GREAT FAILURES

BILL GATES founder and chairman of MICROSOFT has literally changed the workculture of the world in the 21st century by simplyfying the way computer is being used . He was the world's richest man for more than one decade . However , in the 1970's before starting out , he was a HARVARD UNIVERSITY drop out . The most ironic part is that , he started a software company (that was soon to become MICROSOFT) by purchasing the software technology from "SOMEONE" for only $US50 back then !

AKIO MORITA , founder of gaint electronic household products , SONY CORPORATION , first product was an electric rice cooker , only sold 100 cookers ( because it burned rice rather than cooking ) . Today SONY generates US$66 billion in revenue and ranked as the world's 6th largest electronic and electrical company .

JOHN GRISHAM'S first novel was rejected by sixteen agents and twelve publishing houses . He went on writing and writing until he became best known as a novelist and author for his works of modern legal drama . The media coined him as one of the best novel authors even alive in the 21st century .

ALBERT EINSTEIN was a theoretical physicist widely regarded as the most important scientist of the 20th century . He was awarded the 1921 NOBEL prize for physics for his explanation of the photoelectric effect in 1905 and for his services to theoretical physics . When Einstein was young , his parents thought he was mentally retarted . His grades in school were so poor that a teacher asked him to quit , saying , " EINSTEIN , YOU WILL NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING ! "

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN , a german composer of classic music , is widely regarded as one of history's supreme composers . His reputation has inspired and in many cases intimidated composers , musicians and audiences who were to come after him . Before the start of his career , Beethoven's music teacher once said of him " AS A COMPOSER HE IS HOPELESS " . And during his career , he lost his hearing .... yet he managed to produce great music ! A DEAF MAN COMPOSING MUSIC , IRONIC ISN'T IT ? !