12 Little Known Facts About Famous Entrepreneurs

Perhaps you read a magazine headline today mentioning the latest hot startup. Or you might have watched an interview or TV show mentioning a popular new product. Even more likely is the chance you used your favorite app on your phone today to connect with friends or family.

All of these media experiences have one thing in common: Entrepreneurs!

Entrepreneurs who launch a business and stay with it long enough often bring valuable, practical experiences and commodities into the world. Many of us are often mesmerized by successful entrepreneurs, wondering how they do it.

It's not always apparent how a person got from point A to point B. Everyone loves success stories, but few know about the grueling stepping stones involved in the sacrifice. Whether you're a young professional or a seasoned entrepreneur, these stories below will inspire you to remain humble and persistent in your own businesses!

Read on to discover 12 little-known facts about famous entrepreneurs.

1. Colonel Sanders, Founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken

The great Colonel Sanders, iconic founder of the fast-food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), began pursuing his fried chicken dream only after reaching age 65. On top of that, Sanders was rejected 1,009 times before his recipe was accepted by a restaurant willing to franchise. Talk about persistence!

2. Gary Vaynerchuk, Co-founder of Resy and Empathy Wines

The man who built Wine Library--and now owns VaynerMedia--is the legendary Gary Vaynerchuk. Before diving deeply into his father's existing wine business, Vaynerchuk encountered a number of tear-filled moments with himself while deciding whether or not he wanted to be involved in the family business. He decided to commit, and now Vaynerchuk is widely respected as one of the most influential and savvy marketers alive.

3. Bill Gates, Co-founder of Microsoft

The Microsoft giant has experienced more than the average individual's share of success. But the personal computing juggernaut has also been arrested. Sure enough, in 1977, young Gates was arrested for driving without a license and ignoring a red light. Not to fear, though; Gates' life has been a lawful one since!

4. Josh Tetrick, CEO of JUST, Inc.

The relatively young founder of Hampton Creek Foods was studying law at the University of Michigan before he came up with his start-up. Since then, the company has seen incredible investments from some of the world's wealthiest and most prominent tech figures (such as Bill Gates). Hampton Creek Foods is attempting to disrupt the traditional egg industry by building sustainable, vegan alternatives.

5. Steve Jobs, Co-founder of Apple Inc.

Before Apple, Steve Jobs was working with Steve Wozniak on a game called Breakout for Atari. Jobs was given $5,000 by Atari to develop the game, and he actually lied to Wozniak about the total funding. Jobs claimed the company only provided $700, with Wozniak pocketing $350.

What did Steve Jobs need the extra cash for? Perhaps he wanted the majority of the funding to use as he saw fit on the project. In any case, Jobs was willing to truly push the boundaries of everyday life to achieve his vision of success.

6. Larry Ellison, Co-founder of Oracle Corporation

In addition to being a college dropout like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison has been heavily involved in the advancement of technology since 1977. If you were to ask a few dozen people on the street who conceived the tablet idea, most folks might think it was Apple. Surprisingly enough, Ellison's company Oracle was the first to bring a tablet product to market. The Network Computer, a small device capable of basic computing tasks (such as email and Internet browsing), failed to impact consumers due to the lower cost and higher convenience of personal computers.

7. Robert Kiyosaki, Author of "Rich Dad Poor Dad"

Presently, Robert Kiyosaki is known as one of the most prominent personal finance authors in the world. His books have sold millions of copes, and his name is often mentioned amongst the likes of Tony Robbins, Dale Carnegie and Zig Ziglar. What few people know is the exhausting climb Kiyosaki had before lasting success. In the early 1980s, Kiyosaki noticed that heavy metal bands were the new trend, and he subsequently started a business that licensed t-shirts to such bands. As the decade progressed and heavy metal's heyday waned, the business fell out and his profits collapsed.

8. Tony Robbins, Motivational Speaker & Author of "Awaken the Giant Within"

Tony Robbins, virtually the most acclaimed self-development magnate of all time, failed his way to success over and over again.^[1] Most of his followers are well-aware of the stories he shares about his own journey. Even cooler (and more surprising!) are facts about his personal life. For example, not only does Robbins listen to different styles of music, some of his favorite artists are P. Diddy and Tupac!

9. Rowland Macy, Founder of Macy's

The founder of the massively successful department store, Rowland Macy, was a serial entrepreneur. Before becoming successful with Macy's, however, he failed at seven prior business ventures.

10. Joe Fernandez, Co-founder and CEO of Joymode and Klout

Fernandez created Klout for people to create more influence on social media platforms. Funnily enough, Fernandez himself has been observed to have a low Klout score!

11. Amancio Ortega, Founder of Zara

Once the richest men in the world for a few hours in October 2015, Ortega is best known for being the founder of the Inditex fashion group, a firm that operates clothing lines and retail stores. Ortega began his foray into the clothing industry when he was just a teen, delivering shirts for another company.

12. Warren Buffett, Chairperson of Berkshire Hathaway

In a similar fashion to Kiyosaki at times, Warren Buffett has pushed through a variety of challenges and setbacks on his path to becoming a highly influential investor. Perhaps most impressive is the fact that he still lives in the same house he bought over 50 years ago. His house is not gated, he drives with no security staff and does not use a cell phone.