25 Super Successful People Who Failed Miserably At First Before They Made It

Thomas A. Edison famously said “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” The 25 incredible stories below show how the most successful people in the world overcame many obstacles and rejections to get there.

From Marilyn Monroe who was told she wasn’t pretty enough to Bill Gates’ failed business ventures, these movie stars, business magnates and other bigwigs experienced failure before they found fame and fortune. If at first you don’t succeed, dust yourself off and try again.

Look through the list for some serious inspiration.

Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison

Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg

Stephen King

Stephen King

Stan Smith

Stan Smith

Soichiro Honda

Soichiro Honda

R.H Macy

R.H Macy

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey

Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe

Lucille Ball

Lucille Ball

John London

John London

Jerry Seinfeld

Jerry Seinfeld

Isaac Newton

Isaac Newton

Henry Ford

Henry Ford

Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford

Harland David Sanders

Harland David Sanders

Fred Astaire

Fred Astaire

Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley

Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin

Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin

Bill Gates

Bill Gates

Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein

Akio Morita, Founder of Sony

Akio Morita, Founder of Sony

Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill

Walt Disney

Walt Disney

Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh

The stories of these incredible people stress one of the most important lessons of all: Never ever give up. These folks remained focused on their goals, and achieved massive success eventually. Share these inspiring stories with others below.