Do you remember?
Today's Billionaires have had a range of different first jobs. Below are some of them - can you find your first job here anywhere?
According to Forbes, paper routes are the most common first jobs of Billionaires.
Paper routes?
But these guys didn't just collect and deliver papers. Take a look how:
- Sheldon Gary Adelson borrowed $200 from his Uncle when he was only 12 years old, so he had the money to cover the costs of selling newspapers on two street corners in Boston. Today, Wikipedia cite him as America's 13th richest American, with a fortune approaching $14.7 billion. He is currently Chairman and CEO of The Las Vegas Sands Corporation. Were you this entrepreneurial at only 12 years of age?
- In 1940, at the same age, T Boone Pickens expanded his 28-house paper route to 156 by taking over the routes of his competitors. Can you imagine then that in the 1980s that he was a well known corporate raider and takeover operator? Today, at 82 years of age, he chairs the hedge fund BP Capital management. He is now worth about $1.4 billion, and is ranked as the 290th richest person in the United States.
- Finally, Patrick Joseph McGovern Jr, also a paperboy in his youth is now worth $4.7 billion and is the chairman and founder of International Data Group (IDG). Apparently he worked on the features staff of The MIT Tech newspapeer while at MIT. Forbes credits him with learning the essence of customer service whilst there: "...your job is to find customers and keep them happy...and doing all you can to make your customers successful", says McGovern.
Ready for a paper route now?
Maybe your children are? In any case, the true test of your Billionaire potential seems to be what you achieved in that first job, and how you achieved it, rather than what kind of job it was.
Now, do you remember your first job?
No comments:
Post a Comment