(Part-2) : Famous Failures

1. “The Lord of the Rings” was rejected by multiple publishers for being too long and complex. The Lord of the Rings is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential film series ever made. It was a major financial success and is among the highest-grossing film series of all time with $2.991 billion in worldwide receipts. Their faithfulness to the source material was the subject of discussion. The series received numerous accolades, winning 17 Academy Awards out of 30 total nominations, including Best Picture for The Return of the King. In 2021, The Fellowship of the Ring was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.

2. “Harry Potter” was rejected by 12 publishers.
Since the release of the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, on 26 June 1997, the books have found immense popularity, positive reviews, and commercial success worldwide. They have attracted a wide adult audience as well as younger readers, and are widely considered cornerstones of modern literature. As of February 2023, the books have sold more than 600 million copies worldwide, making them the best-selling book series in history, and have been available in 85 languages.The last four books consecutively set records as the fastest-selling books in history, with the final instalment selling roughly 2.7 million copies in the United Kingdom and 8.3 million copies in the United States within twenty-four hours of its release.

3. The original seven books were adapted into an eight-part namesake film series by Warner Bros. Pictures. In 2016, the total value of the Harry Potter franchise was estimated at $25 billion, making Harry Potter one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.

4. “The Matrix” was initially rejected by many studios for being too strange and confusing.
The Matrix opened in theaters in the United States on March 31, 1999, to widespread acclaim from critics, who praised its innovative visual effects, action sequences, cinematography and entertainment value, and was a massive success at the box office, grossing over $460 million on a $63 million budget, becoming the highest-grossing Warner Bros. film of 1999 and the fourth highest-grossing film of that year. At the 72nd Academy Awards, the film won all four categories it was nominated for, Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, and Best Sound Editing. The film was also the recipient of numerous other accolades, including Best Sound and Best Special Visual Effects at the 53rd British Academy Film Awards, and the Wachowskis were awarded Best Director and Best Science Fiction Film at the 26th Saturn Awards. The film is considered to be among the greatest science fiction films of all time,and in 2012, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant.

5. Beyoncé was rejected by several record labels and faced financial difficulties early in her career. Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter (born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter and businesswoman. Dubbed as “Queen Bey” and a prominent cultural figure of the 21st century, she has been recognized for her artistry and performances, with Rolling Stone naming her one of the greatest vocalists of all time.

6. Eminem went through years of rejection before he eventually caught the attention of Dr. Dre. Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem is an American rapper. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in Middle America and is frequently mentioned among the greatest rappers of all time. Eminem’s global success and acclaimed works are widely regarded as having broken racial barriers for the acceptance of white rappers in popular music.

7. Warren Buffett made several unsuccessful investments and lost significant amounts of money early in his career. Warren Edward Buffett (; born August 30, 1930) is an American businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He is currently the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. As a result of his immense investment success, Buffett is one of the best-known investors in the world. As of December 2023, he had a net worth of $120 billion, making him the seventh-richest person in the world. Buffett has pledged to give away 99 percent of his fortune to philanthropic causes, primarily via the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He founded the Giving Pledge in 2010 with Bill Gates, whereby billionaires pledge to give away at least half of their fortunes.

8. James Dyson’s innovative vacuum cleaner design was rejected by numerous manufacturers and investors.
Sir James Dyson (born 2 May 1947) is a British inventor, industrial designer, farmer, and business magnate who founded Dyson. He is best known as the inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner, which works on the principle of cyclonic separation. According to the Sunday Times Rich List 2023, he is the fifth richest person in the UK, with an estimated net worth of £23 billion.

9. He served as the Provost of the Royal College of Art from August 2011 to July 2017, and opened a new university, the Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology, on Dyson’s Wiltshire campus in September 2017.

10. Mark Cuban experienced numerous business failures before becoming a billionaire.
Mark Cuban (born July 31, 1958) is an American billionaire businessman, film producer, investor, and television personality. He is the owner of the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA), co-owner of 2929 Entertainment, and one of the main “sharks” on the ABC reality television series Shark Tank.

11. Thomas Edison failed in 1,000 experiments before perfecting the light bulb. Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures.These inventions, which include the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and early versions of the electric light bulb, have had a widespread impact on the modern industrialized world.He was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of organized science and teamwork to the process of invention, working with many researchers and employees. He established the first industrial research laboratory.