From Homeless to Multimillionaire
Chris Gardner
Christopher Paul "Chris" Gardner is an American entrepreneur, investor, stockbroker, motivational speaker, author, and philanthropist who, during the early 1980s, struggled with homelessness while raising his toddler son, Christopher, Junior.
Gardner worked as a research lab assistant at UCSF and at the Veterans' Hospital.Since his salary was not enough to support his family, after four years, he quit these jobs and doubled his salary by taking a job as a medical equipment salesman.
Gardner gained a position in Dean Witter Reynolds’ stock brokerage training program which he realised later on that it offered no salary to him.
Apart from selling medical equipment that brought in 300-400 dollars a month in the early 1980s, and with no savings, he was unable to meet his living expenses.
His wife left him and his son. He was taken out of his apartment and he even spent one night in the restroom of a metro station. He usually took refuge at night in a church shelter with his son.
Eventually, he worked to become a top trainee at Dean Witter Reynolds.
Gardner was recruited by Bear Stearns & Company in San Francisco.
In 1987, Gardner established the brokerage firm, Gardner Rich & Co, in Chicago, Illinois
Today, he is a multi millionaire.
After Gardner sold his small stake in Gardner Rich in a multi-million dollar deal in 2006, he became CEO and founder of Christopher Gardner International Holdings, with offices in New York, Chicago and San Francisco.
He sponsors many charitable organisations.
He published his autobiography The PURSUIT of HAPPYNESS, in 2006.
He has a now become a motivational speaker too.
His story was shown in the Gabriele Muccino directed movie, the PURSUIT of HAPPYNESS, released in 2006.
The movie, starring Will Smith, Thandie Newton and Smith's son Jaden Smith, focused on Gardner's nearly one-year struggle with homelessness.
The secret to his success as told by him:
"Passion is everything. In fact, you've got to be borderline fanatical about what you do. Be bold enough to find the one thing that you are passionate about. It might not be what you were trained to do. But be bold enough to do the one thing. Nobody needs to dig it but you."
Source::: Many sites/forums/blogs have this but above article is from q u o r a by mr yashvendra singh
Chris Gardner
Christopher Paul "Chris" Gardner is an American entrepreneur, investor, stockbroker, motivational speaker, author, and philanthropist who, during the early 1980s, struggled with homelessness while raising his toddler son, Christopher, Junior.
Gardner worked as a research lab assistant at UCSF and at the Veterans' Hospital.Since his salary was not enough to support his family, after four years, he quit these jobs and doubled his salary by taking a job as a medical equipment salesman.
Gardner gained a position in Dean Witter Reynolds’ stock brokerage training program which he realised later on that it offered no salary to him.
Apart from selling medical equipment that brought in 300-400 dollars a month in the early 1980s, and with no savings, he was unable to meet his living expenses.
His wife left him and his son. He was taken out of his apartment and he even spent one night in the restroom of a metro station. He usually took refuge at night in a church shelter with his son.
Eventually, he worked to become a top trainee at Dean Witter Reynolds.
Gardner was recruited by Bear Stearns & Company in San Francisco.
In 1987, Gardner established the brokerage firm, Gardner Rich & Co, in Chicago, Illinois
Today, he is a multi millionaire.
After Gardner sold his small stake in Gardner Rich in a multi-million dollar deal in 2006, he became CEO and founder of Christopher Gardner International Holdings, with offices in New York, Chicago and San Francisco.
He sponsors many charitable organisations.
He published his autobiography The PURSUIT of HAPPYNESS, in 2006.
He has a now become a motivational speaker too.
His story was shown in the Gabriele Muccino directed movie, the PURSUIT of HAPPYNESS, released in 2006.
The movie, starring Will Smith, Thandie Newton and Smith's son Jaden Smith, focused on Gardner's nearly one-year struggle with homelessness.
The secret to his success as told by him:
"Passion is everything. In fact, you've got to be borderline fanatical about what you do. Be bold enough to find the one thing that you are passionate about. It might not be what you were trained to do. But be bold enough to do the one thing. Nobody needs to dig it but you."
Source::: Many sites/forums/blogs have this but above article is from q u o r a by mr yashvendra singh
Last edited:
