The Pursuit of Happyness: How Chris Gardner Went From Being Homeless To Becoming A Multi Millionaire
Becoming a millionaire is an idea that’s so far-fetched; for some, it’s nearly impossible to achieve. However so many people still crave to make this dream come true, taking the one-in-a-million odds and turning it in their favor. One such man who’s managed to make this a reality is Chris Gardner, the author of the bestselling novel The Pursuit of Happyness, which was also an award-winning film starring Will Smith. But who is Chris Gardner anyway, and how did he catapult himself from a struggling homeless dad to a millionaire?
Chris Gardner was born February 9, 1954, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to parents Thomas Turner and Bettye Jean Gardner. Growing up, Chris did not have many positive role models. After separating from his mom, Chris’ dad moved to Louisiana. On the other hand, his stepfather was physically abusive to the whole family. Bettye Jean also ended up getting imprisoned because his stepdad falsely reported her for welfare fraud, which led to Chris and his sisters being placed into foster care. Because of this experience, Chris determined that alcohol abuse, domestic violence, child abuse, and illiteracy were all the things he wanted to avoid in the future.
Chris married Sherry Dyson but divorced her nine years later due to irreconcilable differences. He met Jackie Medina, with whom he had a son named Christopher Jarrett Gardner Jr. After a series of trial-and-error with some of the jobs he held, it appeared that things were finally looking up for Chris as he got accepted into a training program at E.F. Hutton. He quit a sales job to focus on training as a stockbroker; however, the hiring manager had been fired the week before he started the career, rendering him completely unemployed.
Chris struggled with Jackie after witnessing her attempt to run away with their son. To keep his son with him, Chris tried to pull him out, but his motion ended up swinging Jackie into a couple of bushes. Chris was apprehended, but after an identity check on his car, it was revealed that he owed the state $1,200 worth of parking tickets. Consequently, Chris was taken to jail. Jackie took their son to the other side of the country during this time. After getting out of prison, he gained an unpaid position in Dean Witter Reynold’s stock brokerage training program, where he would be selling medical equipment.
Chris worked to become the top trainee at his unpaid position, eventually passing a series of exams, becoming a full-fledged employee at the firm, and ultimately getting hired at the Bear Stearns & Company in San Francisco. He was also earning a small salary and living in a small apartment. During this time, Jackie returned and left their son with him. Chris willingly accepted sole custody of his child, but the apartment does not take in children, leaving the father and son homeless while Chris struggled to save up to rent a house. With no permanent living arrangements, Chris and his son slept in his office, in parks, airports, motels, and in a locked bathroom. Finally, concerned for the safety of his child, Chris asked a reverend to allow them to stay at a church, which is now known as the Cecil Williams Glide Community House. The reverend agreed, and pretty soon, Chris also found a home for him and his son.
Chris established his brokerage firm in 1987, calling Gardner Rich & Co., in Chicago, Illinois. He started it in his small apartment, with only a start-up capital of $10,000. His firm specialized in executing debt, equity, and derivative product transactions, and his clients were some of the nation’s most prominent institutions and unions. A natural at selling stock, he sold a minority stake in his company in a multi-million dollar deal back in 2006; he became the CEO and founder of Christopher Gardner International Holdings. Having lived a colorful life, Chris now spends his time doing philanthropic activities, even helping fund a $50 million project to help create low-income housing areas and opportunities for employment in San Francisco.
After realizing that his own story could become an inspiration for many, he published his autobiography, The Pursuit of Happyness, back on May 23, 2006. The unusual spelling of the word was because of a sign Chris once saw with his kid while he was struggling to make ends meet. The autobiography got picked up by movie executives, and it was decided that they would be making a movie based on his own experiences, also retaining the name of his book. Chris was also brought onboard to become an associate producer of the film, and it was finally released on December 15, 2006. This movie helped inspire many because of its universal issues, effectively memorializing Chris' story.
Sources: Bright Side, Self Made, BBC
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