Abigail Johnson. One of the most influential heiresses in the world
It is no secret that many professions and knowledge about them were passed on from generation to generation, and dynasties of doctors, military men and engineers were born.
The sphere of investment business, whether in America or any other country, is also built on its successors, and in most cases on family ties.
However, no matter what the parents’ desire to instill a love for the family business, practice shows that children and relatives are one of the most important reasons for the collapse of companies.
Since the inheritance received does not represent any value for the person who did not create it.
There are a lot of similar stories, but there are also cases when children not only successfully accept obligations, but also proudly contribute by developing investment projects.
Abigail Johnson was born on December 19, 1961. Speaking of family, Abigail was lucky to be born into one of the richest and most influential families in the investment world, as her father had been the head of the largest American investment firm, Fidelity Investments, for many years.
Incidentally, Johnson's father was also not the founder of the company, as it was inherited by his father, Edward C. Johnson II.
Thus, even as a child, Abigail understood perfectly well the destiny her parents had in store for her; in fact, the preparation was well underway! Abigail Johnson attended the highly prestigious private school Buckingham Browne & Nichols, where she was named to the honor roll as one of the most diligent students.
The next stage in her life was the equally reputable Hobart and William Smith College, where she received a bachelor's degree in art history.
After college, Abigail found a job as a consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton, which gave her the impetus to further study a new profession and conquer the world of finance.
From 1985 to 1986, Abigail Johnson studied at Harvard Business School, which she successfully completed and received an MBA.
After her education matched her future career, she joined her father at Fidelity. Her first job at the company was as a low-level analyst, where she developed investment portfolio forecasts.
She then received a managerial position, after which she received a series of promotions that were somehow related to the leadership areas of work in the company.
The most interesting thing is that Abigail's father groomed her for many years and pushed her through every career step. Moreover, it was only after more than 20 years of working together that Abigail was promoted to Vice President of the company.
Her management style is very similar to her father's, but more conservative. Her father was so impressed by his daughter's talents that he transferred approximately 24 percent of the company's shares to her, and Abigail Johnson suddenly appeared on the Forbes list as one of the richest women in the world.
In 2012, Abigail's father retired completely due to health reasons, handing over his position as president of the company to his daughter.
Incidentally, things were not going well at Fidelity when the company was transferred into administration, but Johnson took on the challenge and emerged from it with excellent fund returns and investor growth.
Unfortunately, Abigail Johnson and her father were caught up in a high-profile corruption scandal that was blown out of proportion by the media. Having received several Olympic tickets as gifts, they exceeded the $100 limit on permitted gifts, sparking a scandal and, moreover, an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The conflict ended in nothing, but at the same time the company experienced a series of government audits that examined all the financial statements of the company and their family.
Abigail Johnson currently manages approximately $2 trillion in assets and has a personal fortune estimated at over $19 billion, making her one of the most powerful women in the world.
