The first and foremost element in being an entrepreneurial success is not trying to be one. In a world of Instagram wannabies, pasted quotes and filtered content, the real cult icons of business put us all to shame. These are the true game-changers, the hard-core pioneers, who never self-tagged, didn’t self-proclaim and most importantly, weren’t really seen. Why? Their work did the talking. Read on and take notes.
Aristotle Onassis
Greece’s Larger Than Life Tycoon, the history of Onassis is a story of good choices, smart moves, dogged perseverance, and as he famously said, seriousness in business and madness in life. Alternating in a global jet-set lifestyle, Onassis was heavy-cut, old school but inventive in all his endeavors. From his sun-inspired summers in Mykonos to his NYC gatherings, Greece wouldn’t be the same without him. Single take-away? “You are not truly wealthy unless you earn money while you are sleeping”.
Sir Richard Branson
A cult icon defining the real rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. In 1970, Branson’s first major success came when Mike Oldfield signed the Virgin Group and had a record which went platinum quickly. Following the success of Mike Oldfield, more bands signed with the Virgin Group, including The Sex Pistols, which was one of the biggest. As he said “You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing and by falling over”.
Stavros Niarchos
Stavros Niarchos understood the meaning of thinking and acting globally long before the term globalization became so prominent. His business operations began in Greece, the country of his birth and heritage, yet his accomplishments were notable worldwide. Although he was known predominantly for his shipping business, Niarchos’s diversified financial activities were at the core of the global economy from the time he formed the Niarchos Group in 1939 until his death in 1996. He was considered one of the most innovative and successful businessmen of the twentieth centuryWhat to learn? “No one wants to stoke coal if he can regulate an oil valve instead”.
