There’s much analysis done on what traits caused people to become enormously successful at business, but there could be an aspect that most people seemingly overlook — three of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time were adopted.
Apple founder Steve Jobs, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and Oracle founder Larry Ellison were all adopted. In addition, Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy’s was adopted as well. Larry Ellison and Jeff Bezos are currently placed 2nd and 4th in the list of richest people in the world, which means that 2 of the top 4 richest people in the world right were adopted.
Steve Jobs
Apple founder Steve Jobs was born to Abdulfattah Jandali, a Syrian student who was pursuing a PhD in political science at the University of Wisconsin, and Joanne Schieble, an American Catholic of Swiss-German descent who was also a graduate student. The two had fallen in love, but faced opposition from Joanne’s parents. When she became pregnant, she opted for a closed adoption, in which there is little contact between the child and the birth parents.
The couple originally selected for the adoption backed out when they learned the baby was a boy. Paul and Clara Jobs, a working-class couple without college degrees, then adopted the baby and named him Steve. Joanne only agreed to sign the final adoption papers after the Jobs promised they would set aside money for his college tuition.
Throughout his life, Steve Jobs was adamant that Paul and Clara were his true parents. He would “bristle” at the suggestion that they were his “adoptive” parents. He once referred to his biological parents as “my sperm and egg bank”.
Jeff Bezos
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was born as Jeffrey Preston Jorgensen to Jacklyn Gise and Ted Jorgensen. His mother, Jacklyn, was a teenage mother still in high school when she had him, and his parents’ marriage was brief, ending when Jeff was only 17 months old. After the divorce, Ted Jorgensen, Jeff’s biological father, did not remain in his life, leaving Jacklyn to raise Jeff on her own despite the social challenges and stigma attached to being a young single mother in the 1960s. Jacklyn worked hard to provide for Jeff and was determined to give him the best possible future despite these hardships.
When Jeff was about four years old, his mother married Miguel “Mike” Bezos, a Cuban immigrant who had come to the United States with limited resources. Mike Bezos adopted Jeff, changing his last name from Jorgensen to Bezos and becoming the father figure in his life. Mike’s influence, support, and hard-working example helped create a stable and nurturing environment for Jeff, allowing him to develop his interests in science and technology. Jeff Bezos has credited Mike Bezos for much of his success, viewing him as his real father and mentor who supported his ambitions and upbringing. Meanwhile, Jeff had no contact with his biological father for decades, and Ted Jorgensen was unaware of Jeff’s success until much later in life.
Larry Ellison
Oracle founder Larry Ellison was born in New York City to Florence Spellman, a 19-year-old single Jewish mother. His biological father was an Italian-American United States Army Air Corps pilot. When Larry was about nine months old, he contracted pneumonia, which led his mother to make the difficult decision to give him up for adoption. He was adopted by his mother’s aunt and uncle, Lillian and Louis Ellison, who lived in Chicago, Illinois. This adoption provided Larry with a stable home, though they lived modestly in a two-bedroom apartment on Chicago’s South Side. Larry was raised knowing he was adopted, but he only discovered this fact explicitly when he was 12 years old. His adoptive mother, Lillian, was warm and loving, while his adoptive father, Louis, was often stern and distant, contributing to a complex family dynamic during his upbringing. The family had chosen the same Ellison in honour of Ellis Island, which was his father’s port of entry into the US.
Larry Ellison had no contact with his birth parents for most of his life, only meet his biological mother when he turned 48.
Dave Thomas
Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas was born Rex David Thomas Atlantic City, New Jersey. His biological father’s name was Sam and his biological mother’s name was Molly. He was adopted at about six weeks to six months of age by Rex and Auleva Thomas. His adoptive mother passed away when he was only five years old, and by the time he was ten, he had experienced the loss of two stepmothers, which brought early challenges to his family life. Despite these hardships, Dave was shaped by the love and support of his adoptive family, which inspired his lifelong commitment to family values and service. His early life experiences made him an ardent advocate for adoption, and he later founded the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption to help children in foster care find permanent homes.
Conclusion
While only a small percentage of children are adopted every year — some estimates say that 7% of US children are adopted, while others cite lower numbers — it is quite interesting that two of the four richest people in the world right now are adopted. This could be a statistical anomaly, or there could be more to it — it’s possible that being adopted gives children the urge to prove themselves and make something of their lives, and they end up doing well in business as a result.