Zero to Hero: When people achieve big success, it’s usually not easy. Some faced tough challenges but still made it to the top. It’s good to hear these stories because they show that no matter where you start, you can still achieve great things.
Let’s look at some inspiring stories of people who went from nothing to being heroes in politics, sports, media and business.
10. Dr. Dre
Over the years, rap music has become very popular worldwide, and one person who played a huge role in this is Andre Young, also known as Dr. Dre. He started in a famous rap group called N.W.A. and later had a successful solo career. He was skilled at mixing music and helped discover talents like Eminem, who became one of the best rappers ever.
Besides being a great artist and producer, Dr. Dre is also a smart businessperson. He started his own music label, Aftermath Records, and later created Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, which became very popular. Apple bought this brand in 2014 for $3 billion, This made Dr. Dre the richest rapper in history.
09. Howard Schultz
Howard Schultz grew up in a poor family in Brooklyn. He was good at sports, so he got a scholarship to go to college. After college, he worked as a salesman for Xerox and later as a manager for a coffee maker company. That’s when he discovered Starbucks, a small coffee shop in Seattle. He started working there and eventually became its leader, turning Starbucks into a famous global brand.
08. Ursula Burns
Ursula Burns grew up in New York with her single mother, who came from Panama. She studied Mechanical Engineering at New York University Polytechnic School of Engineering and later got a master’s degree from Columbia University. Ursula started working at Xerox as a summer intern in 1980 and has stayed with the company, working hard to climb up the ladder.
Her big moment came in 2010 when she became the CEO of Xerox, making history as the first African-American woman to lead a Fortune 500 company. Forbes recognized her power, ranking her as the 22nd most influential woman globally in 2014.
07. Alan Rickman
Alan Rickman is a well-respected name in Hollywood, but he didn’t start his career in acting until later in life. He first worked as a graphic designer because he thought it was a safer job. However, at 26, he decided to take a chance and pursue acting seriously. He worked odd jobs to support himself while trying to make it as an actor.
His big break came when he played the villain Hans Gruber in “Die Hard” with Bruce Willis, and later as Severus Snape in the “Harry Potter” movies. Surprisingly, he got his first movie role at the age of 46!
06. Harlan Sanders
You might not know his name, but you definitely know the logo and letters he’s linked with: K.F.C.
Originally from Indiana, Sanders tried many jobs and ran several businesses during his life, but he often faced problems that got in his way. He lost his job as a lawyer because of a fight with a client in court. His restaurant and motel burned down, and when he rebuilt them, World War II made him close them. Finally, after many struggles, Sanders opened the first KFC franchise in 1952 when he was in his sixties.
05. Barack Obama
No matter your feelings about his politics, it’s clear that reaching his current position was an incredible accomplishment.
He was born in Hawaii to a young mother who was a university student and a Kenyan father who was six years older and on a scholarship. Despite a modest upbringing, he graduated from Columbia University and worked as a community organizer in Chicago for a few years. He later attended Harvard Law School, where he became editor and then president of the Harvard Law Review. After working as a lawyer for 12 years, he became a US Senator. In 2008, before finishing his first term as senator, he became the President of the United States, the first African-American to hold that office.
04. Abebe Bikila
Sports have always been full of amazing stories where people go from having very little to achieving greatness because of their hard work, determination, and talent.
Abebe Bikila was a member of the Imperial bodyguard in Ethiopia. He barely made it onto the Ethiopian Olympic team, but he made history at the 1960 Rome Olympics by winning the marathon in record time, and he did it all without wearing any shoes! After the race, he said, “I wanted the world to know that my country, Ethiopia, has always won with determination and heroism.” Bikila won the Olympic marathon again in 1964 with another record-breaking time. He probably would have won again four years later in Mexico City if he hadn’t injured his knee. The success of Ethiopian and East African runners in long-distance events today can be credited to this incredibly inspiring athlete.
03. Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is a great example of achieving the American Dream. She grew up with a single teenage mother but was smart and had big dreams. Oprah used every opportunity she got to succeed. Her skills and personality were perfect for talk shows, and she became very successful in that field for many years. In the 21st century, she is seen as one of the most influential people globally. Her support can make a big difference for companies and public figures. For example, her endorsement helped Barack Obama gain many votes during the 2008 Democratic primary race. Besides her TV success, Oprah is also a talented actress, a billionaire, and a very generous philanthropist in America.
02. Shahid Khan
Shahid Khan was born in Lahore, Pakistan, and came to the United States as a teenager to study. He started his first job as a dishwasher. After finishing college with a degree in industrial engineering, he got a job at Flex-N-Gate, a company that makes car parts. Eventually, he bought the company and, over thirty years, turned it into a multi-billion dollar business. Besides his company, Khan also owns the Jacksonville Jaguars football team in the NFL and Fulham F.C. in England.
In 2012, Forbes magazine featured Shahid Khan on its cover as “the face of the American Dream.”
01. J.K. Rowling
The Harry Potter books and movies have been super popular, but it wasn’t easy for J.K. Rowling to get them published. It took a whole year to find a publisher because twelve publishers said no to her book! She was struggling financially during this time.
Now, because of the massive success of Harry Potter, Rowling is one of the wealthiest people in Britain. At one point, she was even thought to be the first billionaire author! She’s also very influential globally.
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