Case Studies
Here are some spectacular failures from some spectacularly successful people.
- J.K. Rowling - The Harry Potter author was a struggling single mother living on welfare before her book series became a global phenomenon.1
- Walt Disney - He was fired from a newspaper for “lacking imagination” and his first animation studio went bankrupt before creating Mickey Mouse and Disneyland.1
- Oprah Winfrey - She was fired from her first TV job as an anchor and told she was “unfit for television news” before becoming a billionaire media mogul.12
- Michael Jordan - He was cut from his high school basketball team before becoming one of the greatest NBA players of all time.1
- Abraham Lincoln - He had numerous failed business ventures and lost several elections before becoming the 16th U.S. President.2
- Steve Jobs - He was fired from Apple, the company he co-founded, before returning years later and leading Apple’s revival with products like the iPod, iPhone, and iPad.1
- Colonel Sanders - His famous fried chicken recipe was rejected over 1,000 times before a restaurant picked it up when he was 62 years old.4
- Jay-Z - The rapper was a former drug dealer who was rejected by major record labels before starting his own label and becoming a billionaire entrepreneur.4
- Vincent Van Gogh - He only sold one painting during his lifetime before his work became invaluable after his death.2
- Beethoven - His music teacher told him he was too “stupid” to ever succeed in music before he became a legendary composer.