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W. Clement Stone

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Entrepreneur

The Resume

    (May 4, 1902-September 3, 2002)
    Born in Chicago, Illinois
    First name was William
    Founded Combined Insurance Company of America (1919)
    Merged with Patrick Ryan Group to form Aon Corporation (1987)
    Made popular the phrase 'Positive Mental Attitude'
    Self-made billionaire and motivational speaker
    Authored the book 'The Success System That Never Fails' (1962) and co-authored the books 'Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude' (1960) and 'The Other Side of the Mind' (1964)
    Started the W. Clement & Jessie V. Stone Foundation (1958) to distribute grants for four key entities - mental health, education, children/youth and religion
    Died of natural causes in Evanston, IL at age 100

Why he might be annoying:

    He dropped out of high school to sell insurance.
    He averaged selling 48 policies per day at age 19 and eventually got up to a 72 policy per day average.
    He once sold 122 policies in a single day and trained his staff to use customized, 'high pressure' tactics as well.
    He had employees start each day exclaiming, 'I feel happy! I feel healthy! I feel ter-r-r-ific!'
    He bought three warehouses full of Cuban cigars before the Cuban revolution and had them shipped to the U.S. on the sly.
    He contributed over $2 million to Richard Nixon's 1968 and 1972 presidential election funds, causing Congress to institute campaign spending limits after the Watergate hearings.
    He fancied loud bow ties, gaudy suspenders and wore spats now and then.

Why he might not be annoying:

    His father died when he was three, leaving the family destitute from gambling losses.
    He helped his mom make ends meet by selling newspapers and followed her to Detroit to help with her insurance position.
    He was an avid reader of Horatio Alger stories and their messages of poor boys making good.
    Believing in the 'little guy,' he saw the enthusiasm of a young man cutting the lawn in front of his office, and eventually made him his executive vice president.
    He contributed over $275 million to charity.
    Two of his three children died before him.
    He married his childhood sweetheart in 1923 and stayed with her for an incredible 79 years before his death.
    He famously quoted, 'All I want to do is change the world - make it a better place for this and future generations.'

Credit: Scar Tactics


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 13 Votes: 23.08% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 8 Votes: 37.50% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 7 Votes: 42.86% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 19 Votes: 31.58% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 13 Votes: 46.15% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 22 Votes: 54.55% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 14 Votes: 71.43% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 22 Votes: 68.18% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 18 Votes: 61.11% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 27 Votes: 70.37% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 26 Votes: 57.69% Annoying