The man Will Smith portrayed in 'The Pursuit of Happyness' was real: Chris Gardner. This homeless father, who slept in subway bathrooms, parks, and church shelters with his young son, became a stockbroker on Wall Street within a year.
Born in Milwaukee in 1954. A difficult childhood marked by an abusive stepfather, an incarcerated mother, and foster families... A saying from his mother guided his life: 'You can only rely on yourself. The cavalry is not coming.' He served as a hospital corpsman in the Navy and later worked as a medical device salesman.
The red Ferrari and the life-changing question
In 1981, in a parking lot, he saw a well-dressed man stepping out of a red Ferrari. Driven by curiosity, he asked two questions: 'What do you do and how do you do it?' The man was a stockbroker. At that moment, Gardner's path was set. Without even a college degree, he became one of 20 people selected for Dean Witter Reynolds' internship program.
But at that very moment, his life was turned upside down: he spent 10 days in jail for unpaid parking tickets, his wife left, and he was left penniless and homeless. As an unpaid intern, he and his young son spent nights in shelters and subway station bathrooms. Yet every day, he came to work in his suit, never letting anyone know his situation.
Turning Points
• Born in Milwaukee in 1954, into a difficult childhood.
• Served as a hospital corpsman in the Navy.
• Met a stockbroker with a red Ferrari in 1981 and changed his direction.
• Selected for the Dean Witter internship program without a diploma.
• Struggled with homelessness for a year together with his son.
• Founded his own company, Gardner Rich, with $10,000 in 1987.
Head of his own company
His perseverance paid off: he became one of the highest-earning brokers. In 1987, with $10,000 in capital, he founded his own brokerage firm, Gardner Rich & Co. In 2006, he sold his minority stake in the company for millions of dollars; the same year, he turned his memoirs into a book and his story was brought to the big screen. His fortune today is approximately $70 million.
"If you have a dream, don't let it go. People will tell you that you can't do it because they couldn't. Go get it!"
After becoming wealthy, Gardner never forgot the Glide Memorial Church, which opened its doors to him and his son; he donated millions of dollars to low-income housing projects and continues to travel the world sharing his story.
