15 Very Successful People Who Failed Before Success - LifeHack (2023)

Before their success, some of the most successful people in the world experienced epic failures. We celebrate their success, but often overlook the path that got them there. A path that is often marked by failure.

As the American writer Elbert Hubbard said:

"There is no failure other than trying no longer."

Many people dread the word failure, and it seems like everyone wants instant success. However, failure is something everyone experiences and it's not always a bad thing. It just proves that the path to success is not easy. In fact, it's an important experience that will make you reconsider your priorities.

Everyone who tries to make their life worth living has failed at some point. This is exactly why you need to change your perspective on it.

When you finally understand that failure is the inspiration for success, you can begin to unlock your potential.

So let yourself be motivated and only accept failure as an opportunity to learn.

15 Successful People Who Failed

The road to success is not always easy, but you can do it!

If you didn't succeed on the first try, don't stress yourself too much. Here are 15 successful people who failed (a few times) before being recognized by their glorious success.

1. Sir James Dyson

You know that frustrating feeling when something doesn't work on the first try?

Multiply that by 5,126, because that's the number of failed prototypes Sir James Dyson went through over the course of 15 years before developing the eponymous, best-selling bagless vacuum cleaner, which resulted in a net worth of $4.5 billion .

If he had given up every time he failed, he would not have been a successful entrepreneur who has successfully manufactured some of the best home appliances.

2. Steven Spielberg

His cinematic production has grossed more than $9 billion and earned him three Academy Awards, but the blockbuster master was rejected TWICE by the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. Aside from that, this director also struggled with dyslexia, which made it difficult for him to cope with school.

To date he has won 11 Emmys, 3 Oscars and 7 Golden Globes and is one of the most successful directors of today.

As their way of saying "Oops, I think we got it wrong about you," the school built a building in Spielberg's honor.

3. Thomas Edison

In what is perhaps at once the most discouraging statement and worst teaching practice of all time, Thomas Edison was told by his teachers that he was "too stupid to learn anything".

Edison held more than 1,000 patents, including the phonograph and the practical electric lamp. Death most likely spared his teachers the ignominy of their misjudgment. Edison is known today as one of the greatest inventors of all time, and his creations changed the lives of billions of people.

4. Walt Disney

Can you imagine your childhood without Disney? Well, it could have been easy if Walt had listened to his former newspaper editor. The editor told Walt he lacked imagination and had no good ideas. Undeterred, Old Walt created the cultural icon that bears his name.

Disney's take on failure:

"I think it's important to have a good hard mistake at a young age ... Because it kind of makes you aware of what can happen to you. Because of that, in my entire life, I've never been scared when we were about to break down and all that. I've never been scared."

If you're about to give up, remember what Disney said.

5. Albert Einstein

Do you want to achieve success? Be inspired by Albert Einstein.

His name stands for intelligence, but that wasn't always the case for Albert Einstein. As a child, he only began to speak at the age of four, read at the age of seven, and was considered mentally handicapped. If he had given up and never persevered, his main theories could not have been known.

He later won a Nobel Prize and changed the world approach to physics. I guess he was just contemplating what to say for the first four years...

6. J. K. Rowling

Before there was a wizard, there was welfare. Rowling was a broke, depressed, divorced single mother who wrote a novel while in college. It's hard to believe, but many publishers rejected Harry Potter.

Rowling, who is now one of the richest women in the world, reflects on her early failures:

"It is impossible to live without failing unless you live so carefully that you might as well not have lived at all - in which case you automatically fail."

7. Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln's mistakes were widespread and numerous. He accomplished the unique feat of sending a captain to war and bringing back a private (the lowest military rank).

Next he accepted failure during several failed business attempts. Undeterred, Lincoln marched into politics, where he made several failed attempts at political office before ascending to the presidency.

He shared this quote about his failure:

"My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure."

8. Jerry Seinfeld

Before the show About Nothing, Seinfeld was a young comedian on the stand-up circuit. His first time on stage didn't go so well. When he saw the audience he froze and was booed and jeered off the stage.

His choice: wrap it up and accept that comedy isn't his thing, or return to the same stage the next night and let the audience go hysterical. He chose the latter and went on to become one of the most successful comedians of all time.

9. Theodor Seuß Geisel

For generations as Dr. Seuss, the popular children's author's first book was rejected by 27 different publishers.

According to him, he was on his way home to burn his manuscript when he ran into one of his Dartmouth classmates who eventually helped him find a publisher for his book. Today he is considered one of the best children's book authors.

Not good enough for these publishers, his books have sold more than 600 million copies worldwide.

10. Oprah Winfrey

She's a billionaire with her own television network and a penchant for giving away cars, but Oprah Winfrey was fired from her first TV job as a host in Baltimore.

In 2013, Oprah reflected on her experiences during a Harvard inaugural address:

“There is no failure. Failure is just life trying to move us in a different direction.”

Creating your own TV channel is a surefire way to never get fired again!

11. Stephen King

In another instance in the never-ending Book Publishers Making Dumb Decisions series, mega novelist Stephen King had his first bookCarrieRejected 30 times.

This iconic storyteller has even been told by publishers that they aren't interested in any kind of sci-fi that touches on negative utopias because they don't sell.

Dejectedly, King threw the book in the trash. His wife retrieved it and begged him to resubmit it, leading to his first book deal and launching his illustrious career.

12. Vincent van Gogh

A Van Gogh painting will cost you over $100 million these days. But in his lifetime, Vincent Van Gogh couldn't get rid of the things.

He only sold one painting during his lifetime, The Red Vineyard, and the sale took place shortly before his death. Unfortunately for Vincent, others were able to enjoy the financial spoils of his lifelong struggles.

According to this artist:

"Sometimes success is the result of a whole series of failures."

(Video) Life Hack for Success: Bob Proctor's Book Holder

13. Elvis Presley

"You're not going anywhere, son. You should drive trucks again.”

Those are the words that greeted Elvis Presley after his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry, after which he was promptly fired. After Presley disposed of the truck's keys, he became the biggest star on earth with an enduring legacy.

14. Michael Jordan

Either he was part of the greatest high school roster of all time, or his coach made a huge mistake when he cut Michael Jordan from his high school basketball team. Six championships and five MVPs later, Jordan has become arguably the greatest basketball player of all time.

Jordan famously said:

"I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I lost almost 300 games. 26 times I was trusted to take the winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over again in my life. And that’s why I succeed.”

15. Charles Darwin

The man credited with much as we understand the world today was considered an average student and as a result gave up a career in medicine.

Darwin began a lifelong study of nature that led to the seminal On the Origin of Species and forever changed the way mankind viewed our existence.

Final Thoughts

The crowning achievements of famous and highly successful personalities are drive and determination as well as skill.

Persistence and certainty are the difference between success and failure. So if you want to be successful, don't be afraid to fail.

Fail often, fail quickly, and learn from your mistakes. The more you fail, the closer you get to success.

We hope this list of successful people who have failed on their path to success has inspired you to try harder.

Featured Photo Credits:Kal Loftus via unsplash.com