3. Francis O’Dea

Astonishing Fact – He was homeless because of his drinking problem

The co-founder of Canada's largest specialty chain of coffee shops, Frank O'Dea was born in Montreal. This Canadian entrepreneur, humanitarian and author, in his early 20s used to live on the streets, approach strangers and beg for food or money. That was, until in 1975 he and his business partner Tom Culligan opened Second Cup chain of coffee stores. Today, second cup is the largest specialty coffee chain in Canada with 360 locations. He says “There is no Midas touch. I’ve had lots and lots of failures. Success happens by trial and error and devoting resources and time”, as told to Thechronicleherald.ca.

4. Suze Orman

Astonishing Fact – She lived in her Ford van for four months in 1973

Today she advices you the best on how to manage your finances and is known as a personal finance ‘guru’, but when she moved to Berkeley during the early days of her career, she faced rough days. Orman couldn’t afford to move out of her van for four months, she earned her living by working as a waitress before becoming a financial advisor.

She is said to have about $7 million worth of real estate and her net worth is approximately $25 million, as reported by msn.com. In 2010, Orman was named in the Forbes Magazine list of 100 most powerful women in the world. Orman is the winner of two Emmy awards and has written nine consecutive New York Times bestsellers.

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