Unlucky!
These world changers only became almost famous
Three astronauts flew to the moon. Two went for a walk, one had to stay in the space shuttle and thus missed out on world fame. He’s not the only one.
There are people who lead a shadowy existence even though they actually belong on the sunny side. inventors robbed of their inventions; pioneering researchers who were taken advantage of and musicians who were fired on the verge of their big breakthrough. Real unlucky people. Or as the footballer Jürgen Wegmann once put it: “First we had no luck, and then we had bad luck too.”
Have you ever heard of Lizzie Magie? Or Jacob Davis? How about Ron Wayne? Wayne has also been called “the eternal loser”. The American missed the chance to achieve fame and make a big splash several times. He is the third founder of the tech company Apple. But because he was already knee-deep in debt, the risk of ruining another project was too great for him. He quickly got out again and sold his shares cheaply. Gone stupid.
Close to fame
A few years later he would have been a billionaire. Not his only mistake. He sold off Apple’s founding certificate in 1994 for $1,500. When it was auctioned almost 20 years later, it brought the new owner $1.6 million.
Wayne isn’t the only one whose work could have made him world famous but instead ended up forgotten. We present ten of them to you in the photo series.
Source: Stern
I’m Caroline, a journalist and author for 24 Hours Worlds. I specialize in health-related news and stories, bringing real-world impact to readers across the globe. With my experience in journalism and writing in both print and online formats, I strive to provide reliable information that resonates with audiences from all walks of life.
