I love rags to riches stories, though not of the Princess Mary kind. I love stories that centre on how a businessman started, his or her first little enterprise that started them on the path to success.
Like Ingvar Kamprad, who started selling matches from his bicycle as a young boy and ended up the world’s richest retailer.
Here are some of the best rags to riches stories, and what we can learn from their example.
Thanks to Smart Money Daily for compiling this sensational list.
Ingvar Kamprad
Net worth : $31 billion. Famous for: Founding IKEA
At 17 years of age, Kamprad’s father gave him some money as a reward for succeeding with his studies. He used this money to found what eventually became IKEA. An interesting side note is the role that Kamprad’s dyslexia played In his company. For instance, the way that the furniture is named as opposed to numbered is due to Kamprad’s inability to remember numerical stock-keeping units. I wonder if he has any difficulty remembering the value of $31 billion?
What we can learn : What everyone has to start somewhere, and though savings can seem small at first, they can be grown into something amazing.
Li Ka-shing
Net worth : $26.5 billion. Famous for: Founding Cheong Kong Industries
Leaving school at 15 and working 16 hours a day in a plastics trading company is no pleasant task, but Ka-Shing managed to save from his labours and start up Cheong Kong industries, now he leading real estate investment company in Hong Kong.
What we can learn: Saving money and succeeding financially requires hard work and discipline.
Sheldon Adelson
Net worth: $26 billion. Famous for: The Las Vegas Sands
At age 12, Adelson borrowed $200 from his uncle to sell newspapers. From then on, it was business after business, each producing more profit than the last. Working his way up from that initial $200, Adelson ended up setting up the first computer trade show and purchasing the Sands Hotel and Casino in Vegas.
What we can learn : Savvy and patience pays off. Saving money is a long-term process.
Amancio Ortega
Net worth: $20.2 billion. Famous for: Zara, the clothing store
Starting out as a clerk in a shirt store, Ortega and his wife had $25 dollars and a living room in which to make gowns. In 1975, he opened his first Zara store. Any walk through a European city would prove how far that living room sewing has taken them.
What we can learn: Follow your interests, and they could turn into a profitable business venture.
Oprah Winfrey
Net worth: $2.5 billion. Famous for: being her
We all know the story: the desperately poor roots, the abuse, the child. She’s one of the most recognizable faces on television, and a huge cultural force in America (a certain president could attest to that). It all started with a part-time job in radio while Oprah was still in school, and co-anchoring the local Tennessee news at 19. And the rest, as they say, is history.
What we can learn: It isn’t just about where you come from. Though money certainly doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t predict success either.
J.K. Rowling
Net worth: $1 billion. Famous for: Harry Potter
Welfare. Single mother. Harry Potter. Castle. Richer than the Queen. End of Story.
From : www.savingsguide.com.au
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