Christopher Gardner

Some success stories are so inspiring and motivate people that they are even turned into big-budget films, not to mention books written from the author's perspective.

Christopher Gardner's story inspired so many that Hollywood actor Will Smith portrayed him in the film "The Pursuit of Happyness," depicting Gardner's difficult journey to achieve his dream of becoming a broker.

Today, Christopher Gardner is a millionaire and philanthropist who helps others overcome similar challenges.

The brokerage firm he founded elevated Christopher Gardner to the top and became the embodiment of his long-standing vision. It's no coincidence that Christopher Gardner's autobiography was adapted into a film, as his success story is unique and demonstrates how a determined person can achieve their goals.

Christopher Gardner was born on February 9, 1956, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As a child, Christopher grew up in a very dysfunctional and poor family. He never met his father, who left the family while his mother was pregnant.

After his mother remarried, Christopher was constantly abused by his stepfather, who was strict with him and constantly beat him. A successful man, Christopher Gardner has repeatedly recalled and quoted his mother's words at various conferences, claiming that she was the one who instilled the core of his character.

Youth and career ladder

His uncle Henry, who served in the U.S. Navy, had a huge influence on the boy. His uncle's constant stories of adventures irritated Christopher considerably, but after graduating from high school, he decided to follow his uncle's path to work.

In reality, Christopher simply had no choice, as no one was willing to send him to a reputable institution. While serving in the Navy, his primary job was as a hospital orderly. Christopher Garden was so good at his job that a renowned cardiac surgeon hired him as an assistant at an innovative clinical research clinic.

While working with the famous physician, Christopher Gardner co-authored many medical papers.

Fatherhood and a life change

On June 18, 1977, Christopher married, and in 1981, a son was born. However, the couple's relationship quickly began to unravel, as Christopher Gardner, with ten years of experience under his belt, decided to abandon his medical practice.

The rapid advancement of medical technology prompted Gardner to pursue sales of innovative equipment. However, after working briefly as an agent, Gardner found little success in this field, as doctors were reluctant to purchase new medical devices.

His child was very curious to see his grandfather, so Christopher found his father on the phone and went with his son to meet him. Upon returning from the trip, Christopher Gardner decided to radically change his life and achieve success in business.

A chance meeting

Returning home from the hospital where Christopher Gardner worked part-time, he bumped into a distinguished young man in an expensive suit, his Ferrari parked outside. Curious, Christopher couldn't resist asking him what he did for a living, and was told he was a stockbroker.

Christopher Gardner quickly realized which direction he should take and, after talking with the young man, asked him to introduce him to company managers, after which he enrolled in the EF Hutton program.

Having become consumed by the world of finance and education, Christopher completely forgot about his job as a sales representative, and his car sat in a parking lot for a month, racking up tickets. He ended up racking up $1,200 in fines that month, and the judge sentenced him to ten days in jail.  

When Gardner returned from prison, he saw that his wife had packed all the things from the house and, taking even his suits, had left with their son in an unknown direction.

The hard way

According to the internship program, only one in twenty interns can secure a job. To stay ahead of his colleagues, he had to make around 200 calls a day, while his competitors made no more than 30. His wife added to the difficulty: she brought their son and told him to raise him alone.

Since Christopher Gardner had absolutely no money, and the internship lasted more than two months, he and his son had to spend the night on the streets, at train stations, and stand in lines for free food.

One day, when he had nowhere else to go, Christopher came with his son to the women's cathedral and asked the priest for shelter and food, at least for the boy. Naturally, the priest didn't refuse, and Christopher, having become a famous man, repaid him with donations on numerous occasions.

After completing an internship and passing an internal exam, Christopher was invited to work at Bear Stearns, and five years later, he founded his own brokerage firm, Gardner Rich & Co. The firm was doing quite well, and by its fourth year, it was closing deals worth millions.

After 19 years in business, Christopher Gardner sells his share of the business for seven zeros and opens a new company, Christopher Gardner International Holdings, with branches across the country.

Having achieved unprecedented heights, Gardner begins to engage in charitable activities, investing in various programs to help the homeless.