A Billionaire At 88–Finger Licking Good! One cannot miss the sparkling image of Colonel Sanders, in his trademark white beard and infectious smile
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The man behind KFC has an inspiring story. As crazy as this may be, Colonel Sanders shuffled through the life of a farmer, streetcar conductor, soldier, railroad fireman, lawyer, insurance salesman, steamboat operator, secretary, lighting manufacturer, and even a hotel owner.
At the tender age of 5, his father died. At the age of 16 he quit school and lost jobs continuously. He
even joined the Army and washed out there. His family life was also in shambles, when his wife left him, taking away their baby. Later, in life he became a cook and continued doing odd jobs. At 65, he
retired and even tried committing suicide. Failure couldn't put him down. He borrowed $87 and fried
up some chicken using his recipe.
According to reports, he received his honorary Colonel title sometime in the 1930s or 1950s from
the Kentucky governor. The task was not over yet. He went door-to- door selling the recipe. At 88, an age when people retired, the entrepreneur in him rose and he formed the globally acclaimed, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC).
One cannot miss the sparkling image of Colonel Sanders, in his trademark white beard and infectious smile.
This article first appeared in the Indian edition of Entrepreneur magazine (August 2016 Issue).
