Rags to Riches

From humble beginnings to global dominance, some of the world’s greatest companies were born from nothing more than passion, persistence, and a bold leap of faith. These stories remind us: fortune doesn’t favor the richest—it favors the relentless.

APPLE – In 1979, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak worked out of a garage with just $1,500 raised by selling a Volkswagen van and a Hewlett-Packard calculator. With that tiny seed, they built the Apple I computer. Today, Apple’s market capitalization is a staggering $3 trillion — proof that vision can turn a garage into a global empire.

BLACK & DECKER – In 1910, two men launched Black & Decker with only $1,200. Their first product, a milk bottle-cap machine, was far from revolutionary. But in 1916, they pivoted to meet demand for electric drills, a decision that transformed their business forever. Today, Black & Decker is worth $11.4 billion.

COCA-COLA – In 1886, a 53-year-old Atlanta pharmacist, John Pemberton, created a soft drink in his backyard, selling it for five cents a glass. Five years later, Asa Chandler bought the company for $2,300. That modest investment eventually blossomed into Coca-Cola, now valued at $285 billion.

DELL TECHNOLOGIES – In 1983, Michael Dell began selling computer components from his college dorm room with almost no money. Within months, sales topped $80,000 a month. He dropped out of school, chased his vision, and built Dell Technologies — today valued at $43 billion.

UNITED PARCEL SERVICE – In 1907, two Seattle teenagers pooled $100 to start a small message-and-parcel delivery service for local merchants. That humble venture grew into UPS, now worth $73 billion.

NIKE – In the early 1960s, Phil Knight and his track coach sold sneakers from the trunk of a station wagon, investing just $1,000. Today, Nike dominates the athletic world with a market cap of $110 billion.

E. & J. GALLO WINERY – In 1933, two brothers borrowed $5,000 and used $923 of savings to start a winery in Modesto, California. With no experience, they taught themselves wine-making from library pamphlets. Today, E. & J. Gallo is still privately owned but generates an estimated $12.4 billion in annual revenue.

MICROSOFT – And let’s not forget Bill Gates and Paul Allen, who in 1975 moved into a small Albuquerque hotel room to write code for the first commercially available microcomputer. That gamble launched Microsoft, now worth $3.2 trillion.

Small companies don’t stay small—unless they think small. Great companies are built, not born. The road from rags to riches begins with one small step, one bold choice, and the conviction to keep going long after others quit.

Greatness doesn’t wait. It’s not given—it’s claimed. It can start in a garage, a dorm room, a borrowed warehouse, or a hotel room. It starts with one decision: to begin. If you have a dream, take that first step today. Don’t wait for perfect conditions. Don’t wait for certainty. Start where you are. Start with what you have.

Think big and never, ever quit.

One day, your story may be the next one told.