The following 15 super rich & successful billionaires prove to us all that “money doesn’t always change you“.

15 Humble & Grounded Billionaires

Ingvar Kamprad, founder of IKEA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingvar Kamprad’s Net worth: $3 billion

The founder of IKEA said he drove 15-year-old Volvo and always flew economy class, according to a 2006 Reuters article.

His frugal ways extend to his home in Switzerland, which is reportedly decorated mostly with inexpensive IKEA furniture, as well as a few family heirlooms.

According to The Daily Mail, Kamprad and his wife are often seen eating in cheap restaurants and haggling over prices at the market.

Note: Some Swedes will tell you that Kamprad is not as frugal as he would have you believe.

 

 

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tim Cook’s Net worth: unknown, but he made $378 million in 2011

He may not technically be a billionaire, but Apple CEO Tim Cook is compensated handsomely.

Even so, he chooses to live a modest lifestyle. Cook lives in a modest, 2,400-square-foot condo in Palo Alto, which he bought for $1.9 million in 2010.

He’s quoted as saying in the book Inside Apple: “I like to be reminded of where I came from, and putting myself in modest surroundings helps me do that. Money is not a motivator for me.”

 

Chuck Feeney, co-founder of Duty Free Shoppers Group

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chuck Feeney’s Net worth: currently $2 million (he’s given away billions)

A Depression-era veteran with a strict personal motto: “I set out to work hard, not get rich.”

The co-founder of Duty Free Shoppers has donated more than $4 billion to disadvantaged children and public health initiatives, all while going to great lengths to remain an anonymous donor.

“He has no ego . . . He always chooses the second-cheapest wine from the wine list,” according to his biographer, former Irish Times journalist Conor O’Clery. “When we traveled together he was always dressed like a down-at-heel American tourist.”

 

 

David Cheriton, Stanford professor

 

 

 

 

 

 

David Cheriton’s Net worth: $1.3 billion

David Cheriton, the Stanford professor who has an estimated net worth of $1.3 billion from Google shares, hates the idea of living like a billionaire.

“I’m actually quite offended by that sort of thing,” he told the Edmonton Journal in a 2006 interview. ”These people who build houses with 13 bathrooms and so on, there’s something wrong with them.”

Cheriton called himself “spoiled” for taking a windsurfing vacation in Hawaii, and in a recent Forbes profile said that his biggest recent splurge was his 2012 Honda Odyssey.

 

 

Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tony Hsieh’s Net worth: $1 billion

After selling a company to Microsoft for $265 million, Tony Hsieh could have lived in the lap of luxury. Instead, he has invested $350 million of his own money into his online business to transform downtown Las Vegas into a tech hub.

And by all accounts his lifestyle hasn’t changed since his early days in business.

“Money is just a way for Tony to get to his endgame,” said Erik Moore, an early Zappos investor. “Money just doesn’t matter to him. If he only had a million dollars left, he’d spend $999,999 to make Vegas work. He would be just as happy with a dollar in the bank and being around people he cares about and care about him.”

 

 

Karl Albrecht, co-founder of Aldi

 

 

 

 

 

 

Karl Albrecht’s Net worth: $25.4 billion

Aldi is to Europe what Walmart is to the US. Albrecht founded the company with his late brother Theo, and together the two made billions building the notoriously no-frills chain.

Raised by a shopkeeper mom and a miner father, they remained true to the vision of frugality that drove both their stores and their lives. When Theo was kidnapped for 17 days in 1971, his brother negotiated a bargain ransom of  $4 million — which he then wrote off as a business expense.

 

 

Christy Walton, heir to Walmart fortune

 

 

 

 

 

Christy Walton’s Net worth: $27.9 billion

Walton is the widow of John T. Walton, one of the sons of Walmart founder Sam Walton.

Despite their wealth, Walton wanted a normal upbringing for her son, so she raised him in an 1896 Victorian home in National City, Calif., outside of San Diego.

After her husband died in a plane crash, Walton donated the home to the International Community Foundation – Center for Cross-Border Philanthropy.

 

 

Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook

 

 

 

 

 

Mark Zuckerberg’s Net worth: $9.4 billion

As the mastermind behind Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg is a billionaire many times over. But the 28-year-old leads a surprisingly low-key lifestyle.

He recently upgraded to a $7 million house in Palo Alto, but The Los Angeles Times called the home “still well below his means.”

Zuckerberg reportedly drives an Acura “because it’s safe and not ostentatious,” and famously wears the same gray t-shirt and hoodie to work every day.

His wedding to longtime girlfriend Priscilla Chan took place in his backyard, and the pair was seen digging in at a McDonald’s on their Italian honeymoon.

 

David Green, founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David Green’s Net worth: $4.5 billion

While he could easily afford a Gulfstream of his own, Green, founder of arts and crafts retail chain Hobby Lobby, prefers to fly coach.

Instead of spending his billions on himself and his family, Green has famously become the largest individual donor to evangelical causes in America. He’s given upwards of $500 million in charitable contributions over his lifetime, according to Forbes.

 

 

Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway

 

 

 

 

 

 

Warren Buffett’s Net worth: $46 billion

Warren Buffett still lives in the Omaha, Nebraska, home he bought for $31,500 more than 50 years ago.

He doesn’t own a yacht because, as he puts it, “Most toys are just a pain in the neck.” When he married his second wife, rather than a lavish affair, it was a brief afternoon wedding at his daughter’s house in Omaha.

He has also given billions of dollars to charitable causes and begged Washington to increase his taxes.

 

 

Alexander Lebedev, Russian businessman

 

 

 

 

 

Alexander Lebedev’s Net worth: $1.1 billion

Unlike many Russian oligarchs who flaunt their wealth buying apartments, yachts, and jets, Lebedev is notoriously frugal.

From a Guardian profile:

“Indeed, the most striking difference between him and other oligarchs is his social activism. Lebedev has used his large fortune to improve the lot of ordinary Russians. He talks enthusiastically about such unfashionable themes as flat-pack housing and potatoes.”

He is staunch in his beliefs; Lebedev was charged with “hooliganism” after punching a rival on a talk show last year.

 

 

Carlos Slim Helú, chairman and CEO of Telmex

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carlos Slim Helu’s Net worth: $69 billion

Carlos Slim may be the wealthiest person on the planet, but that doesn’t mean he’s an extravagant spender.

The self-made billionaire lives in the same modest six-bedroom house he has owned for the past 30 years, and still drives himself to work, according to The Week.

As far as we can tell, he does not own a yacht or a private plane.

 

 

Amancio Ortega, founder of Zara

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amancio Ortega’s Net worth: $57.5 billion

2012 was a good year for Zara founder Ortega, whose net worth rose by $22.2 billion last year.

Even so, he hasn’t let the success go to his head. Ortega and his wife live in a discreet apartment building in La Coruña, Spain, and he’s a simple dresser, wearing a uniform of blue blazer, white shirt and gray pants every day.

He goes to the same coffee shop every day and eats lunch with his employees in the Zara cafeteria. And Ortega drives an Audi A8, not some fancy supercar.

One major indulgence: Ortega owns The Global Express BD-700, a private jet designed by Bombardier that carries price tag of $45 million.

 

 

Azim Premji, chairman of Wipro Limited

 

 

 

 

 

 

Azim Premji’s Net worth: $12.2 billion

As the owner of the technology-service giant, Wipro, Azim Premji is worth more than $12 billion.

Regardless, he is said to monitor the number of toilet-paper rolls used in Wipro facilities and demands that employees switch off the lights when leaving their offices.

Premji often takes a three-wheel auto rickshaw from the Bangalore airport when returning from business trips, and drives a 1996 Ford, according to a 2003 Businessweek profile.

“Premji makes Uncle Scrooge look like Santa Claus,” said one Bangalore tech executive.

 

 

Jim C. Walton, Walmart heir and chair of Arvest Bank

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jim C. Walton’s Net worth: $19.2 billion

Jim C. Walton may belong to one of the wealthiest families in the world, but he has followed in the frugal footsteps of his father, Walmart founder Sam Walton.

The youngest and most private of the Walton siblings, Jim still resides in Bentonville, Ark., where he runs the family’s personal wealth management company from the upstairs office of “a plain old brick building” in downtown Bentonville.

In 2007, it was reported that Walton drove a 15-year-old Dodge Dakota.

 

Question for the readers: How would you act if your net worth was in the billions? Would it change who you are? Would you be able to live a normal life?

 

Article Originally By: Julie Zeveloff & Gus Lubin | BusinessInsider.com

It’s easy for young entrepreneurs struggling to break through to blame college for their delayed success. After all, they wouldn’t have this problem had they not wasted years earning a useless piece of paper, right? They can become fully equipped to run their own business without it, right?

Jason Smith seems to think so, according to his “10 Reasons Why Entrepreneurs Should Never Enroll in College.” Well, here I am to play devil’s advocate; let’s take a look at why college is still worth it for entrepreneurs.

The 10 Reasons Why College Is Good For Entrepreneurs

1. It will build your professional network and open doors for you

Networking is perhaps the most important benefit of college and a must-have for entrepreneurs. If your main competition for that new contract is someone who went to college with the potential client, who do you think has the edge? College will also teach you how to work with people from all walks of life, allowing you to be confident and personable no matter what the situation.

2. You will learn to think critically

College is a great learning opportunity in many ways – not the least of these is the fact that you will often question what you learn. This is a place for you to develop critical thinking skills. A truly well-rounded individual can clearly address any question and think about both sides of the argument. Finding your own answers and explanations in a collegiate setting will help you to deftly handle assessing a multitude of situations in the future.

3. You gain a fall back plan

Everyone wants to be the next Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerburg, or Steve Jobs. They never finished college; why do you need to? Hate to break it to you, they’re the outliers. For every one Steve Jobs, there are thousands of entrepreneurs who were confident in their business, only to realize that they didn’t understand their market, their customer, their financials, etc. Those people had a few options: fail, or learn and succeed. Throughout college you probably failed a few times and if absolute worse comes to worse, you have a degree to go out and get a steady job to give you a safety net while you work on your business.

4. You earn credibility

Besides showing mastery in a subject, a degree shows that you were committed enough to spend 4+ years studying, and are thus a far more reliable individual than someone who spent their post-high school years in their basement. When your company bio proudly displays your picture, what credibility will stand out next to it? The next time you look at a successful venture, check and see if (and where) the owner went to college. You’ll notice most of them did.

5. The experience is irreplaceable

They say it’s the best four years of your life… well, it’s a great start. Without college, you miss out on the great times that your peers are having, the lessons they learn, and the experiences they have: living on your own, meeting friends, the Greek system, sleeping through an exam, joining an organization you never thought you would like and much more. Much is made of college’s academic benefits, but it’s truly an intriguing time in all other areas.

6. You will learn diverse subjects

College gets a bad rap for its “traditional” educational style. Traditions are still used for good reasons too. The seemingly useless courses will show you how to handle different subjects, no matter what you encounter in life. You may wonder why you have to take environmental science as an aspiring tech entrepreneur, but five years down the line when you are trying to establish greener energy to run your company this class might suddenly seem a lot more important. The traditional education experience creates a person prepared for many challenges in life.

7. You will develop and appreciate more individualism

All you need to do is watch College Game Day on any given weekend to see that there are no two people on a campus that are alike. College is an opportunity to become you. For most, it’s their first opportunity. College is (or, should be) based on you pursuing your passion for the first time. You pick your major. You pick your classes. Everything is up to YOU. This time of your life gives you the opportunity to explore what makes you tick, which may play a big part in the company culture you want to have within your startup.

8. Diversification is everywhere

Up until the end of high school, you’re surrounded with the same people. These people usually come from very similar socio-economic and demographic backgrounds. How boring! From the second you get to college, you meet a whole new potential market that may be completely different than you. You meet international students, inner-city kids, rednecks, redheads – everyone. Democrats? Meet Republicans. Republicans? Well… hopefully you’ll meet a few Democrats. But overall, guess what? Everyone lives differently. They all approach problems differently. It’s definitely beneficial to experience firsthand the global village that exists outside of our hometown. How will this help your company? Diversification will give you the chance to see what skills you need to look for when hiring your first employees, who your ideal clients will be, and how they think.

9. You will take on the challenge of risk-taking

In College, mom and dad are no longer there to watch you. Take advantage of that. Mix your red laundry with whites – who’s going to stop you? Join clubs you never thought about. Spelunking? There’s a club for that. Nonpartisan politics? There’s a club for that. College campuses pride themselves in having everything available. Almost every campus now has entrepreneurship clubs; why not run your idea by the members and advisors of the organization? There is your temporary Board of Advisors! Entrepreneurship is about taking (calculated) risks. College will teach you how. You build confidence in a relatively safe – not to mention less embarrassing and less costly – environment.

10. It’s okay to let loose

Traditionally, college is a transition point from adolescence to adulthood. In many ways, it’s an opportunity to “get it all out of your system.” Partying, late nights, all sorts of things – these are learning experiences. Once you leave college, it’s time to buckle down and be serious. College is good for getting a little bit of the party animal out of the way before you start your own business.

It may seem as though college is an unneeded expense, but believe you me; when you get out into the real world, you will be ten steps ahead at every turn. Beyond that, you will be happier having had the experience of those four years. Your degree is your friend. Without it, you’ll end up lost in a world in which college is becoming more and more necessary to have the skills to start your own business.

Author Bio: Dr. Greg Bier is a Professor of Management at the University of Missouri. He leads the newly formed Entrepreneurship Alliance at the University of Missouri Trulaske College of Business.

He is also a partner with Entrepreneur MO (www.mo.com). Follow Greg on Twitter at @gregbier.

The big debate in the entrepreneur community at the moment is whether or not college is needed for a successful business or career.

Journalist, Jason Smith, studies the reasons why entrepreneurs should never step foot into college, what are your opinions? Leave a comment and have your say.

The 10 Reasons Why College Is Not Meant For Entrepreneurs

1. You Will Be More In Debt

The dreaded D word, college pricing has been gradually getting out of control over the past decade. The same education that used to be higher quality and more valuable is now much more expensive whilst providing lesser value. Across the world, half the people that go to college do not get the skills necessary to succeed in life. They are basically spoon-fed an educational system of memorization that doesn’t test them and teach critical thinking.

2. Social value

You hear many people discuss the value of socialization among your peers as an essential benefit of college. So many people behave exactly the same way in college as they did in secondary education or high school. Sure, there’s always some maturity that takes place, but for the most part, even in the diverse environment, most people stick to people who share their same values and upbringing.

You can get the same social value by joining a club or an association to learn the essential values of teamwork without the college expenditure. You can also use social networking to reach out to people all over the world.

3. Restrictions on being more innovative

Do you ever hear the likes of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg ever tout their college degrees as the secret formula to their success. Of course, not, that’s because they didn’t earn college degrees. They earned money instead, it comes in much more handy.

The best way to get a college degree is to get an honorary one after you make a fortune and a name for yourself, then an institution can honor you.

4. Still unemployed after college

In most developed countries around the world, half the college graduates can’t even land jobs when they complete their degrees. The students who drop out after figuring out that they don’t fit well within the framework of the institution are not refunded any funds. They have wasted their money and time with nothing to show for it.

Skipping college and starting your own enterprise will be a valuable experience that will put you head and shoulders above your college peers.

5. The use of backwards and traditional methods

College offers traditional teaching methods which are completely outdated. Technology moves at the speed of life and is very transformative. It disrupts the very concept of investing in your college education for a stable career. Around the world, some teenager in his garage may be working on new software or technology that can change the world. The average college professor is only teaching what he or she knows which is no longer applicable in a vastly changing world.

6. Less hands on experience

You can gain expertise through launching your own enterprise. Doing something you are passionate about will be more likely to bring success.

As an entrepreneur, you set your own curriculum based on your passions and interest in life. You then develop a strategic plan to monetize your passion, you can learn the skills you require, follow the blueprint of many entrepreneurs who have succeeded without a college degree. An experienced mentor can steer you down the right path, most college professors haven’t experienced real success outside the classroom, that’s probably why they teach.

7. Rigid learning

College is a very stiff and rigid atmosphere. Life is meant for freedom of expression. College standards and strict guidelines of specialization don’t allow for natural creativity. Entrepreneurs need freedom to create and forge their own path. Textbooks can only teach theory or structure of the way things are supposed to be.

However, entrepreneurs need to think differently, outside the box of conventional wisdom.

8. Less individualism

College tries to paint you in a box to accommodate society. You are expected to simply follow along like millions of others without thinking for yourself. The structure of college prepares you for a life of simply following rules dictated by others. Human beings are supposed to be free people with their own ideas.

As an entrepreneur, you can strive to create your own rules, not government mandated teaching or outdated institutional learning methods.

9. Smaller accomplishments towards your future

As an emerging entrepreneur, you need to gain a mindset of applying real-life principles to determine the results for yourself. Every little progress you make counts as a real accomplishment in the real world.

College only teaches you how to pass exams. As an entrepreneur, if you can create a product or service to market, that’s a real accomplishment that is worthy, most college graduates may never aspire to it.

10. Less risk-taking

Entrepreneurs need to learn to push beyond their comfort zones. Risk is very important to success. You must be willing to take risk and live with your decisions. Sometimes you win, other times you may lose big, but you keep going.

College doesn’t teach the importance of risk, instead they promote security and a safe career. Entrepreneurs must take risks to determine their own path in the world. Entrepreneurs embrace the challenge of calculated risk in order to succeed.

Article By: Jason Smith | Addicted2Success.com

Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, is arguably one of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs. At just 24 years of age he became the world’s youngest billionaire, and his website has now reached over 900 million active users. Perhaps most impressively of all, he achieved all of his success through a project he started in his college dorm room.

Here is a breakdown with 7 reasons we believe, play a major part in Mark Zuckerberg’s Success.

1) He Truly Believed In What He Was Doing

It takes a lot of dedication to become successful, and not just during office hours. While Mark Zuckerberg‘s friends were out partying, he would stay in his dorm room and work on coding his website until early in the morning. It is very difficult to put in the hours and hours of hard work needed to build a company from the ground up, without truly believing in and enjoying what you are doing.

2) He’s Always Prepared To Take Criticism

In its rise to being the world’s most popular social network, Facebook has suffered its fair share of setbacks. Not only has it been the subject of law suits with former founders and legal battles over information confidentiality, it has even been banned intermittently in several countries. Through sheer determination and by having incredibly thick skin, Mark Zuckerberg and his team have remained strong in the face of adversity, being mindful of the hazards and hopeful of maneuvering around any challenge that comes their way.

3) He Loves To Dream Big

Not too many people would dare to believe that a project they had started in their college dorm room would end up becoming a worldwide phenomenon. While it is unlikely that Mark Zuckerberg was aiming for one billion users from day one, it is clear that he always had big ideas about his company’s success and his overall vision for the future.

4) He Is Not Afraid To Take Great Risks

When raising money for Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg took a series of significant risks. He shunned major investors, cancelled meetings, and ignored important phone calls, just to drive up demand. Eventually, he had twelve large investment companies clamoring to fund his site. While most people would have been too scared of missing out on an opportunity, Zuckerberg and the rest of the Facebook team believed in their product enough to wait it out.

It is often said that in the world of business, not taking risks is the biggest risk to take. Unfortunately, when you have worked incredibly hard on a project, daring to take risks can be a struggle. However, by not letting fear get in the way of a big decision, you can ensure that you are making the best choice for your project.

5) He Learnt To Be Exclusive

When Facebook began it was only available to members of the top American colleges, Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth etc. Students from other colleges all over the country soon wanted to be part of this exclusive club. When major investors first heard about the project, they could not even access the site because registration required a .edu email address. By keeping the site exclusive, Mark Zuckerberg made sure that supply was never larger that demand and that Facebook remained a highly sought after prize.

6) He Was Never Put Off By Competition

When Mark Zuckerberg first launched his project, it had major competition from more than 20 similar sites, and each was in a far better position than Facebook. MySpace could boast over 5 million users, Friendster had raised $13 million in investment, and Orkut was backed by Google.

While many entrepreneurs would have thrown in the towel at the mere thought of such tough competition, the perseverance of Zuckerberg and his team finally paid off.

7) He Was Clear About His Mission & Saw It Through

Zuckerberg once said that his mission was to “make the world more open”. Nowadays Facebook unites long lost family members, reports conflicts in areas where free speech is banned, and has been a useful tool in planning uprisings against oppressive governments. Understanding your main aim, whatever it may be, and not getting distracted by unproductive ventures, is the best way to ensure that you reach your goal.

Mark Zuckerburg’s achievements were not the product of luck. He gained everything he has through a combination of hard work, passion, and the courage to dream big. By not shying away from taking risks and moving forward in the face of major competition, it is possible for any entrepreneur to be just as successful.

Article By: Joel Brown | Addicted2Success.com

Today we feature great startup advice from the worlds top young millionaire & billionaire CEO’s.

Nothing is more valuable than learning from others mistakes and successes. So here are some great points to consider from a handful of young and successful CEO’s who made their millions and billions at a young age.

Startup Advice From Young Millionaire & Billionaire CEO’s

“Embrace what you don’t know, especially in the beginning because what you don’t know can become your greatest asset. It ensures that you will absolutely be doing things different from everybody else.” – Sara Blakely (Founder Of Spanx)

“People still stereotype all day long. But if you forget your own age, you’ll get so focused on the business that you become ultra-confident and people will forget to question how old you are.” - Gurbaksh Chahal (Founder Of RadiumOne)

“Find a space where you can be creative and a place where you are open for free thinking, you want to enjoy what you are doing and do what you are best at.” – David Karp (Founder Of Tumblr)

“Your biggest challenge as an entrepreneur is not concealing your idea from others or keeping your idea a secret, it is actually convincing people that you’re not crazy and that you can pull this off.” – Sean Parker (Founder Of Napster)

“I think the biggest thing to do — the hardest thing to do — is to start. You have all these ideas and everyone has an idea but it’s really about executing the idea and building the idea and attracting other people to help you work on the idea. That is the biggest challenge. But the way to begin is to get the idea out of your head, draw it out, talk about it, program it if you’re a programmer or make it if you’re building something.” – Jack Dorsey (Founder Of Twitter & Square)

“It is important for young entrepreneurs to be adequately self-aware to know what they do not know.” – Mark Zuckerberg (Founder Of Facebook)

“Don’t take too much advice,”Most people who have a lot of advice to give — with a few exceptions — generalize whatever they did. Don’t over analyze everything.  I myself have been guilty of over-thinking problems, just build things and find out if they work.” – Ben Silbermann (Founder Of Pinterest)

“You’re building a tool, not a piece of art. Don’t be blinded by the vision.” – Andrew Mason (Founder Of GroupOn)

“Be true to yourself. If you follow that principle, a lot of decisions are actually pretty easy.” – Tony Hsieh (Founder Of Zappos)

“I realized I probably just saw the world differently than the people who said the stuff I was excited about wouldn’t work.” If you’re passionate about an idea, “find a way to build it so you can prove to yourself that it doesn’t work.” – Dennis Crowley (Founder Of FourSquare)

“You need space to try things and create. It takes a long time to recalibrate if you let people pull at you all the time. A lot of stress comes from reacting to stuff. You have to keep a certain guard [up], if you’re a creative person. ” – Pete Cashmore (Founder Of Mashable)

“You have to have more leadership, less management. It’s about getting stuff done, you can sit around and analyze things forever but while you do that the competition has moved on.” – Peter Vesterbacka (Founder Of Rovio Games – ‘Angry Birds’)

“You don’t need anyone’s approval and in fact, you probably won’t get it, so don’t even try. Build, release and iterate. Make a list of the features you want to create over the next six months and get going! For small companies, once a week; for larger companies, maybe twice a month.” – Kevin Rose (Founder Of Digg.com & Podcaster)

Article By Joel Brown | Addicted2Success.com

“Tribes: We Need You To Lead Us” by Seth Godin

The 5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential

“

The 5 Levels Of Leadership is John Maxwell’s ultimate contribution to the topic. It’s clear, helpful, inspiring and guaranteed to give any reader the ability to fulfill what Napoleon defined as the role of the leader: ‘Define reality, then give hope.’”

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

This book is helpful to anyone who serves on a team and specifically helpful for team leaders. You will see yourself and your team in this book. More than that, you will find specific steps you can take to make your team better. Through a real life fable, Pat leads you through the steps you need to take to move a team from dysfunction to health. You will find a clear model as well as examples that are as relevant as your last meeting.

“The Rare Find: Spotting Exceptional Talent Before Everyone Else” by George Anders

With computers, Smart Phones, Internet & Social Media nowadays becoming the #1 daily activity for Teens and others alike it is easy to understand why a lot of wealthy young men & women are making their way up the financial ladder by creating platforms and software for these popular mediums that are used world-wide.

We would like to share with you this Infographic, created by H&RBlock featuring “The New Generation Of Tech Millionaires Under The Age Of 30″, this here is a cool little piece that shows us how young these guys where when they created their ideas and how much they are already worth at such a ripe and young age of “Under 30” in the business world.

(Infographic) Young Tech Millionaires Under The Age Of 30

These college dropouts are great examples of flunkers who can achieve success against the odds. They prove that if you work hard then you can be successful no matter what. Even if you are from a not so rich family, even if you decide to leave college, if you have enough drive and focus you can make your dreams come true.

Read on for the full list of the 13 Successful Billionaires Who Dropped Out Of College.

The 13 College Dropouts Who Made More Than A Billion Dollars

Bill Gates

$56 Billion

Education: Dropped out of Harvard.

Success: Co-Founder of Microsoft, Major Philanthropist.

Larry Ellison

$39.5 Billion

Education: Dropped out of University of Illinois Champagne-Urbana.

Success: Founder of Oracle, A Major Software Enterprise company.

Sheldon Adelson

$23.3 Billion

Education: Dropped out of City College Of New York.

Success: Sheldon Adelson is the Chairman & CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corp, the parent company of Venetian Macao Limited which operates the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino and the Sands Expo & Convention Center.

Michael Dell

$14.6 Billion

Education: Dropped out of University Of Texas, Austin.

Success: Founder of Dell Computers.

Paul Allen

$13.5 Billion

Education: Dropped out of Washington State University.

Success: Co-Founder of Microsoft, owner of Seattle Seahawks and Portland Trailblazers, Major Philanthropist.

Mark Zuckerberg

$13.5 Billion

Education: Dropped out of Harvard.

Success: Founder of Facebook. Youngest billionaire in history.

Francois Pinault

$8.7 Billion

Education: Dropped out Of Saint-Martin school, in Rennes.

Success: Owner of Converse Shoes, Samsonite Luggage. Majority shareholder of brands such as Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Puma.

Steve Jobs (R.I.P)

$8.3 Billion

Education: Dropped out of Reed College.

Success: Founder of Apple Inc & Pixar.

Jack C. Taylor

$7.4 Billion

Education: Dropped out of Washington University.

Success: Founder of Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

Micky Arison

$5.9 Billion

Education: Dropped out of University Of Miami.

Success: CEO of Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest cruise operator and owner of the NBA’s Miami Heat.

Ralph Lauren

$5.8 Billion

Education: Dropped out of Baruch College.

Success: Founder of Ralph Lauren Clothing.

David Geffen

$5.1 Billion

Education: Dropped out of University Of Texas, Austin.

Success: Record executive, founder of Asylum Records and one of the three founders of DreamWorks.

Ronald Wayne Burkle

$3.2 Billion

Education: Dropped out of California State Polytechnic.

Success: Supermarket magnate, Invested in Sean John (Diddy’s Clothing Line) & American Apparel.

The world’s most successful people have one thing in common: they think differently from everyone else.

This is how John C. Maxwell introduces his New York Times bestseller, How Successful People Think (he’s also written a ton of leadership books, which have sold around 19 million copies worldwide). So here we have 15 of the best points taken from the book: How Successful People Think: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life

Figure out where you need to focus your energy, and then use the 80/20 rule

Devote 80% of your energy to the most important 20% of your activities. Remember that you can’t be everywhere, know everyone, and do everything. And avoid multitasking: it can cost you 40% efficiency.

Thinking is a discipline. If you want to be better at it, you’ve got to work at it

Consider developing a thinking schedule like Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy, who sets aside a half day every two weeks, a whole day every month, and two or three full days every year.

Smart thinkers expose themselves to different ideas and types of people

They’re also selective about spending most of their time with people who challenge them.

It’s one thing to have an idea, another to follow through

“Ideas have a short shelf life. You must act on them before the expiration date.”

Thoughts need time to develop. Don’t just settle on the first thing that comes to mind

Remember the last time you had a brilliant idea at 2 a.m., but it sounded sort of ridiculous when you woke up the next morning? Thoughts need to be “shaped until they have substance” and need to stand the test of “clarity and questioning.”

Smart people collaborate with other smart people

Thinking with others yields higher returns. It’s like giving yourself a shortcut. That’s why brainstorming sessions are so effective.

Reject popular thinking (which often means not thinking at all)

Too many people act, hoping that others have thought things through first.To reject popular thinking you must be OK with feeling uncomfortable. Also remember that right now, there are a bunch of other people out there deciding to think for themselves — and they’re the ones who are successful.

The best thinkers plan ahead, while leaving room for some spontaneity

When you’re strategic, you reduce your margin of error. Simply having vague ideas of where you are and what you want to accomplish will get you no where.The keys to being strategic: 1. break the issue down, 2. ask why the problem needs to be solved, 3. identify the key issues, 4. review your resources, 5. put the right people in place.Henry Ford once said, “Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into smaller parts.”

To think differently, do different things

Try new routes to work, meet new people, read books you might even consider boring. The key is exposure to new ideas and ways of life.

To appreciate others’ ideas, you need to value other ideas

You can’t think you’re always right. Give other concepts a chance.

Have an agenda — for the day, and when you meet with people

Too many people only plan for the day. Smart thinkers take time to plan out their weeks, months, and long-term goals — and then they follow through.They also don’t walk into meetings, parties and coffee dates blind. They decide what they want to learn from people before walking through the door.

Reflective thinking gives you perspective and confidence in your decision-making skills

If you’re not reflecting, it’s holding you back more than you think.As Socrates said, “An unexamined life is not worth living.”

Get over negative self talk. Winners think in terms of “I will” and “I can”

Smart people don’t see limitations. They see possibilities.Former baseball star Sam Ewing once said that “nothing is so embarrassing as watching someone do something that you said could not be done.”

Creative people are dedicated to ideas

They embrace ambiguity, don’t fear failure, and hang out with other creative people.

Naturally optimistic people find it hard to be realistic thinkers

A realistic perspective allows you to get close enough to a problem in order to tackle it. Facing potential consequences also helps you be more efficient, and it gives you credibility.To become a more realistic thinker, you must: 1. appreciate the truth, 2. do your homework and get the facts, 3. think through the pros and cons, 4. consider the worst-case scenario, and 5. align your thinking with your resources.

At the end of the day, it’s important to remember we can all change the way we think

“Learning how to master the process of thinking well leads you to productive thinking. If you can develop the discipline of good thinking and turn it into a lifetime habit, then you will be successful and productive all of your life.”

Source Taken From The Book : How Successful People Think: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life

When you think of the word “Philanthropist“, people such as Bill & Melinda Gates, Warren Buffett & Oprah Winfrey may come to mind. These are just a few of the many super rich that have devoted their lives to changing the world for the better through the riches and Success they have made over their lives. Read on to see the list of the Top 25 Richest Millionaires & Billionaires giving away their money to make this world a better place.

Billionaires Giving Away Money

#25 Lee and Jane Seidman

Amount donated in 2010: $42  million

Net worth: Not available

Beneficiary: University Hospitals in  Cleveland

Background: Seidman is the retired founder and president of  the Motorcars Group, a Cleveland-based conglomerate of car dealerships. He  pledged in 2010 to  give away 90% of his wealth before the end of the  year.

 

#24 Larry Ellison

Amount donated in 2010: $45.1  million

Net worth: $39.5 billion (via Forbes)

Beneficiary: Ellison Medical  Foundation

Background: Ellison, the founder of Oracle, started his  foundation in 1997 for biomedical research.

 

#23 Bennett S. LeBow

Amount donated in 2010: $49  million

Net worth: Not available

Beneficiary: Drexel  University

Background: LeBow is the chairman and CEO of Borders and  chairman of the Vector Group, a holding company for manufacturers of cigarettes.  He’s a graduate of Drexel and the university’s business school bears his  name.

 

#19 (tie) P. Roy and Diana Vagelos

Amount donated in 2010: $50  million

Net worth: $535 million (via the National  Herald)

Beneficiary: Columbia University Medical  Center

Background: Dr. Vagelos is the former CEO and chairman of  pharmaceutical giant Merck. He’s an alumnus of the medical school associated  with the hospital.

 

#19 (tie) Paul Ichiro Terasaki

Amount  donated in 2010: $50 million

Net worth: Not available

Beneficiary: University of California at  Los Angeles

Background: Dr. Terasaki is a pioneer  in the field of organ transplant medicine. In 1946 he developed the test  that became the international standard method for tissue typing. He conducted  his research in the university’s  laboratories.

 

#19 (tie) Ming Hsieh

Amount donated in  2010: $50 million

Net worth: $1.6 billion (via Forbes)

Beneficiary: University of Southern  California

Background: Hsieh founded AMAX Information Technologies, a  computer server and storage systems maker, and Cogent, which develops automated  fingerprint-identification systems. He’s a graduate  of the school, as well as a trustee.

 

#19 (tie) Ned Evans

Amount  donated in 2010: $50 million

Net worth: $6.5 billion (via Boston  Magazine)

Beneficiary: Yale  University

Background: Evans, who passed away last year, was a private  investor and the chairman of publishing company Macmillan from 1979 to 1989. He  was also a well-known horse breeder, as well as an alumnus of  Yale.

 

#18 Charles E. Kaufman

Amount donated in 2010: $53.3 million (estimated bequest)

Net worth: Not available

Beneficiaries: The Pittsburgh Foundation and other  charities

Background: Kaufman, who passed away last year, was an  investor and the former director of purchasing at pharmaceutical company Merck.  His gift will support research in biology, chemistry, and  physics

 

#17 Bill and Karen Ackman

Amount  donated in 2010: $59.3 million

Net worth: $700 million (via Forbes)

Beneficiary: Pershing Square  Foundation

Background: Ackman is the founder of New York-based hedge  fund Pershing Square Capital Management. Along with his wife, he created  the Pershing Square Foundation in 2006 to support education, human rights,  social entrepreneurship, and other causes.

 

#16 Pierre and Pam Omidyar

Amount  donated in 2010: $61.5 million

Net worth: $6.2 billion (via Forbes)

Beneficiaries: HopeLab, Humanity United, Omidyar Network,  and the Ulupono Initiative

Background: Omidyar is the founder of eBay. His wife is the  chairwoman of HopeLab, a  nonprofit that develops technology to benefit chronically ill  children.

 

#15 Henry C. Jr. and Jane Woods

Amount donated in 2010:$67  million (bequest)

Net worth: Not available

Beneficiaries: Lawrenceville School and North Shore Country  Day School

Background: Woods is the heir to the Sahara Coal Company  fortune. The bulk of last year’s donation went to the Lawrenceville School, a  private school in New Jersey from  which he graduated and where he was a longtime teacher and chair of the  English department.

 

#14 David and Patricia Atkinson

Amount donated in 2010: $80  million

Net worth: Not available

Beneficiary: Cornell University

Background: Atkinson is a former partner of Miller, Anderson & Sherrerd, a money management firm. He now runs Atkinson & Company, a  private investment business he owns with his wife. Their gift went  towards a research center focusing on energy, sustainability and the  environment.

 

#13 Juanita Kious Waugh

Amount donated in 2010: $83.7 million  (estimated bequest)

Net worth: Not available

Beneficiaries: The Mayo Clinic, Saint  Joseph’s College in Indiana

Background: Waugh, who passed away last year, managed her  family’s farms and was the heir to part of their cattle, farming and banking  fortune. She and her parents had  been patients of the Mayo Clinic.

 

#12 Terrence and Kim Pegula

Amount donated in 2010: $88  million

Net worth: $3.1 billion (via Forbes)

Beneficiary: Pennsylvania State  University

Background: Pegula founded East Resources, an oil and gas  exploration and development company, which he sold to Royal Dutch Shell in 2010  for $4.7 billion. The donation from Pegula, an alumnus, will go towards the  university’s hockey program.

 

#10 (tie) Mark Zuckerberg

Amount donated in 2010: $100  million

Net worth: $17.5 billion (via Forbes)

Beneficiary: Startup:  Education

Background: Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, made a huge  donation to his own foundation, which will support programs that benefit the  school system in Newark, N.J. The sum will be paid out over five  years.

 

#10 (tie) Marc and Lynne Benioff

Amount donated in  2010: $100 million

Net worth: $1.9 billion (via Forbes)

Beneficiary: University of California at  San Francisco Children’s Hospital

Background: Benioff is the founder of Salesforce.com. His  daughter was born at the hospital, and he is a member of its  board.

 

#9 Meyer and Renee Luskin

Amount  donated in 2010: $100.5 million

Net worth: Not available

Beneficiary: University of California at  Los Angeles

Background: Luskin is the chairman of Scope Industries, a  major maker of animal feed. He is a graduate of UCLA and the  couple’s gift will go towards a variety of academic  programs.

 

#8 T. Boone Pickens

Amount  donated in 2010: $101 million

Net worth: $1.45 billion (via Forbes)

Beneficiaries: Oklahoma State University and other  charities

Background: The founder of oil company Mesa Petroleum and  energy investment firm BP Capital, Pickens is a graduate of OSU. His donation  will endow need-based scholarships for  students.

 

#7 Frances Lasker Brody

Amount  donated in 2010: $110 million (estimated bequest)

Net worth: Not available

Beneficiary:The Huntington Library, Art  Collections, and Botanical Gardens

Background: Brody, who passed away in 2009, was the heir to  both the fortune of her father, an advertising pioneer, and her husband Sidney  Brody, a real estate magnate. She was a member of the library’s board of  overseers, and her donation was largely funded by the sale of her vast art  collection.

 

#6 Leonard Blavatnik

Amount  donated in 2010: $117.2 million

Net worth: $9.5 billion (via Forbes)

Beneficiary: University of  Oxford

Background: Blavatnik is the founder of Access Industries, a  major holding company. He did not attend Oxford, but decided  the university was the right choice after learning that it wanted to create  a school dedicated to “improving government and public-policy practices  globally.”

 

#5 Edythe and Eli Broad

Amount  donated in 2010: $118.3 million

Net worth: $6.3 billion (via Forbes)

Beneficiary: Broad  Foundations

Background: Broad is the founder and chairman of homebuilder  KB Home Corporation and financial services company SunAmerica. The couple’s  foundation supports civic programs, contemporary art museums, education, and  medical and scientific research. Broad  is also funding a new art museum in Los  Angeles.

 

#4 Irwin and Joan Jacobs

Amount donated in 2010:  $119.5 million

Net worth: $1.15 billion (via Forbes)

Beneficiaries: University of California at San Diego Health  System, Joan and Irwin Jacobs Fund at the Jewish Community Foundation of San  Diego

Background: Jacobs is a co-founder of Qualcomm, the wireless  communications company. The bulk of their donation went to the UCSD health  system, which is building  a new medical center to be named after the  couple.

 

#3 T. Denny Sanford

Amount donated in 2010: $162.5  million

Net worth: $600 million (via The  Daily)

Beneficiaries: Sanford Health Foundation, Sanford-Burnham  Medical Research Institute and the Florida Hospital for  Children

Background: The noted philanthropist is chairman of United  National Corporation, a banking business in South Dakota. His most  recent gift to his foundation will establish a national institute for  research and treatment of breast cancer.

 

#2 Michael R. Bloomberg

Amount  donated in 2010: $279.2 million

Net worth: $19.5 billion (via Forbes)

Beneficiaries: Arts, human services, public affairs, and  other groups

Background: The founder of Bloomberg LP and Mayor of New  York city gave to 970 different nonprofit groups in 2010. Since 2004, the first  year the Philanthropy list was published,  he has given away well over $100 million  annually.

 

#1 George Soros

Amount donated in 2010: $332  million

Net worth: $22 billion (via Forbes)

Beneficiary: Open Society  Foundations

Background: Soros is a financier and the chair of Soros Fund  Management, which manages hedge funds. He’s also the founder of Open Society  Foundations, which supports human rights organizations and democratic  institutions.

Source: Chronicle of Philanthropy

We managed to come across Current Magazines 2004 Interview with Mark Zuckerberg, before the worldwide Success of Face Book. “The creator of thefacebook.com — now at almost 300 schools and attracting one million users — is currently on leave from Harvard,” the interview starts.

Zuckerberg was asked about his morning routine, whether or not Facebook helped him attract women, and if he preferred beer or mixed-drinks.

15 Rare Facts About Facebook’s ‘Mark Zuckerberg’ Before He Made His Billions

Every morning, 19-year-old Zuckerberg woke up at..

Various times depending on his meeting schedule.
More often than not, he pulled all-nighters and would stay awake for days at a time.
“I keep programmer time sometimes…programmers tend to stay up really late and work when everyone else is asleep. So it’s not really uncommon for me to stay up until 6 or 8 in the morning,” Zuckerberg told Current.
“But the business world does not operate between 5 pm and 8 am, so that requires some waking up for.”

For breakfast, Zuckerberg would eat…

Nothing. Teenage Zuckerberg said he usually didn’t eat breakfast.

“The only time I eat breakfast is when I have meetings that early in the morning.  Usually it’s a late lunch and then a late dinner and then a second dinner at Jack in the Box.”

In high school, Zuckerberg played two sports. They were…

Tennis and crew.

“Preppy sports,” he said.

And, of course, he programmed.

Zuckerberg thought middle school gym class was…

“Sweet!”

Zuckerberg said he played three varsity sports at his public middle school.

“I actually used to be athletic.”

When going out with friends, young Zuckerberg preferred to party at..

College parties over bars.

“I live right next to Stanford, so I go to parties there,” he said.

If the underage Mark Zuckerberg could have had beer or a mixed drink, he’d have picked…

Beer (but he claimed he didn’t drink).

He also said his friends made fun of him for not having a fake ID. “[They’d be] like, ‘You can make websites but you can’t make a fake ID?’”

Zuckerberg’s favorite gadget was…

A Sony VAIO mini computer.

“We named it Tinkerbell,” said Zuckerberg.

If Mark Zuckerberg could have had dinner with anyone, dead or alive, it would have been…

Achilles.

Young Zuckerberg said he’d reach across the table and quote the movie Troy, “Now you know who you are fighting.”

Zuckerberg started “Thefacebook” because Harvard was..

A “fairly unfriendly place.”

To make up for it, Zuckerberg said he “wanted one online directory where all students could be listed.”

When asked if Facebook helped him get women, Zuckerberg replied..

“It helps my friends pick up girls.”

He says Facebook did improve his social life. It helped him throw an impromptu party with UCLA students he didn’t know.

Zuckerberg launched Facebook at Ivy League schools first because..

It’s where Harvard students’ friends were most likely to overlap.  Zuckerberg claimed it wasn’t to be elitist.

“We had a launch plan to enter into other colleges based on where friends would be most likely to overlap, so the site spread organically based on that model and now we operate on a broad spectrum of campuses,” he said.

While on leave from Harvard, Zuckerberg rented a house near Stanford. To pay for it, Zuckerberg..

Used minimal banner ads on Facebook to cover the cost of staff, running the site, and the summer home.

“We hate banner ads…lately we’ve been putting thought into other advertising systems that would be less offensive.  Right now we put up what we need…it’s not that cheap — we have to make $40,000 a month or something, but it works.”

Zuckerberg was surprised that Facebook users..

Didn’t complain much about being stalked.

“It’s surprising, but we have actually received far less complaints about stalking than we otherwise would have expected,” says Zuckerberg.

Zuckerberg didn’t like that Facebook made people..

Antisocial.

“It’s not unusual for us to receive an email from somebody saying, “I spend all of my time on your website and now I have less of a social life,’” said Zuckerberg.

“We would much rather have people meet people through the website than stay at home on a Friday night reading other people’s profiles.”

Young Zuckerberg thought Facebook was successful because…

It made an online community on top of a physical community. No social network had done that before.

“We don’t view the site as an online community — we built it as a directory that is reinforcing a physical community,” he said.  “What exists on the site is a mirror image of what exists in real life.”

As a hard working entrepreneur you need some inspiring quotes that will make you work better and focus on your success. In this post we have some amazing quotes from the best entrepreneurs in the  industry!

Startupquote.com is an amazing niche website dedicated only to startup quotes. We have here, some of the most inspiring sayings on the website and decided to share them with you. We hope you enjoy this collection. I hope they Inspired you as much as they Inspired me!

50 StartUp Quotes From The Best To Help You To Run A Successful Company

We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes – understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success. – Arianna Huffington

The basics of managing a career are fairly boring. The rules, the ways, the routines and so on. Well here are a handful of Successful Rule Breakers who proved to us all that sticking by your own beliefs and not following the rest of the pack can actually work out for the best, not to mention put a couple millys or billys in your pockets during the process.

My word of advice:  Don’t wait for anyone to give you the green light.  Do what you want! Break the rules! Here are our Top 5 Rule Breakers who broke the norm to reach #1.

The Top 5 Successful Men Who Broke The Rules

Mark Zuckerberg

As a co-founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg created one of the most popular services on the internet. As its current CEO and president, his creative control seeks to keep the company on top for years to come.

Rule Broken: It’s all about the bottom line
Given Facebook’s incredible growth and popularity, many have questioned whether the company could be earning more. In a May interview with Wired magazine, he admitted: “Yeah. I guess we could. There are really simple things we could do. For one thing, we keep advertising pretty sparse. If you look at how much of our page is taken up with ads compared to the average search query. The average for us is a little less than 10% of the pages and the average for search is about 20% taken up with ads… that’s the simplest thing we could do. But we aren’t like that. We make enough money. Right, I mean, we are keeping things running; we are growing at the rate we want to.”

In addition, Facebook has passed on purchase offers and even investments of capital, denying itself higher profits and focusing instead on market growth.

Elon Musk

Elon Musk is the South African entrepreneur who found X.com, later changing its name to PayPal. Through the continued growth of the site, Elon remained the company’s largest shareholder, until the site’s sale to eBay left him a very wealthy man.

Rule Broken: Stick to what you know
Having navigated a financial website from launch to a substantial buyout, many would assume Musk’s next venture to be related to finance, or at the very least web-based. Instead, Musk currently serves as CEO of two ventures, neither remotely related to his previous field. SpaceX is a company developing vehicles for space transport (rockets and spacecraft meant to move spaceflight forward). His other company is likely one you’ve heard of — Tesla Motors, the company bringing drool-worthy, highway-rated electric cars to market. While both ventures are still establishing themselves, Musk’s companies are poised at the cutting edge of future technology. This position gives him the “make-or-break” chance at changing the world he wouldn’t have gotten by trying to copy his former success.

Dana White

As the current president of the UFC, Dana White has overseen the UFC’s return to popularity and taken it to the next level. White’s management has taken the UFC to pay-per-view, sold-out events and a reality TV show. The former promoter is now the face and voice of the UFC.

Rule Broken: Know when to walk away
By the end of the ‘90s, the UFC was struggling. Public perception of the sport was low, and no-holds-barred fighting had been banned in 36 states. With the UFC struggling, its owners were looking to sell. White used his promotional know-how to craft a plan for the UFC. He contacted a wealthy childhood friend who purchased the UFC and installed White as president. Under his leadership, the “dying” sport has seen a resurgence in popularity many major-league teams can only dream of.

Steve Jobs

As the co-founder and CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs has been a mover and shaker in the tech industry for decades. After resigning from Apple in the ‘80s, Jobs continued to work in the tech field, until his return to Apple in 1996 spurred the company’s meteoric rise to fame with the iOS line of devices.

Rule Broken: Play with the big boys
Throughout his career, Jobs has passed up opportunities to get in bed with larger companies when it didn’t serve his vision. A prominent example was his refusal to make the Mac OS compatible with non-Apple PCs. In his role at Pixar, Jobs was also willing to let the company’s profitable relationship with Disney come to an end when Disney would not agree to his terms. Finally, when he returned to Apple in 1996, the company was far from the titan it is today. With struggling profits and market share, Apple was hardly the most attractive position Jobs could get. All of Apple’s woes, however, were secondary to the vision he had for the company.

Ferran Adria

The chef at elBulli, Ferran Adria is listed among the best chefs in the world, often holding the No.1 spot on those lists. His restaurant, elBulli, has been named Restaurant magazine’s No.1 restaurant in the world a record five times (2002 and 2006 to 2009), finishing a more-than-respectable second place in 2010.

Rule Broken: Focus on your core business
With that kind of publicity and acclaim, many would expect Adria to be obsessively committed to his work in the kitchen. In fact, elBulli is only open for a limited time each year, typically about six months. The other half of the year is devoted to Adria’s growth as a chef and exploration of new ideas. Reservations for his restaurant are booked on a single day, and the restaurant turns away literally millions of customers each year. In spite of this, the restaurant has operated at a loss for over a decade, relying on sales of books, products and Adria’s income as a presenter. As both the best restaurant and hardest reservation in the world, then, it was no small surprise when Adria announced earlier this year that elBulli would be closing for two years, and that the current format is “finished.” He claims not to have a plan for what’s next, simply telling journalists: “Our challenge is just to find out if there’s anything beyond what we’ve already done.”

By: Nate Steere

More than 40 Billionaires in America have pledged to donate more than half of their Billions for Organizations in research, supplies and education to better the world. Warren Buffett & Bill Gates/Melinda Gates founded the organisation and have pledged to donate for the good of the world.

Other Billionaires on the list that have offered to give a majority of their wealth to philanthropy include George Lucas, David Rockefeller, Mark Zuckerberg and more…

The videos in this post explain more about the pledge and its participants.

Billionaires Giving Away Their Money

Billionaires Giving Away Their Money Pt.2

Billionaires Giving Away Their Money Pt.3

Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg shows us that not all Billionaires need to live in Fancy Mansions and drive Prestige cars. We show you how the man himself lives and how modest you can be even if you are one of the youngest billionaire in the world.

Checkout Mark Zuckerberg’s House.

Mark Zuckerberg’s House

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly shelled out US$7 million for a 464 square metre Palo Alto mansion, just a 10-minute drive from Facebook’s new office space in Menlo Park.

Despite the hefty price tag, this is small change for Zuckerberg, whose fortune jumped 238 percent to US$13.5 billion in the past year with Facebook reportedly approaching US$4 billion in annual revenue. His new pad features privacy hedges, five bedrooms and five bathrooms and a banquet hall sized dining room, according to the US Real Estalker blog.

Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook, talks about Facebook’s three keys to success in innovating. One of the youngest Billionaires in the world, Mark Zuckerberg knows a thing or two about entrepreneurship and hardwork, read on for some invaluable advice from the man behind one of the worlds most visited social media websites, “Facebook“.

The Founder Of Facebook.com Mark Zuckerbergs Advice On Success