9 Successful Entrepreneurs Who Got Help From Mom and Dad
Many successful entrepreneurs often credit their parents for helping them get started — not just emotionally, but financially as well. Whether through investments, early funding, or other forms of support, these businesspeople were able to launch their ventures with a leg up from mom and dad. While some of their achievements are impressive, their paths were perhaps made a tad (or a lot) smoother thanks to their family wealth and connections. Here are 9 entrepreneurs that had help in starting their businesses.
1. Mark Zuckerberg
The founder of Meta (formerly Facebook) owes much of his success to his parents. They supported his interest in computers from an early age and invested in his education, which helped him acquire the programming skills he needed to create the social media platform. While enrolled at Harvard, Zuckerberg famously launched Facebook in his college dorm, and reportedly received a $100,000 loan from his dad to grow the business.
2. Michael Dell
Michael Dell’s parents helped him start his computer accessory company by giving him a $1,000 loan while he was still a student at the University of Texas. Dell said he then used the money to upgrade and sell personal computers, which eventually led to the formation of Dell Technologies. Dell went on to drop out of college to fully focus on his business. Despite facing challenges and intense competition in the tech industry, Dell Technologies is worth an astonishing $40 billion today.
3. Donald Trump
Donald Trump, the former U.S. president and current Republican candidate, famously received a “small loan of a million dollars” from his father, Fred Trump, which he used to launch his real estate ventures in Manhattan. Beyond the initial loan, Fred also provided continued financial support and business connections that helped his son build a real estate empire in major cities. Fred, a prominent developer himself, played a key role in Donald’s early success by opening those doors.
4. Jeff Bezos
Before becoming the second richest man in America, Jeff Bezos struggled to get his business off the ground. But in 1995, his parents invested nearly $250,000 in Amazon when it was just an online bookstore — a contribution that helped the company survive its early stages. Without this influx of cash, Bezos would have struggled to keep the company afloat as it expanded into other products and services. Their faith in his vision paid off, as Amazon became incredibly successful.
5. Bill Gates
Although Bill Gates grew up in an “upper-middle-class” family, he still credits his parents for providing him with financial support and guidance as he pursued his early interest in computer coding. His father, a successful lawyer, and his mother, who served on the board of several major corporations, introduced him to key business connections that helped Microsoft’s early partnerships and success. Gates dropped out of Harvard in 1975 to focus fully on building Microsoft.
6. Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch inherited his first newspaper from his father, Sir Keith Murdoch, who was a successful publisher in Australia. This inheritance gave him a head start in the media industry, which he has since expanded into a global empire. Without this early family business, Murdoch may not have become one of the most powerful media moguls in the world today.
7. Paris Hilton
While mainly known for her socialite status, Paris Hilton turned her family’s wealth into a successful business empire. The Hilton family fortune, which was built through the hotel business, provided her with the platform and resources to launch her own fashion and fragrance lines. By leveraging her family’s wealth and brand recognition, Paris has been able to maintain her place amongst Hollywood’s elite for decades. She’s also branched out in other areas by acting and even DJ-ing.
8. Larry Page
Larry Page, co-founder of Google, came from a family of computer science professors, and his parents’ support helped him through his education and into the tech world. Their encouragement allowed Page to take risks and focus on building Google into the search engine giant it is today.
9. Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s father, Errol Musk, was a wealthy engineer and investor in South Africa. While Elon disputes that his father gave him money for his ventures, Errol reportedly gave Elon and his brother $28,000 in 1995 to kickstart Zip2, Elon’s first software company. The online directory and software company eventually sold for around $300 million. This early financial buffer allowed him to move forward with other more ambitious ventures like PayPal and Tesla.