Before achieving fame, J.K. Rowling faced numerous rejections from publishers for her manuscript of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. A dozen publishers turned her down before Bloomsbury took a chance on her work.
Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper job early in his career because his editor felt he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” He also faced financial failures with his early animation ventures.
In 1985, Steve Jobs was forced out of Apple, the company he co-founded, after a power struggle with the board and then-CEO John Sculley.
She went on to create The Oprah Winfrey Show, which became the highest-rated talk show in television history. Oprah has since become a billionaire and influential philanthropist.
Jordan went on to become one of the greatest basketball players in history, winning six NBA championships and earning five MVP awards.