Feeling bummed that you aren’t where you should be in life? Well, stop your whining. Rejection is never fun but as the cliché goes, revenge is sweet. Take a look at these rejection notices and take comfort. One is so infamous, that it that it has become a t-shirt. Perfect in green – the color of envy and money.
Madonna – When Madge finally signed with Sire Records in 1982, her debut album sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. She used this early rejection as motivation, as this respected producer didn’t believe she was “ready yet.” She’s now the best selling female artist of ALL TIME and last year alone she made a cool $125 mill.
Andy Warhol – In 1956, Warhol gave one of his pieces to the Museum of Modern Art – for free – but was quickly rejected. Today, he is regularly the top selling artist at auction every year (often tied with Picasso.) In November of 2013, his “Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster)” alone sold for a record $105 million. On top of having his own single-artist museum, MoMA now has 168 of his paintings in their permanent collection.
U2 -When U2 debuted in 1979, RSO Records was not impressed. Within months, the band signed with Island Records and released their first single, “11 O’Clock Tick Tock.” As you well know, they have gone on to sell over 150 million records, win 22 Grammy Awards (the most of any band, EVER), and they have the highest grossing tour of all-time raking in $736 million.
And what about these losers…
Walt Disney – Fired from the Kansas City Star in 1919 because he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.”
JK Rowling - Rejected by dozens, including HarperCollins, when a small publisher in London took a chance on Harry Potter. She is now richer than Queen Elizabeth.
Oprah Winfey – Fired as an evening news reporter of Baltimore’s WJZ-TV because she couldn’t separate her emotions from her stories. Her net worth is estimated at nearly $3 billion.
Jerry Seinfeld – Didn’t find out he was cut from a minor role on a sitcom until he read the script and discovered his part missing. He is worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $800 million. Nice neighborhood.
Elvis Presley – After a performance in Nashville early in his career, he was told by a manager that he was better off driving trucks in Memphis (his previous job). Nearly 40 years after his death, he earns $50 million plus a year.
Steve Jobs – Fired from the company he started, Apple, but was desperately brought back in 1997 to save it. Apple is now THE most valuable company in the world.
Stephen King – His first book, Carrie, was rejected thirty times. He nearly threw the book out when his wife saved it from the trash and encouraged him to keep trying. He is now one of the most successful authors in the world and has published 49 novels which have sold more than 350 million copies.
Marilyn Monroe – At the start of her storied modeling and acting career, she was told she should consider becoming a secretary. She is regularly listed as THE most famous woman that ever lived.