The well-worn rags-to-riches narrative beloved in Silicon Valley may need a reboot, suggests finance expert Devina Mehra. According to Mehra, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and Elon Musk didn’t exactly rise from the ashes of obscurity—and their garages weren’t quite as ordinary as we’ve been led to believe.
Mehra points out that these tech giants started with considerable advantages, debunking the idea that they bootstrapped their way from nothing. For instance:
Bill Gates attended a prestigious prep school where he first encountered computers—not a story that involves penny pinching for coding lessons.
Jeff Bezos, before launching Amazon from his garage (complete with Amazon’s first logo on the wall), had backing from family; his parents famously invested nearly $250,000 to help get the company off the ground.
Elon Musk, hailed as everyone’s favorite Mars-bound entrepreneur, began his ventures with the aid of an emerald mine and a substantial safety net.
While these tales don’t subtract from the immense success of today’s tech megastars, Mehra’s remarks introduce a reality check: building a billion-dollar business often begins with a little help—and sometimes a lot of it.
As inspiring as the started from the bottom folklore may be, it turns out that the true startup kit might include more than just big ideas and midnight hustle. In some cases, it also comes with a generous family support and a head start in the opportunity race.
So, get up and rise from your fairytale world. The next time you hear about a billionaire who started with nothing but a garage and a dream, remember: some garages are bigger (and better funded) than others.
