Secrets to become a Millionaire and to be Wealthy. Secrets used by world's richest People To Make Money and Live Luxurioys Lives In Africa and All Over The World. How to Be Rich and Wealthy in Africa and All Over The World. Life is too short, Do Not Die Poor!
I was born in 1950 and educated at Stowe School. It was here that I set up Student magazine when I was 16.
In 1970 I founded Virgin as a mail order record retailer, and shortly afterwards I opened a record shop in Oxford Street, London. In 1972 we built a recording studio in Oxfordshire where the first Virgin artist, Mike Oldfield, recorded 'Tubular Bells'.
In 1977 we signed the Sex Pistols and we went on to sign many household names from Culture Club to the Rolling Stones, helping to make Virgin Music one of the top six record companies in the world.
With around 200 companies in over 30 countries, the Virgin Group has now expanded into leisure, travel, tourism, mobile, broadband, TV, radio, music festivals, finance and health and through Virgin Green Fund we are investing in renewable energy and resource efficiency.
In February 2007, we announced the Virgin Earth Challenge - a $25 million prize to encourage a viable technology which will result in the net removal of anthropogenic, atmospheric greenhouse gases. In July of the same year I had the honour of joining my good friend Peter Gabriel, Nelson Mandela, Graça Machel, and Desmond Tutu to announce the formation of The Elders, a group of leaders to contribute their wisdom, independent leadership and integrity to tackle some of the world's toughest problems.
I am also very proud of the work of Virgin Unite, our not-for-profit entrepreneurial foundation, which continues to focus on entrepreneurial approaches to social and environmental issues and enjoy supporting their work in every way I can.
About Felix Dennis
Felix Dennis is one of Britain’s best known entrepreneurs. He was born in Kingston-upon-Thames in 1947.
After leaving Harrow College of Art, Dennis wasted a great deal of his youth playing in R&B bands. In 1971 he was imprisoned by the British government as a co-editor of OZ magazine at the culmination of the longest conspiracy trial in English history. Dennis recorded a single with John Lennon to raise money for a legal defence fund.
Following his acquittal by the High Court of Appeal, Dennis went on to found his own magazine publishing company in 1973. A pioneer in personal computer magazines, Dennis made millions with the sale of Personal Computer World to VNU and MacUser to Ziff Davis Publishing in the mid-eighties. He also co-founded a $2 billion computer mail order company which eventually went public on the NASDAQ.
Today, Dennis Publishing remains a privately owned company with its headquarters in London. Titles include The Week, Auto Express, Maxim, Viz, Computer Shopper, Monkey and Evo. The annual Sunday Times Rich List estimates that Felix Dennis is the 88th richest individual in the UK.
Following a life-threatening illness, Dennis’s first collection of poetry, A Glass Half Full, was published in November 2002 by Hutchinson in the UK. It has since become one of the biggest selling books of original verse in England for years. The launch of this book saw Dennis embark on the first of his now famous ‘Did I Mention the Free Wine?’ poetry reading tours covering several UK cities. In October 2003, Dennis appeared with the Royal Shakespeare Company, along with several well-known RSC actors, reading from his work at The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon. This event proved so popular that two further such events, (one in New York City, one in Stratford-upon-Avon), took place in autumn 2004.
In September 2004, the US edition of A Glass Half Full was published by Miramax Books. The launch was supported by a 15 city coast-to-coast poetry reading tour of the US. Meanwhile, his second book of verse, Lone Wolf, was published in October 2004 by Hutchinson in the UK, again supported by a UK poetry tour.
The year of 2006 saw Dennis publish two more books in the UK. How To Get Rich, published by Ebury Press, launched in August. This title is a distillation of his business wisdom, dissecting the business failures and financial triumphs of ‘a South London lad who became rich virtually by accident’. In November Dennis launched his third poetry book When Jack Sued Jill: Nursery Rhymes for Modern Times taking inspiration from traditional nursery rhymes to rewrite his own, some-what darker versions tackling the outrages and absurdities of modern life in the 21st century.
2007 saw the launch of Island of Dreams, a beautiful, photo illustrated volume of poems inspired by the island of Mustique. All money raised by sales of the book is donated to the Mustique Community Library. Dennis founded the Mustique Community Library which provides over 4000 books for local inhabitants as well as computers with internet access and a video library.
In 2008 another book of poetry was launched entitled Homeless in My Heart, his most critically acclaimed collection to date. The book’s launch was accompanied by another poetry reading tour. The success of previous tours ensured packed houses in 11 cities from London to Edinburgh to Dublin. Also in 2008 the US edition of How to Get Rich was published by Portfolio.
Felix Dennis’s other interests include planting trees, commissioning bronze sculpture, drinking French wine and avoiding business meetings. He claims to spend three or four hours a day writing poetry, dividing his time between homes in Warwickshire, London, New York, Connecticut and the Caribbean island of Mustique.
Michael Gerard “Mike” Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American boxer. Tyson was the undisputed heavyweight champion and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles. He won the WBC title when he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old, after defeating Trevor Berbick by a TKO in the second round. Throughout his career, Tyson became well-known for his ferocious and intimidating boxing style.
He was the first heavyweight boxer to hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles simultaneously. Tyson is considered to have been one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time.
Tyson won his first 19 professional bouts by knockout, with twelve of them occurring in the first round. He unified the belts in the splintered heavyweight division in the late 1980s to become undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. Tyson became the lineal champion when he knocked out Michael Spinks in the first 91 seconds of the fight. Tyson lost his titles to 42-to-1 underdog Buster Douglas on February 11, 1990, in Tokyo, Japan, by a knockout in round 10.
Tyson retired from professional boxing in 2006. Tyson and wife Lakiha (Kiki) currently reside in Las Vegas, NV. 2011 has been a busy year for Mike. He stars in The Hangover 2, he has a television show airing on the Animal Planet called “Taking on Tyson”, he launched a blockbuster iPhone game in iTunes called “Mike Tyson – Main Event” with mobile app creators, RockLive and he will be inducted into the boxing hall of fame.
Mike Tyson speaks about the pain it takes to become great
With well over ten millions in sales, unquestionable street credibility, critical acclaim, industry accolades, eight Grammy nominations, and four Grammy wins for his multi-platinum selling album The Carter III, Cash Money/Universal Motown recording artist Lil Wayne has firmly laid to rest all doubt that he is anything less than the best rapper alive today. Wayne’s silky flow, along with his uncanny ability to weave incredible metaphors and similes wrapped in taunt rhymes accented by witty punch lines, compel rap fans around the world to hang onto his every word whenever his records are being played.
Now with his highly anticipated release Rebirth, the CEO of Young Money Entertainment (YME) is once again poised to take the world by storm. As the album’s title suggests, Rebirth is all about change and transformation and it represents Lil Wayne’s development as a man and as an artist. “On this album I want to show my growth as an artist,” says Wayne. “I want my fans to see how far I have come musically.”
Born Michael Dewayne Carter, Jr. and raised in New Orleans’ infamous Hollygrove neighborhood, Lil Wayne started his stellar career at age 12 when a friend introduced him to Cash Money Co-CEOs and brothers Ronald “Slim” Williams and Bryan “Birdman” Williams. Spotting his potential right off the bat, Birdman took the talented pre-teen under his wing and began grooming him for superstardom.
In 1993, Lil Wayne formed a duo with label mate B.G. and released an underground EP called True Stories. The record served as a perfect introduction to the game for Lil Wayne. Even then, he proved he had the skills to be a major player, but there was more in store for the young MC. In 1997, Lil Wayne and B.G. formed the southern super group Hot Boys with Juvenile and Turkand released the quartet’s debut album, Get It How You Live, which not only sold over 500,000 units independently, but also convinced Universal Records to ink a lucrative distribution deal with Cash Money Records.
Wayne’s star continued to rise with stellar verses on Cash Money albums such as the Big Tymers’ How You Love That (1998),Juvenile’s multi-platinum 400 Degrees, and Hot Boys’ Guerilla Warfare. In 1999, Lil Wayne scored a No. 1 single with the title track from his solo debut album, The Block is Hot, which sold over two million units. From there, Wayne never looked back. The following year he released his platinum sophomore effort, Lights Out, followed by 500 Degrees two years later.
Then Wayne kicked his career into overdrive with the critically acclaimed Tha Carter series. Tha Carter (2004) earned Lil Wayneanother platinum plaque and placed him among an elite class of hip-hop lyricists. Tha Carter II (2006) further solidified his status as one of the best MCs in the hip-hop game. But it was the critically-acclaimed Tha Carter III (2008) that gave him his iconic stature in popular music while making hip-hop history by selling one million copies in one week. The album also garnered Lil Wayne eight Grammy nominations and four Grammy wins.
Lil Wayne’s seventh album, Rebirth raises the artistic bar to unprecedented heights and promises to take him to even greater levels of success. It is without a doubt some of his best work to date, boasting production by some of by some of today’s hottest producers, namely Infamous (Lil Wayne, Plies, LL Cool J), Cool & Dre, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, and Chase N Cashe (Flo-Rida, Pussycat Dolls). Guest appearances include Eminem (“Drop the World”), Cash Money multi-platinum rock star Kevin Rudolf(“One Way Trip”), and “The Ladies of Young Money Entertainment” — Nicki Minaj (“Knockout”) and Shanell (“American Star,” “Prom Queen,” “Running,” “I’m So Over You”). Musically, Rebirth melds innovative rhymes with complex melodies accented by deep bass lines and touches of rock, reggae, and ’80s pop, giving listeners the kind of unexpected twists and turns that make for a great album.
Highlights include the intoxicating Cool & Dre-produced lead single, “On Fire,” which brings together the spirit of ’80s pop with a hypnotic Miami bass-inspired beat. It is a record that will heat up the airwaves while sending fans rushing to dance floors across the globe. “Prom Queen” is another standout track. Produced by Infamous, the song brings together elements of rock and hip-hop in a way that doesn’t compromise the integrity of either genre. “I have evolved both lyrically and musically as an artist and I want everyone to hear my growing pains,” says Wayne. “This is probably my best work yet."
Buttressed by stellar production combined with Lil Wayne’s seamless flow, distinct vocals, outstanding lyrics, plus his willingness to break new musical ground, Rebirth will no doubt be ranked among the finest albums of 2010.
Ephren Taylor has seen the glitz, had the glamour, and gone through enough pain to earn his stripes as an “Elite Entrepreneur.” Taylor has started or acquired over 100 businesses in his 16 year business career that started when he was a 12 year old that designed a videogame because his parents couldn’t afford to buy him one.
Along the journey Taylor has become a history maker. As Tom Joyner coined him “walking history”, he became the youngest ever African American CEO of a publicly traded company, the youngest ever African American CEO of a publicly traded Biofuels company, a Wall Street Journal Best Selling Author, and the youngest regular contributor of Fox Business News network.
His first book, the Wall Street Journal Best Seller “Creating Success from the Inside Out” (John Wiley & Sons), serves as an expose of the mindset of today’s multi-millionaires while defining success as not only attaining wealth, but how to utilize it. Since releasing the book Taylor has been featured on ABC’s 20/20, Montel Williams, Forbes.com, CNBC, Fox News, and numerous other media outlets including being named by The Michigan Chronicle as one of the top “ten people making a global difference.”
Taylor’s entrepreneurial experiences have made him a firm believer in “failing well.” In his talks and his interviews he shares his challenges as well as his successes. Ephren Taylor is a firm believer that setbacks are excellent teachers and part of the journey to attaining ultimate success.
In his new book “Elite Entrepreneur” Taylor once again provides a blueprint to success. However, this time he has a more specific audience. Taylor bypasses people with a traditional, let’s-start-a-business-and-work-real-hard entrepreneur mindset. Instead he writes about those interested in becoming elite entrepreneurs— the ones who know the power of branding, who appreciate having the right team for the right project, and who are willing to have a detailed exit plan even at the startup phase. In short, the one who knows a well-run, successful business doesn’t take over your life; it provides you the opportunity to live a life you’ll love.
After running a number of companies Taylor has shifted his focus to being a “business accelerator” as he help entrepreneurs achieve quantum growths in their businesses.
What motivates Taylor the most is the ability to contribute as a thought leader to ideas for new solutions to problems that have plagued communities for years, decades, and in some cases, centuries. Summed up best in his closing comments in his interview with ABC’s 20/20, “you can always make more money, but changing someone’s life, that’s priceless.”
John S. Shegerian is the Chairman and CEO of Electronic Recyclers International® (ERI) (www.electronicrecyclers.com) and ERI's subsidiary organizations, www. 1-800-RECYCLING .com and www.urbanmining.org. Established in 2002, ERI collects and recycles electronic waste, specializing in the sustainable dismantling of consumer electronic items. Under Shegerian's stewardship, ERI has fast become the largest and most efficient recycler of electronic waste in the world. ERI is licensed to de-manufacture and recycle televisions, computer monitors, computers, and virtually all other types of electronic equipment. ERI developed and houses the largest e-waste crusher in the world and processes more than 120 million pounds of electronic waste annually at its locations in California, Colorado, Indianapolis, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Texas and Washington.
Shegerian is also co-host of Clear Channel's "Green is Good", www.greenisgood.fm, the nation's #1 rated environmentally themed radio program, in which John interviews celebrities, company leaders and green nonprofits regarding environmental issues and opportunities. Guests have included Wal-Mart, FedEx, Hewlett Packard, Verizon, Enterprise Rent A Car, and many more.
An accomplished public speaker and author, Shegerian's inspirational memoir, Mandingo and Me is completed and will be published by Thomas Nelson, Inc. in May of 2012. Also, his regular columns on the subject of sustainability can be read regularly in Environmental Leader. His talks on sustainability, innovation and the benefits of running a green business have moved and inspired prestige audiences from China, India, and throughout Europe, to the World Bank, United Nations and the White House.
Prior to his work at ERI, Shegerian had co-founded www.financialaid.com, one of the most successful student loan companies in the country. While at financialaid.com, he also created www.rateyourcampus.com (a college student polling and feedback community) which then led to the creation of www.campusdirt.com (which evolved into the most relevant and trafficked college search engine). Also, www.campusclix.com was created and became one of the first college social networking properties on the web. In October 2004, Shegerian and his partners sold financialaid.com and all the aforementioned affiliated properties to Education Lending Group, which was purchased in February 2005 by CIT (NYSE: CIT).
In 2004, Shegerian created, and still serves as Founder and CEO of Addicted.com, a comprehensive, interactive website dedicated to helping those struggling with the disease of addiction, that has become the leading online space for the recovering community.
For his work with ERI, Shegerian has been named the Clean Tech Entrepreneur of the Year for Northern California by Ernst & Young. He has also received the "Innovator of the Year" award from the International Electronics Recycling Conference & Expo (IERCE) for his development of 1-800-Recycling .com and its role in democratizing the recycling process nationwide. ERI has also won "Recycler of the Year" and the "Industry Pioneer" award from the IERCE.
Shegerian is driven by his commitment to innovate and develop companies that benefit and inspire others and are socially responsible. Shegerian has a 25 year track record of quickly converting start-ups into large, highly successful business enterprises.
Shegerian serves alongside California state legislators as a member of the California Commission for Jobs and Economic Growth and was appointed to serve on the Governor's Gang Advisory Committee, focused on providing the State's top legislators with guidance pertaining to policies geared toward the reduction of gang and youth violence. No stranger to "recycling lives" and serving up second chances, In 1993, Shegerian had co-founded Homeboy Tortillas and Homeboy Industries, which continues to serve as a paradigm for urban renewal in America and was awarded the New York Stock Exchange "Building for the Future" Award for creating new jobs and opportunities for gang-impacted youth in post-riot Los Angeles. John is also the recipient of the prestigious "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award," presented by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Committee to businessmen working to provide compassionate solutions for society's problems.
Daymond John Founder of FUBU fashions
Main Industry:
Fashion
First Huge Success:
FUBU clothing line earned $350 million in 1998.
Zodiac Sign:
Pisces
Did You Know?
He started out making and selling tie-top hats on the streets of Queens, NY.
Here's a true entrepreneur who keeps us dressed to the nines while we play hard on both field and walk down the path of life.
Daymond John's creative vision helped revolutionize the sportswear industry in the 1990s. As founder, president and chief executive officer of FUBU—“For Us, By Us”—Daymond created distinctive and fashionable sportswear and a host of other related gear. FUBU's phenomenal success made mainstream apparel companies realize the potential for fashionable sportswear that appeals not just to trendsetting urban youth, but to mainstream teens as well.
Daymond was born in the New York City borough of Brooklyn but spent his childhood in the Hollis neighborhood of Queens during the 1970s. An only child, he grew up in a single-parent household headed by his mother, who was a flight attendant for American Airlines but often held more than one job. His first foray into the apparel market came when he wanted a tie-top hat and was put off by the price. Daymond asked his mother to teach him how to use a sewing machine, and he began making the distinctive tie-top hats in the morning and then selling them on the streets of Queens in the evening hours.
One day in 1992, he and his friend sold $800 worth of hats and realized their ideas had definite potential. They created a distinctive logo and began sewing the FUBU logo on hockey jerseys, sweatshirts and t-shirts. Daymond lured some longtime friends into the business and asked old neighborhood friend, L.L. Cool J., to wear a t-shirt in a photograph for a FUBU promotional campaign in 1993. Daymond and his mother mortgaged the home they collectively owned for the $100,000 in start-up capital. Even more amazingly, she then moved out so the quartet could use the home as a makeshift factory and office space.
FUBU officially emerged in 1994 when Daymond and his partners traveled to an industry trade show in Las Vegas. Buyers liked the distinctively cut, vibrantly colored sportswear, and Daymond and his partners returned to Queens with $300,000 worth of orders. FUBU soon had a contract with the New York City-based department store chain Macy's, and they began expanding their line to include jeans and outerwear. A distribution deal with Korean electronics manufacturer Samsung allowed their designs to be manufactured and delivered on a massive scale.
As CEO and president, Daymond guided FUBU to a staggering $350 million in revenues in 1998, placing it in the same stratosphere as such designer sportswear labels as Donna Karan New York and Tommy Hilfiger. Over the last 16 years, Daymond has evolved into more than a fashion mogul. In 2007 the street-smart businessman penned his first book, Display of Power: How FUBU Changed a World of Fashion, Branding & Lifestyle, which was named one of the best business books of 2007 by the Library Journal.
Known as the "Godfather of Urban Fashion," Daymond is regarded as one of the most sought-after branding experts and keynote speakers in fashion and business today. With multiple business ventures on his resume, Daymond can be seen sharing his knowledge and business genius on numerous business and entertainment television programs.
Biography
Chris Gardner is the owner and CEO of Gardner Rich LLC with offices in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. Conquering grave challenges to become a successful entrepreneur, Gardner is an avid motivational and aspirational speaker, addressing the keys to overcoming obstacles and breaking cycles. Gardner is also a passionate philanthropist whose work has been recognized by many esteemed organizations.
The amazing story of Gardner’s life was published as an autobiography, The Pursuit of Happyness, in May 2006, and became a New York Times and Washington Post #1 bestseller. In paperback, the book spent over twenty weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and has been translated into more than thirty languages. Gardner was also the inspiration for the movie “The Pursuit of Happyness,” released by Columbia Pictures in December 2006. Will Smith starred as Gardner and received Academy Award, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations for his performance. Gardner was an associate producer on the film.
In his second New York Times bestselling book, Start Where You Are: Life Lessons in Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, published in May 2009, Gardner shared his philosophies on, and the crucial steps behind, creating a fulfilling, successful life. The book provided a much-needed blueprint for navigating tumultuous times with positivity, courage, tenacity, discipline and common sense. The book was released in paperback in May 2010.
In the fall of 2010, Gardner was named the Ambassador of Pursuit and Happyness for AARP, which has nearly 40 million members worldwide. His mission is to share his hard-won wisdom to encourage the 50+ audience to pursue new challenges, search for fulfillment at any stage of life, or craft the legacy they want to leave behind.
Born February 9, 1954 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Christopher Paul Gardner’s childhood was marked by poverty, domestic violence, alcoholism, sexual abuse and family illiteracy. Gardner published his autobiography out of a desire to shed light on these universal issues and show they do not have to define you. Gardner never knew his father, and lived with his beloved mother, Bettye Jean Triplett (nee Gardner), when not in foster homes. Gardner is indebted to Bettye Jean for his success as she provided him with strong “spiritual genetics” and taught him that in spite of where he came from, he could chart another path and attain whatever goals he set for himself.
Gardner joined the Navy out of high school and after discharge moved to San Francisco where he worked as a medical research associate and for a scientific supply distributor. In 1981, as a new father to son Christopher Gardner Jr., he was determined to find a career that would be both lucrative and fulfilling. Fascinated by finance, but without connections, an MBA or even a college degree, Gardner applied for training programs at brokerages, willing to live on next to nothing while he learned a new trade. Chris Jr.‘s mother left and Gardner, despite his circumstances, fought to keep his son because, as he says, “I made up my mind as a young kid that when I had children they were going to know who their father is, and that he isn’t going anywhere.”
Gardner earned a spot in the Dean Witter Reynolds training program but became homeless when he could not make ends meet on his meager trainee salary. Today, Gardner is involved with homelessness initiatives assisting families to stay intact, and assisting homeless men and women who are employed but still cannot get by. It is estimated that 12% of the homeless population in the United States is employed; in some communities that estimate is as high as 30%.
Gardner worked at Bear Stearns & Co from 1983-1987 where he became a top earner. In 1987 he founded the brokerage firm Gardner Rich in Chicago from his home with just $10,000. Gardner Rich LLC is a FINRA registered broker-dealer specializing in servicing public pension funds and Taft-Hartley plans for some of the nation’s largest institutions and unions. In addition to expanding its core business as an institutional securities broker, Gardner Rich has increased its participation in corporate underwriting and has expanded its brokerage services to include trading in global markets through both ordinary and ADR form.
Dedicated to improving the well-being of children through positive paternal involvement, Gardner is a board member of the National Fatherhood Initiative, and received the group’s Father of the Year Award in 2002. He served on the board of the National Education Foundation and sponsors two annual awards: the National Education Association’s National Educational Support Personnel Award and the American Federation of Teachers’ Paraprofessionals and School-Related Personnel (PSRP) Award. He also serves on the board of the International Rescue Committee, which works to provide access to safety, sanctuary, and sustainable change for millions of people whose lives have been shattered by violence and oppression. Gardner is still very committed to Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco, where he and his son received assistance in the early 1980’s. He has helped fund a project that creates low-income housing and opportunities for employment in the notoriously poor Tenderloin area of the city.
Gardner has also been honored by the NAACP Image Awards with awards for both the book and movie versions of The Pursuit of Happyness; Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women’s (LACAAW) 2006 Humanitarian Award; The Continental Africa Chamber of Commerce’s 2006 Friends of Africa Award; The Glaucoma Foundation’s Kitty Carlisle Hart Lifetime Achievement Award; The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA); Covenant House, Common Ground and other organizations committed to combating violence against women, homelessness, and financial illiteracy – issues of the utmost importance to Gardner.
Chris Gardner’s aim, through his speaking engagements and media projects, is to help others achieve their full potential. His practical guidance and inspirational story have made him a frequent guest on CNN, CNBC and the Fox News Channel. He has been featured on “The CBS Evening News,” “20/20,” “Oprah,” “Today Show,” “The View,” “Entertainment Tonight,” as well as in People, USA Today, Associated Press, New York Times, Fortune, Entrepreneur, Jet, Reader’s Digest, Trader Monthly, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Post and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, amongst other publications.
Gardner has two children and resides in Chicago and New York.
Entrepreneur. Born Steven Paul Jobs on February 24, 1955, to Joanne Simpson and Abdulfattah "John" Jandali, two University of Wisconsin graduate students who gave their unnamed son up for adoption. His father Abdulfattah Jandali was a Syrian political science professor and his mother Joanne Simpson worked as a speech therapist. Shortly after Steve was placed for adoption, his biological parents married and had another child, Mona Simpson. It was not until Jobs was 27 that he was able to uncover information on his biological parents.
As an infant, Steven was adopted by Clara and Paul Jobs and named Steven Paul Jobs. Clara worked as an accountant and Paul was a Coast Guard veteran and machinist. The family lived in Mountain View within California's Silicone Valley. As a boy, Jobs and his father would work on electronics in the family garage. Paul would show his son how to take apart and reconstruct electronics, a hobby which instilled confidence, tenacity, and mechanical prowess in young Jobs.
While Jobs has always been an intelligent and innovative thinker, his youth was riddled with frustrations over formal schooling. In elementary school he was a prankster whose fourth grade teacher needed to bribe him to study. Jobs tested so well, however, that administrators wanted to skip him ahead to high school—a proposal his parents declined.
After he did enroll in high school, Jobs spent his free time at Hewlett-Packard. It was there that he befriended computer club guru Steve Wozniak. Wozniak was a brilliant computer engineer, and the two developed great respect for one another.
After high school, Jobs enrolled at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Lacking direction, he dropped out of college after six months and spent the next 18 months dropping in on creative classes. Jobs later recounted how one course in calligraphy developed his love of typography.
In 1974, Jobs took a position as a video game designer with Atari. Several months later he left Atari to find spiritual enlightenment in India, traveling the continent and experimenting with psychedelic drugs. In 1976, when Jobs was just 21, he and Wozniak started Apple Computers. The duo started in the Jobs family garage, and funded their entrepreneurial venture after Jobs sold his Volkswagen bus and Wozniak sold his beloved scientific calculator.
Jobs and Wozniak are credited with revolutionizing the computer industry by democratizing the technology and making the machines smaller, cheaper, intuitive, and accessible to everyday consumers. The two conceived a series of user-friendly personal computers that they initially marketed for $666.66 each. Their first model, the Apple I, earned them $774,000. Three years after the release of their second model, the Apple II, sales increased 700 percent to $139 million dollars. In 1980, Apple Computer became a publically traded company with a market value of $1.2 billion on the very first day of trading. Jobs looked to marketing expert John Scully of Pepsi-Cola to help fill the role of Apple's President.
However, the next several products from Apple suffered significant design flaws resulting in recalls and consumer disappointment. IBM suddenly surpassed Apple sales, and Apple had to compete with an IBM/PC dominated business world. In 1984 Apple released the Macintosh, marketing the computer as a piece of a counter culture lifestyle: romantic, youthful, creative. But despite positive sales and performance superior to IBM's PCs, the Macintosh was still not IBM compatible. Scully believed Jobs was hurting Apple, and executives began to phase him out.
In 1985, Jobs resigned as Apple's CEO to begin a new hardware and software company called NeXT, Inc. The following year Jobs purchased an animation company from George Lucas, which later became Pixar Animation Studios. Believing in Pixar's potential, Jobs initially invested $50 million of his own money into the company. Pixar Studios went on to produce wildly popular animation films such as Toy Story, Finding Nemo and The Incredibles. Pixar's films have netted $4 billion. The studio merged with Walt Disney in 2006, making Steve Jobs Disney's largest shareholder.
Despite Pixar's success, NeXT, Inc. floundered in its attempts to sell its specialized operating system to mainstream America. Apple eventually bought the company in 1997 for $429 million. That same year, Jobs returned to his post as Apple's CEO.
Much like Steve Jobs instigated Apple's success in the 1970s, he is credited with revitalizing the company in the 1990s. With a new management team, altered stock options, and a self-imposed annual salary of $1 a year, Jobs put Apple back on track. His ingenious products such as the iMac, effective branding campaigns, and stylish designs caught the attention of consumers once again.
In 2003, Jobs discovered he had a neuroendocrine tumor, a rare but operable form of pancreatic cancer. Instead of immediately opting for surgery, Jobs chose to alter his pescovegetarian diet while weighing Eastern treatment options. For nine months Jobs postponed surgery, making Apple's board of directors nervous. Executives feared that shareholders would pull their stocks if word got out that their CEO was ill. But in the end, Job's confidentiality took precedence over shareholder disclosure. In 2004, he had a successful surgery to remove the pancreatic tumor. True to form, in subsequent years Jobs has disclosed little about his health.
In recent years, Apple has introduced such revolutionary products as the Macbook Air, iPod, and iPhone, all of which have dictated the evolution of modern technology. Almost immediately after Apple releases a new product, competitors scramble to produce comparable technologies. In 2007, Apple's quarterly reports were the company's most impressive statistics to date. Stocks were worth a record-breaking $199.99 a share, and the company boasted a staggering $1.58 billion dollar profit, an $18 billion dollar surplus in the bank, and zero debt.
In 2008, iTunes became the second biggest music retailer in America&mdsah;second only to Wal-Mart. Half of Apple's current revenue comes from iTunes and iPod sales, with 200 million iPods sold and six billion songs downloaded. For these reasons, Apple has been rated No. 1 in America's Most Admired Companies, and No. 1 amongst Fortune 500 companies for returns to shareholders.
Early in 2009, reports circulated about Jobs' weight loss, some predicting his health issues had returned, which included a liver transplant. Jobs had responded to these concerns by stating he is dealing with a hormone imbalance. After nearly a year out of the spotlight Steve Jobs delivered a keynote address at an invite-only Apple event September 9, 2009.
In respect to his personal life, Steve Jobs remains a private man who rarely discloses information about his family. What is known is Jobs fathered a daughter with girlfriend Chrisann Brennan when he was 23. Jobs denied paternity of his daughter Lisa in court documents, claiming he was sterile. Jobs did not initiate a relationship with his daughter until she was seven but, when she was a teenager, she came to live with her father.
In the early 1990s, Jobs met Laurene Powell at Stanford business school, where Powell was an MBA student. They married on March 18, 1991, and currently live in Palo Alto, California, with their three children.
