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“You’re in Brilliant Company"
“You’re in Brilliant Company”
Famous People Learning Disabilities and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
with perseverance, they made it.... so can you
If you or someone you love has Learning Disabilities and/or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD), you are in good company! Some of the most creative, innovative, and imaginative people have ADHD.
Did you know that many successful and famous people grew up with learning disabilities (LD) and/or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD)?
Inspirational Stories:
The founder of IKEA and the richest man in the world, Ingvar Kaprad, credits his dyslexia for coming up with the name “IKEA”. Ingvar has admitted his dyslexia played a large part in the inner workings of the company. For example, the acronym IKEA is made up of the initials of his name plus those of Elmtaryd, which is the family farm where he was born, and the nearby village of Agunnaryd, which is in the province of Smalandia. The Swedish sounding names of the furniture found at IKEA originally served as names chosen by Kamprad because he had difficulty remembering stock keeping units.
John Curley, host of King 5’s Evening Magazine, uses creativity to accommodate for his dyslexia. John does not read cue cards on his show. Before each show his assistant reads his “lines” to him. During the show, he recalls his lines from memory and improvises the rest.
Dr. Fred Epstein - Besides becoming a world famous pioneer in brain stem and spinal cord surgery, he's also a pioneer in helping to make hospitals less frightening, "healing environments" for children and their families.
Paul Orfalea’s (founder of Kinko’s) principal told his mother to enroll him in trade school and suggested he become a carpet layer. While in business school at the University of Southern California, Orfalia worked out a symbiotic relationship with his classmates. They did the writing, he did the photocopying (and got the germ of the idea that lead to Kinko’s).
Stephan Jenkins is a former University of California at Berkeley valedictorian and the singer-songwriter for Third Eye Blind, a rock group with two platinum albums to its credit.
Athletes
Billy Blanks,
world class martial artist and television and movie actor, has created a foundation to promote self-sufficiency among high-risk women and children.
Terry Bradshaw, former NFL quarterback, now host of Fox's NFL pre-game show, wrote a book in which he
Nate Davis, quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, has dyslexia.
Scott Eyre, pitcher for the San Francisco Giants and now the Philadelphia Phillies, was
Cammi Granato is a two-time
Olympian in ice hockey and a U.S. National Women's Team member since 1990.
Bruce Jenner,
1976 gold medalist in the Olympic decathlon, is described as the "World's Greatest Athlete."
Tim "Lumpy" Herron is a pro golfer who
runs a program to teach youth about ethical leadership in a fun, engaging way.
Chris Kaman is the
Hank Kuehne, PGA star, used golf as an escape from
Mike Lorenz is a
Greg Louganis received an
Olympic gold medal in diving in the 1984 and 1988 games and advocates for AIDS awareness.
John E. Morgan, PGA champion, was bullied as a kid because of
Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps made history by breaking records and winning 8 gold medals. He also inspired thousands by speaking candidly about having AD/HD. His mother has also been very public about
Jim Shea, Jr. earned a gold medal competing in the skeleton (a small sled) event at the 2002 Winter Olympics, making him
Former Olympic fencer Molly Sullivan Sliney has made it her mission to speak to students and encourage them to believe in themselves and follow their dreams. She rose above
her own struggle with dyslexia to become a world-class athlete.
Neil Smith,
NFL professional football player, is defensive end for the San Diego Chargers.
Jackie Stewart is a
race car driving champion who has been inducted into the Grand Prix Hall of Fame.
Business Leaders
Richard Branson is an
enormously successful entrepreneur and founder of 150 enterprises that carry the Virgin name, such as Virgin Airlines.
John T. Chambers,
CEO of Cisco Systems, has revolutionized the technology industry and is recognized as one of the most fascinating business leaders of our times.
Barbara Corcoran,
founder of one of New York City's largest residential real estate agencies, wrote the book, Use What You've Got & Other Business Lessons I Learned From My Mom.
Ingvar Kamprad, Swedish founder and chairman of IKEA stores, claims he adapted the inner workings of his business to
David Neeleman founder and CEO of Jet Blue Airways,
Paul Orfalea is the
founder and chairperson of Kinko's, an international, billion-dollar copy service company.
Charles Schwab is the founder, chairperson, and CEO of the Charles Schwab Corporation, the largest brokerage firm in the U.S. He
Diane Swonk is
Senior Managing Director and Chief Economist for Chicago based Mesirow Financial, one of the nation's largest banks.
James Levoy Sorenson is a
Utah entrepreneur who brings his talents to a wide range of ventures.
Donald Winkler,
business author and former CEO of Ford Financial, has inspired businesses to overcome obstacles to success. He actively supports individuals with LD.
Community Advocates & Activists
Erin Brockovich,
inspiration for the movie of the same name, now runs her own environmental consulting firm and is a popular public speaker.
Dexter Scott King,
son of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is President and CEO of The King Center in Atlanta, GA. His memoir, Growing Up King, was published in 2003.
Valli Kugler, Miss Tennessee 2002, who set up a summer camp for children with learning disabilities (LD) when she was a student at the University of Tennessee,
Kelly McCorkle, legislative correspondent for Representative Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), is a former Miss South Carolina who
Entertainers & Celebrities
Princess Beatrice of England,
daughter of Prince Andrew and fifth in line to the throne, speaks out about dyslexia.
Daniel Bedingfield,
British pop star/composer, recorded his first hit record in his bedroom.
·Singer Tony Bennett, best known for his hits Rags to Riches, Fly Me to the Moon, and I Left My Heart in San Francisco is a 2005 Kennedy Center honoree and the
Orlando Bloom, the
popular English actor, played Legolas, the elf warrior in the film, Lord of the Rings.
Cher, an Academy Award-winning actress, is also well-known for her pop music and 1970s hit TV variety show. (Source: Barbara Walters Special excerpted in Everybody Has a Song, 2001.)
Patrick Dempsey's
25-year acting career includes leads in the films Sweet HomeAlabama and Scream 3. He currently stars in the television medical drama Grey's Anatomy.
Danny Glover, acclaimed actor of theatre and film, has used his celebrity status to advance many community programs and worthy causes, such as AIDS awareness in South Africa and the advancement of minority youth. (Source: On a Roll — Talk Radio about Life and Disability, October 29, 1999)
Whoopi Goldberg is an
actress and comedian who has used her stardom to raise money to eliminate homelessness.
Brian Grazer, successful producer of movies such as A Beautiful Mind and Apollo 13 recalls his personal struggle with dyslexia. (Source: Christian Science Monitor, January 4, 2002.)
Actor Woody Harrelson rose to fame as Woody on TV's hit series, Cheers. His movie career includes many starring roles and an Academy Award nomination.
Salma Hayek is a
Mexican-born actress who co-produced and starred in the film Frida, about artist Frida Kahlo.
English film actress Keira Knightley, starred in Bend It Like Beckham and Pirates of the Caribbean, and played the role of Guinevere in the film< em>King Arthur.
Jay Leno is a popular comedian and
Brad Little,
star of the Cincinnati production of Phantom of the Opera, also works to preserve African wildlife.
Jamie Oliver,
Britain's "Naked Chef", whose programs appears on the Food Network, is known for his lively personality and easy-to-prepare recipes.
Edward James Olmos is a
celebrated actor, entrepreneur, and activist who supports and advocates for Latino culture in the U.S.
Joe Pantoliano,
television actor in The Sopranos, survived life on the streets as a kid.
Celebrity designer Ty Pennington was
diagnosed with AD/HD as a teenager and now talks openly and publicly about his experience managing the disorder. He wants to "help other kids and families understand that there are people out there ready to help them and that it's possible to live a productive life with ADHD."
Suzanne Somers is an
actress and Las Vegas entertainer who has also become a successful entrepreneur.
British singer Joss Stone
Vince Vaughn is a
movie actor who was featured in The Break-Up, Wedding Crashers, and Thumbsucker.
Lindsay Wagner, most famous for her title role on the hit 1970s TV series Bionic Woman, has dedicated much of her time to
Henry Winkler,
also known as "The Fonz" from the hit TV series Happy Days, is a producer, author, Yale graduate, and children's advocate.
Legal & Political Figures
David Boies, a runner-up in 2000 for Time Magazine's Man of the Year, is a
prestigious lawyer involved in high-profile cases.
James Carville, is
one of America's most famous political consultants. According to E. Clarke Ross, CEO of Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), "Mr. Carville is perhaps one of the best-known people in Washington, and he lives with AD/HD." Carville is also an author, restaurateur, and co-host of radio and television shows. Today he concentrates on international political and corporate consulting.
Gavin Newsom is the youngest
mayor of San Francisco in 100 Years.
Nelson Rockefeller served as governor of New York for 12 years and as
Vice President of the United States under Gerald Ford.
Peter Wright is an
attorney and advocate who represents children with special educational needs.
Medical Professionals
Harvey Cushing, M.D. (1869-1939) a
world renowned neurosurgeon, had dyslexia.
Helen Taussig, M.D. (1898-1986) This successful cardiologist
struggled with dyslexia, which made school difficult for her. Even so, she graduated from Johns Hopkins Medical School.
Delos Cosgrove, M.D. is a
cardiothoracic surgeon, inventor of several medical devices, and CEO of the Cleveland Clinic. He says, "I didn't know I was dyslexic until I was 33 years old. I went all the way through medical school without knowing it."
Musicians
Harry Belafonte is a famous
African American singer, actor, entertainer and political activist who, even into his seventies, uses his position as a celebrity to promote human rights worldwide.
Jon Finn is
active in the music business as a musician, songwriter, and engineer/producer.
Stephan Jenkins, is a former University of California at Berkeley valedictorian and the
singer-songwriter for Third Eye Blind, a rock group with two platinum albums to its credit.
Jewel is a young
pop-music sensation who recently wrote an autobiography of her life growing up in Alaska.
Phillip Manuel, one of the country's leading jazz vocalists, was
diagnosed with AD/HD in 2000 and says only then did his life journey begin to make sense to him.
Bob Weir,
guitarist and vocalist, formerly with The Grateful Dead, is now bandleader of RatDog.
Scientists, Engineers & Technology Experts
Engineer and inventor William "Bill" Hewlett (1913-2001) co-founded with David Packard the Hewlett-Packard Company in 1939, which became the second-largest computer company in the world.
Dr. John (Jack) Horner is a
famous paleontologist, or dinosaur expert, who advised Steven Spielberg on films such as JurassicPark and The Lost World.
Don Johnston, CEO of Don Johnston, Inc. His mission is to
support diverse learners with proven instructional models, effective literacy strategies, and innovative technologies to help them reach grade-level performance.
John Roberts,
CEO and co-founder of SugarCRM, is seen as a pioneer in commercial open-source software applications that businesses use for tasks such as managing sales and keeping track of customers.
Richard Rogers,
one of Britain's most-admired architects, is known for his many stunning buildings and his pioneering views on sustainable cities.
Bill Wilson,
fire investigator with a "seventh sense," has a reputation for solving the unsolvable in car crash mysteries.
Writers & Media Professionals
Avi, is the
award-winning author of more than 50 books for children and young adults.
Robert Benton, a three-time
Academy Award-winning screenwriter and director who is dyslexic, still finds reading and writing laborious.
Gareth Cook is a
Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer for the Boston Globe newspaper.
Stephen J. Cannell is a successful novelist and an
Emmy Award-winning TV writer and producer who has created or co-created over 40 different shows.
Anderson Cooper is a
CNN news anchor who gained public attention for his coverage of Hurricane Katrina.
John Dunning is a Denver
mystery writer who's also a bookstore proprietor.
Fannie Flagg is a
writer and actor who is most famous for her novel Fried Green Tomatoes which was later produced as a movie.
Richard Ford is an author who won both the Pulitzer Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award for his novel, Independence Day in 1996 — a first in the literary world. (Source: Newsday, March 20, 2002)
Jackie French is the
author of numerous kids' books, as well as books about gardening and Australian history.
Terry Goodkind is the
John Irving is a
novelist and screenplay writer of World According to Garp, Hotel New Hampshire, and Cider House Rules, a movie that recently won acclaim and award nominations.
Poet Richard Moore has
struggled with dyslexia all his life, yet it hasn't kept him from doing what he loves. A graduate of Yale University, he has published a novel, a book of literary criticism, and 12 books of poetry — the first of which, A Question of Survival, earned him a Pulitzer Prize nomination in the 1970s.
Patricia Polacco, prolific
children's author and illustrator, didn't learn to read until she was 14.
Victor Villaseñor is a
Mexican-American author who has written 9 novels, 65 short stories, and a critically-acclaimed screenplay.
Art Rodriguez is a California author who
documents his challenging childhood in children's and young adult books.
Atoosa Rubenstein, who has dyslexia, was successful as the
editor in chief of Seventeen magazine. Today she has her own digital business and a consulting firm advising companies how to speak to the teen market.
Poet Philip Schultz, a recent winner of the Pulitzer Prize, suffers from dyslexia and didn't learn to read until he was in the fifth grade.
Ahmet Zappa,
son of the late rock musician, Frank Zappa, has authored the first book in a planned trilogy of monster stories.
All the celebrities mentioned above and those left unmentioned had one commonality of striving towards success and attaining it, in spite of their learning disabilities. Feelings of shame, fear, depression and loneliness are evident in dyslexics. These famous people got over all these negativities and conquered not only their disabilities but also the world, by winning hearts and becoming inspirers for the challenged world over!
