Steve Jobs (Apple)
- Failure: Steve Jobs championed the Apple Lisa and Apple I, both of which failed commercially and cost Apple millions. His pattern of costly decisions led to his ousting from Apple in the mid-1980s12.
- Comeback: Jobs later returned to Apple, leading it to become one of the most valuable companies in the world.
Arianna Huffington (The Huffington Post)
- Failure: Her second book was rejected by nearly 40 publishers, and her political campaign for California governor received less than 1% of the vote168.
- Comeback: She went on to found The Huffington Post, which was later acquired for $315 million.
Nick Woodman (GoPro)
- Failure: Before GoPro, Woodman started Funbug, a gaming and marketing platform that burned through $3.9 million in funding before failing to attract users and shutting down2.
- Comeback: He later founded GoPro, which became a global brand.
Colonel Harland Sanders (KFC)
- Failure: Sanders tried several careers and businesses, including a failed gas lamp manufacturing firm, before finding success with his fried chicken recipe24.
- Comeback: He franchised Kentucky Fried Chicken, building it into a worldwide brand.
James Dyson (Dyson Ltd.)
- Failure: Dyson created over 5,000 failed prototypes of his vacuum cleaner and was rejected by numerous companies before launching his own458.
- Comeback: He eventually built Dyson Ltd. into a multi-billion dollar company.
Evan Williams (Twitter)
- Failure: Williams co-founded Odeo, a podcasting company that failed after Apple introduced podcasts to iTunes28.
- Comeback: He pivoted to co-found Twitter, which became a global social media platform.
Rowland Hussey Macy (Macy’s)
- Failure: Macy’s first four dry goods stores failed between 1843 and 1855 due to poor demand and sales24.
- Comeback: He eventually founded Macy’s, now one of the largest department store chains in the U.S.
Richard Branson (Virgin Group)
- Failure: Branson’s early ventures, like Student Magazine and Virgin Cola, failed to gain traction or were outright flops6.
- Comeback: He built Virgin Group into a global conglomerate.
Walt Disney
- Failure: Disney’s first animation studio went bankrupt, and he was fired by a newspaper editor for lacking imagination6.
- Comeback: He created the Disney empire, including Disneyland and dozens of iconic films.
Henry Ford (Ford Motor Company)
- Failure: Ford’s first two car companies failed, leaving him broke8.
- Comeback: He revolutionized the auto industry with the Ford Motor Company and the moving assembly line.
