should be noted that before cardinal changes, almost all successful people in the world experience something terrible, unusual.

A few months before the disaster, she, racing on a train, imagined a dark-haired boy who had just found out that he was a magician. At that moment, the novelist did not have a pen with her, so more and more new and vivid images surfaced in her head.

Creativity is a pill for depression

She wrote the book very slowly. Per a short time Rowling survived the death of her mother, a divorce from her abusive husband, and a move back to England. A woman with a small child, whom she gave birth to in 1993, lived very poorly. For some time she suffered from severe depression. Therefore, many dark and evil characters appeared in the draft of the Harry Potter book.

A life successful people is not always easy. But this writer did not give up and continued to create. She was given strength by the dream that her novel would be published. The story that the world admires today was originally Joan's diary. In it, she solved her problems with the help of fantastic situations. The work saved her from pain and suffering. A woman wrote when the child was sleeping after walking.

In 1995, Rowling completed her first book. However, none of the publishers she applied to agreed to publish the story. Once "Harry Potter" fell into the hands of the daughter of one of the editors. It was the interest of this girl that contributed to the fact that the novel saw the light of day. Over 400 million copies have now been sold. The writer is on the list of the richest women in the UK.

Charity

For some time many friends and even strangers asked a famous author for money. Almost all successful people in the world face this situation. Many women helped. But Joan is of the opinion that big money spoils the personality. The writer herself lives quite modestly and very rarely, even despite her financial situation, allows herself expensive things.

Weekly on mailbox the writer receives thousands of letters. Some of them are from fans. Others are from various organizations asking for help. At first, Rowling gave funds to everyone. But then I realized that it would not be able to help anyone in particular. Later, she decided to create her own charitable foundation. Almost all successful people turn to this practice. Her organization fights against multiple sclerosis, from which her mother died.

No age limits

Everyone has long known that the realization of a dream into reality and a small triumph make a person not only happy, but also improve his health. There is a great example that success can be achieved regardless of age and background. This is a unique person named Grandma Moses.

This American was born in the distant 1860. Since childhood, she loved to draw. All her life she worked hard on the farm. She became an exemplary mother of five children and a good man. She didn't have time for her favorite hobby.

The woman retired and started painting. Grandma was in her 70s when a collector from New York liked her work. Simple, soulful landscapes immediately conquered the world. Exhibitions of paintings by the artist were held around the world. The woman created about 1600 paintings and died at the age of 101.

It should be noted that in 2004 her work "The Old Colorful House, 1862" sold at auction for $60,000. The story of Grandma Moses proves that the activity of a successful person does not depend on age.

Characteristics of goals

Everyone's secret to success is unique. Someone needs a good chance and useful connections to fulfill their dream. Others - a lot of time and a lot of opportunities. But in any case, without colossal work, expenditure of energy and ambition, it is impossible to wake up and become famous in one day.

For many people, happiness and success are not measured in the amount of money in the bank account, not in the army of fans who are on duty at the door. There are people for whom luck is to fulfill their dream, no matter how strange it may seem to others. The first want simple family comfort, the second - career growth, the third - the opportunity to freely travel around the world. For each individual person, triumph has its own characteristics.

Stories about how successful people became successful are a step that can bring you closer to your goal. It doesn't matter what a person puts in front of him. If his aspirations are pure and bright, sincere work and circumstances will contribute to their realization.

Successful people always and everywhere stand out noticeably. If you walk down the street, then without difficulty in the crowd of people, select those who can be classified as SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE.

Success is based on awareness. Successful people know who they are, where they are going, and what they want from life. Every successful person knows his worth, sets simple, clear goals and achieves them.

So let's decide once and for all

Who are they - these most SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE?

1. Successful people look much younger than their years. Remember Sophia Loren, Madonna, Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Pozner, Maya Plisetskaya and many others. They all look 10 or more years younger than their real age. And the older they are, the greater this difference.
2. They are energetic and cheerful at any age.
3. Successful people are not obsessed with their appearance and health. But they devote enough time to maintain vitality.
4. They work longer than others and achieve better results. For example, billionaire Donald Trump goes to bed at one in the morning and gets up at five in the morning.
5. Successful people have confidence and self-control, which are manifested in everything - look, walk, voice, decision-making.
6. Successful people are optimistic about life. Everyone has problems, but the ability to keep a smile is characteristic of them.
7. They do what they love and love what they do. In the morning they go to work with joy, and in the evening they return home with the same feeling.
8. They are financially successful and help other people.
9. Successful people know how to plan their lives and set high and difficult goals and make every effort to achieve them.
10. They know how to control their fear and act until they achieve a result.
11. They believe in themselves and in their own strength and know that the one who is lucky himself is lucky. There is luck, but to become truly successful, you also need action.
12. Successful people don't wait for the right opportunity, they create it themselves.

The one who gets up one more time than he falls wins!

I will give you some stories of successful people who have achieved their success from scratch.

LEONARDO DEL VECCHIO

Leonardo Del Vecchio was an orphan and factory worker whose glasses empire is now owned by Ray Bans and Oakley.

Del Vecchio was one of five children their widowed mother could not support. He grew up in orphanage, and went to work for an auto parts mold and eyeglass frame business, where he lost part of his finger.

At the age of 23, he opened his own mold shop. This eyeglass mold shop has grown to become the world's largest manufacturer of sunglasses. Lixottica makes brands such as Ray Bans and Oakley and owns 6,000 stores selling them. His fortune is now estimated at over 10 billion dollars.

JOHN PAUL DEJORIA

John Paul DeJoria lived in a car until he founded John Paul Mitchell Systems.

As the first generation of American immigrants, Dejoria had a hard time from the very beginning. His German-Italian parents divorced when he was two years old, and until the age of 10 he sold newspapers and Christmas cards to help his family. Subsequently, he was sent to a foster family in Los Angeles.

For some time, Dezhoria was in one of the gangs in Los Angeles, then he went into the army. Coming from the army, he took out a $700 loan and founded John Paul Mitchell Systems. He knocked on doorsteps and offered his shampoo everywhere, and while he was doing this, he lived in his car. But the quality of his product was undeniable, and now his JPM Systems has an annual turnover of $900 million.

Francois Pinault

While in high school, François Pinault dropped out of high school and now owns luxury goods company PPR.

In 1947, Pino left school and began working in family business for timber processing. In the 1970s, he began buying up small firms. His ruthless tactics earned him the nickname "predator". He used the same tactic in the real estate business, and succeeded by buying French "toxic" bonds and using government money to bail out businesses from bankruptcy.

The fortune he made allowed him to open PPR, a luxury goods company that sold brands like Gucci and Stella McCartney. Once the richest man in France, Pinault is now worth $8.7 billion and owns historic properties around the world.

LI KA-SHING

Li Ka-shing left school at 15 to work in a plastics factory and is now the richest man in East Asia.

Li Ka-Shing's family moved from mainland China to Hong Kong in 1940. His father died of tuberculosis when he was 15 years old. Dropping out of school to work and support his family, Lee did plastic flowers for export to the USA.

By 1950, Lee was able to start his own company, Cheung Kong Industries. Being at first production company, she later switched to real estate. Li expanded his interests and today has influence in banking, cell phone manufacturing, satellite television, cement manufacturing, owns stores, hotels, domestic freight, airports, ports, shipping companies, produces electricity and steel, and invests in software. .

SHELDON ADELSON

Sheldon Adelson is a Las Vegas hotel owner who has tried his hand at various industries.

Adelson grew up in apartment building in Massachusetts, where he shared a bedroom with his parents and three siblings. His father was a taxi driver and his mother ran a knitting shop. When he was 12, he started selling newspapers, and a few years later he set up his own vending machine on the same corner.

Adelson marketed his strength in several different industries, from packaging hotel toiletries to mortgage brokerage. The biggest success came to him after the creation of the annual exhibition of the computer industry Comdex. He is considered the richest Jew in the world and the third richest person in the United States. As of March 2007, his fortune was $26 billion.

HOWARD SCHULZ

Howard Schultz grew up in a public housing block and now runs Starbucks.

Schultz grew up in a public housing block in Brooklyn. He always wanted to "get over the fence" and break out of the lifestyle that his father, a truck driver, provided. Despite his poverty, he excelled in swarth and earned a football scholarship to Northern Michigan University.

After earning a degree in communications, Schultz worked at Xerox before opening a small coffee shop called Starbucks. In love with coffee, he left Xerox in 1987 to become the company's chief executive. Starting with just 60 stores, Starbucks now owns 16,000 locations worldwide, netting Schultz a $1.1 billion fortune.

KIRK KERKOYAN

Kirk Kerkorian went from boxer to RAF pilot to owner of a mega resort in Las Vegas.

Kerkorian, who taught English language on the streets, left school in 8th grade to become a boxer. His family was one of the victims of the Great Depression, and Kerkorian thought about what skills to acquire in order to bring income home. He became a desperate pilot in the Royal Air Force, delivering supplies across the Atlantic on a route that shot down one in four planes.

With the money thus earned, he became an active player, and eventually a real estate mogul in Las Vegas. His fortune is now estimated at 16 billion dollars.

INGVAR KAMPRAD

Born in a small village in Sweden, Ingvar Kamprad set up a mail-order business that became IKEA.

Kamprad grew up in countryside, but he always had an entrepreneurial streak - he bought matches in bulk in Stockholm and sold them to his neighbors. He then moved on to fish, Christmas decorations and pens.

Not satisfied with little, Kaprade took the money he received from his father (a reward for good studies) and created a mail-order business, which eventually became IKEA (these are the initials of his name plus his village and family farm). The furniture became the company's top selling item as it used local manufacturers. Once one of the richest men in the world, his fortune has now dwindled, but is still an impressive $6 billion.

URSULA BURNS

Ursula Burns grew up in the council housing block and now owns Xerox.

Once upon a time, the East Side of Manhattan was a gangster place. Burns grew up here, living with her single mother. Her mother worked at a kindergarten and ironed shirts to send her daughter to a Catholic school. Burns later attended New York University, where she became an intern at Xerox.

Now she is a member of the board of directors and chairman of Xerox.

GUY LALIBERTE

Guy Laliberte, before presenting his circus to the whole world, was a street fire-eater.

Born in Canada, Laliberte began his circus career on the street, playing the accordion, walking on stilts and swallowing fire. In 1987, he took the risk of bringing a successful Quebec troupe to the Los Angeles Arts Festival, determined not to turn back. The calculation was justified, and the circus troupe was admitted to Las Vegas.

Today Laliberte is the president of Cirque du Soleil, a professional poker player and a space tourist. His total fortune is $2.5 billion.

"Wherever you see successful business, it means that someone once made a bold decision"
— Peter Drucker, management theorist

All that remains for you is, without delay, start acting today. And it will definitely help you on your way to success!

You don't have to be an IT genius like Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg to build your business. You can be an ordinary housewife, a nurse, or have no profession or home at all. There is one recipe for everyone, and its main components are perseverance and ingenuity.

Story #1

Ten years ago, Sheri Schmeltzer was a 40-year-old housewife, and all her worries revolved around the house and three children. But boredom and routine overcame the woman, so she wanted to find some new entertainment for herself and the children. Her gaze fell on a slender row of Crocks rubber slippers belonging to her large family - everyone must have seen these funny slippers with holes on the wide beaches of Egypt and by the pools of Turkey. Schmelzer armed herself with glue and a handful of rhinestones, which she began to fill in these holes, creating more and more intricate designs. Her husband gave Sheri the idea to create his own website - and in 2005 their company Jibbitz appeared.

We sat down and had a family council - do we want to turn this into a real business? We had an outstanding loan at the time and needed to take a leap of faith - did we have that much faith in our product? Yes. Did we want it? Yes. If everything failed, then we would be able to calm ourselves by believing in our cause and doing what we could.

And by August 2006, sales of accessories for Crocks reached $2.2 million. But not everything was so simple - at first, Sheri had to work almost 24 hours a day, since the showered orders that she carried out manually were added to the care of the children. In order to promote their crafts, the Schmelzers did not even write a business plan and put up advertisements. Instead, they went directly to stores, showed off their wares, and called people.

If you provide good customer service then customers will talk about you. We have not done any market research. The company has grown organically.

Much like Thomas Edison with his 2000 attempts to find the material for the light bulb, Schmelzer had to go to great lengths to get the right and durable designs for his jewelry. The first pancake came out lumpy - people began to complain that the rhinestones fell out or broke, and they returned the goods. After another nine trials, the case began to spin with incredible speed.

In a year and a half of existence, the business has grown incredibly - and the company that produces sneakers Crocks bought Jibbitz for $10 million.

Story #2

The head of the medical company PJ Care (with a turnover of $ 18.2 million), Jen Floun did not even finish school. When she was 30, she took nursing courses and so began her medical career, which then took off to incredible heights.

In the early 90s, Floun cared for people with various stages of dementia. And the conditions that an ordinary hospital could provide for such patients, Jen categorically did not suit. Then she managed to work in the British Ministry of Health, where she tried to change something in medicine at the legislative level. But bureaucratic delays hindered the process:

I was terribly disappointed. I got the feeling that in state structures no one is capable of making decisions.

And then her husband advised not to rely on someone else, but to do business herself. Having calculated everything, they decided to open a neurological center, which could bring about $ 166 thousand in net profit. But, in addition to the benefits, Jen had another interest - a very personal one:

Since childhood, I had a desire to become a nurse, and then my daughter with a disability was born, which pushed me even more.

Banks became an obstacle - almost no one wanted to give a loan to an elderly sister:

To them, I was just a nurse and a woman. One of the bankers didn't even make eye contact when he spoke to me. Another stated that a nurse who had never worked in business could not understand finance.

Luck smiled at Jen only at the Unity Trust bank, which gave her $1.2 million to start her own business. The first medical center opened in Milton Keynes (a city 72 km from London) in 2001. There could be treated simultaneously 22 patients who were not long in coming. With the profits from the hospital, the Flouns bought their house, which they had to mortgage, and were able to open two more centers - in Peterborough and in Milton Keynes. Floun plans to open a fourth center in Manchester.

It costs a lot to be treated at PJ Care medical centers: the clinic charges $2825 for a week of maintenance (for comparison: in a regular hospital it would cost $1246), but here patients after brain injuries, coma, Huntington's and Parkinson's diseases are really helped to live, while in a regular hospital without special care, they would be bedridden.

Jen Floun is 66 years old, but she is not going to stop there - she plans to enter the international market and advise other medical centers.

Story #3

This success story is different from the rest: it is not about representatives of such noble professions as a nurse or a housewife mother. Dani Johnson's story is Hawaii, drugs and a suicide attempt.

The daughter of drug addicts, Dani experienced all the horrors of such a family as a child: beatings, harassment and humiliation. After leaving home, she subsisted on dubious relationships with equally dubious men who fed her on dates. I had to sleep in the car, and in order to earn at least some money, I had to earn extra money as a waitress in one of the Hawaiian bars.

The past pressed on the girl very much, and she became addicted to cocaine. Pleasure is not cheap, and she had to engage in prostitution. By the time she was 21, Johnson's life had sunk to the bottom. In one of the "retirements" Dani became very ill and she decided to drown herself. But then something “broke” in her head, and the girl heard the call: “This should not have been your life, you should not use. There are better things in life."

Dani began to think about how to get out of this situation. She needed $4,500 to rent an apartment, but you won't earn that much as a waitress - certainly not earlier than in 4 months. I didn't want to live in a car. Rummaging in the back seat, Dani found a course for weight loss and thought it was a sign. Finding the manufacturer's number, she called and asked them what it takes to sell the product in Hawaii. As it turned out - a license and money, which, of course, was not there. Then Johnson went the other way:

Flyer Dani hung in the mail - without much hope for a response. But among the Hawaiians, apparently striving to look even better on the beaches, there were 25 people who left orders within three hours.

In the first month, Johnson received 40 checks - and $4,000. Calling the manufacturer again, she told them about 40 orders, and they could not refuse. It remains only to get the delivery address. Not having my own home, I had to negotiate with a local shop selling alcohol.

In a year, Dani Johnson earned a quarter of a million dollars (an impressive amount for the 90s) simply by reselling the course. By the end of his second year, he was already a millionaire. Moving on to bigger projects, the girl was able to open 18 weight loss centers across the country and become a multimillionaire - she was then 27 years old.

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In this section, we have collected biographies of the richest and most successful people in the world. The goal is to understand what helped them earn millions and billions of dollars, what skills and abilities they have, what qualities they develop in themselves and what values ​​they are guided by.

As one of them said, in order to become a millionaire, you must first become a person in a million. And we will add from ourselves, in order to become a person in a million, you need to study the stories of successful personalities, try to get into their heads and learn to think like them. We hope our materials will help you with this. We wrote them primarily for ourselves.

The section is constantly updated, so add the page to your bookmarks or subscribe to the site news to learn about the release of new biographies.

Bill Gates is the legendary founder who owns the most popular operating system in the Windows world. He is the richest man on the planet for more than a decade, he is also a charismatic business leader, innovator, knight of Great Britain and the father of three children. What events from the biography of Gates and the qualities of his character helped him become what he is?

Warren Buffett is the genius of the financial world, the most successful and unrivaled investor in the world, who is also one of the richest people on the planet. Do you want to know the secrets of his success?

Steve Jobs, co-founder of the company "", as well as several other companies, including the animation studio Pixar, an innovative businessman who gave the world a lot of interesting, intelligent toys, such as iPod, iPhone, iPad, Mac, etc.

Henry Ford

Ray Kroc is an American entrepreneur and founder of McDonald's, a chain of fast food restaurants. For the contribution of a businessman to the formation and development of the industry Catering, Time magazine in 1998 included him in the TOP 100 most significant people of the twentieth century.

Thomas Edison is a famous American inventor and businessman, co-founder of General Electric Corporation. For the period of his professional activity, Thomas received 1093 patents at home and about 3000 outside the United States. He improved the telegraph and telephone, designed the phonograph. Thanks to his perseverance, millions of incandescent bulbs lit up in the world.

Coco Chanel is an outstanding fashion designer, the founder of a Fashion House, who proved that elegance is impossible without convenience. Her design fantasy belongs to a small black dress, trouser suit, chain bag and other branded items that create a sophisticated style.

Walt Disney is a legendary American artist, producer and director. The creator of the first musical and feature-length cartoons in the history of cinema, released about 700 cartoons, won 29 Oscars and 4 Emmys, received honorary degrees from Yale and Harvard Universities, and was awarded the highest civilian government award in the United States - the Medal of Freedom. On the Hollywood Walk of Fame, two stars are dedicated to Disney, one for the development of television, the other for his contribution to the cinema.

Richard Branson is one of the most brilliant and talented businessmen in the world, a billionaire, the founder of the international corporation Virgin, a champion in aeronautics, and the owner of his own island.

Donald Trump is an American construction magnate, owner of the Trump Organization, who later became President of the United States. Also known as the owner of the Miss Universe beauty pageant, host and executive producer of the reality show The Candidate. Time magazine named him Person of the Year in 2016.

Madonna is one of the most successful women in the world who was able to break through to the top from poverty itself. There was a period in Madonna's life when she spent the night in attics, and sometimes even checked the contents of trash cans in search of food. But it didn't break her. What helped our heroine to break through to the very top and become one of the most influential women on the planet?

Elon Musk is an American entrepreneur, inventor, co-founder of PayPal, founder and CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, member of the Board of Directors of SolarCity. The Model S electric car released by Tesla accelerates to 96 km / h in 2.28 seconds. For his contribution to the commercialization of space, Elon Musk was awarded the Heinlein Prize and received $ 0.5 million (2011). He was named "Businessman of the Year" by Fortune (2013) and "CEO of the Year" by The Wall Street Journal (2013).

Mark Zuckerberg

Pavel Durov is a Russian businessman, programmer, developer and co-founder social network"VKontakte", led VKontakte as CEO from 2006 to 2014, currently the founder and head (CEO) of the Telegram messenger.

Phil Knight is an American businessman, co-founder of Nike, which has an annual income of $20 billion. He is the richest resident of his native state of Oregon, and in 2015 he was in the TOP-20 the richest people planets.

Mary Kay is an American entrepreneur, founder of Mary Kay Inc., a company specializing in the production and sale of cosmetics and skin care products.

George Soros - influential investor, financial guru, founder charitable foundations in 25 countries, father of five children, and also the man "who collapsed the Bank of England", a supporter of the legalization of marijuana, a master of market speculation.

Robert Kiyosaki is an investor, entrepreneur, financial advisor, and author of the best-selling Rich Dad vs. Poor Dad series. He is not one of the richest people on the planet, but at the same time, his fortune will seem fabulous to many. We are primarily interested not in his condition, but in what helped him become financially free and independent.

Carlos Slim Elu - what is the secret to the success of the richest man in the world? What needs to be done to achieve such heights? What skills and qualities do you need to develop in yourself in order to climb the podium of wealth and fame?