Many people yearn for success and want to find the path and secrets to success. What was the road like when those winners in life were young? What did they trade for their enviable lives? Let’s take a look at what the winners in life were doing at the age of 25.
Jeff Bezos worked on revolutionary banking software at Bankers Trust
At 24, Jeff Bezos went to work at Bankers Trust developing revolutionary software for banking institutions, according to Jeff Bezos: The Founder of Amazon.com by Ann Byers. Two years later, he became the company’s youngest vice president.
Steve Jobs took Apple public and became a millionaire at 25
By the end of its first day of trading in December 1980, Apple Computer had a market value of $1.2 billion, making its co-founders rich. Jobs, one of the three co-founders, was 25. He later told biographer Walter Isaacson that he made a pledge at that time to never let money ruin his life.
Lloyd Blankfein started out as an unhappy lawyer before joining Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein took an atypical route to finance. He started out as a lawyer, got his law degree from Harvard at 24, then took a job as an associate at the law firm Donovan Leisure. Despite being on the partner track at the firm, he decided to switch to investment banking, joining J. Aron at age 27.
Many other famous founders and investors also gained experience in banking and finance early on
In addition to Bezos, Jobs and Blankfein, many other famous founders and investors worked in banking, investments or finance early in their careers. This gave them valuable experience in financial markets, investments, valuations and startups that helped them succeed later as entrepreneurs or investors.
The investment banking experiences of successful entrepreneurs like Bezos, Jobs and Blankfein gave them critical skills in finance, valuation and investments that enabled their later success.