The first professions of the most successful people on the planet

Not all modern billionaires were born with a silver spoon in their mouth and millions behind them. Many of them started literally from the very bottom.

We have collected some very unexpected success stories of the richest people of our time, whose first professions do not fit in with their current billions. What a pity that not all of us worked so hard in our 12 years.

1. Richard Branson, President of Virgin

Net worth: $4.8 billion. First job: Christmas tree salesman.

The first business of the future founder of the Virgin empire was growing and selling Christmas trees before Christmas. However, it did not go well, since all the shoots were destroyed by rabbits. Branson's first successful business can be considered the school magazine Student, which he founded at the age of 15.

2. Mark Zuckerberg, one of the founders of Facebook

Net worth: $34.9 billion. First job: Facebook owner.

Mark is an exception to all the rules. One of the few billionaires who have achieved success independently and without professional failures and failures. He is still working at his first job.

3. George Lucas, film director, creator of "Star Wars"

Net worth: $5 billion. First job: teaching assistant.

The main "Jedi" of modern directing began with the fact that while studying at the University of Southern California, he taught cadets of the American Marine Corps the art of documentary cinema.

4. Michael Dell, President of Dell

Net worth: $18.2 billion. First job: washing dishes in a Chinese restaurant.

While studying in high school, Dell created an already serious business at that time — a philatelic exchange, earning the first stamps by washing dishes in a Chinese restaurant.

5. Elon Musk, founder of Tesla Motors, PayPal and SpaceX

Net worth: $11.9 billion. First job: video game creator.

At the age of 10, he learned to program independently on his first computer, and at 12 he sold his first program — the Blastar game — for $ 500. Now he is financing the construction of a personal space shuttle. Better. Simply. It doesn't happen.

6. Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon

Net worth: $34.7 billion. First job: a worker at McDonald's.

As a child, he worked on his father's farm. One summer, as a teenager, Bezos worked at McDonald's, and a year after that, he first showed his entrepreneurial talent by launching his first startup, a science camp for teenagers.

7. Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft Corporation

Net worth: $21.5 billion. First job: assistant manager of confectionery.

The CEO of Microsoft started as an assistant pastry manager at Duncan Hines Bakery’ Moist & Easy Cakes and Brownies, for which he was often teased at school.

8. Jan Koum, co-founder of WhatsApp

Net worth: $6.8 billion. First job: janitor.

The story of the WhatsApp co-founder today is inspiring for many aspiring entrepreneurs. After immigrating to the United States, Jan helped his mother fight cancer. At the age of 16, he was sweeping the floor at a local grocery store. Dropped out of college for a job at Yahoo.

9. Warren Buffett, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Berkshire Hathaway, the largest philanthropist in history

Net worth: $72.3 billion. First job: newspaper peddler, chewing gum salesman.

Buffett started working at the age of 6. Then he went door to door and sold chewing gum to American families. In addition, he managed to deliver a newspaper every morning.

10. Phil Knight, Chairman of Nike

Net worth: $22.4 billion. First job: assistant at a newspaper.

Nike co-founder and chairman Phil Knight was so upset that his father refused to hire him at his newspaper, the Oregon Journal, that he went to the competitors, and filled in the standings all night long, and slowly walked towards his dream. Just do it, as they say.

We must always remember that success does not come instantly and by itself. "The secret of a successful life is to understand what you are meant to do, and to do it" — Henry Ford will not advise anything bad.