The Wannabe

What’s wrong with corporate America? Seriously, what exactly is wrong with growing a corporate empire? Steve Jobs (founder of Apple) at one time made money selling phones out of the trunk of his car, Michael Dell (founder of Dell) started his company in his college dorm room with only $1000 start-up money, and Sam Walton (founder of Wal-Mart) become the patriarch of the world’s richest family by starting a simple five and dime store. Even Bill Gates, whose family, unlike those listed above, was wealthy, started his own business when he was 14 and earned $20,000 its first year, without the help of his father.

These aren’t just success stories; they’re stories of the American dream. A nobody, starting with nothing and building a business from nothing until they’ve become somebody. Why then do Americans put these companies down? If Sam Walton lived the American dream, turning a five and dime store into an $86 billion dollar superstore, why do people walk around saying that Wal-Mart is evil? If Bill Gates was smart enough to start Microsoft at just 19 years old, striking deals with IBM and other computer manufacturers at the time, why then do people associate him with greed and corruption?

It seems to me that this kind of negative publicity would become a deterrent for people pursuing fame and wealth. Why would someone want to found a multi-million/billion dollar company, knowing that it will result in attacks, both professional and personal? More importantly, why do Americans so passionately hate large companies, when many of those companies literally began from nothing? Just a thought…