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40 seems like about the time you've got enough experience under your belt to build something extraordinary and enough comfort with money (or access to money) to realize your vision.

Steve Jobs would be an interesting one for this list.

He didn't change digital production history until he was 40 years old w/Toy Story in 1995.

He didn't return to Apple until 1997 and turn it into the world's largest consumer electronic's business.

Everything before that was marginal by comparison.



The personal computer was not "marginal".


It's true they made a decent contribution early on, but I hope you aren't implying they invented the personal computer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_computer#History


Apple up to the Mac is practically the prototype of the Silicon Valley young-founders-in-a-garage startup. To depict Steve Jobs as a late bloomer who did nothing big before 40 is silly.


For definitions of "personal computer" that don't involve toggle switches and #47 pilot lamps, yes, they invented the personal computer.


Steve Jobs was already worth $100,000,000 at 25.


Yah, but my point was that of the $8b estate he left behind, the majority of that wealth was created in his 40s.


I see. Come to think of it, it was a bit rude to assume that you didn't know about the extent of Jobs' early success. Sorry about that.




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