Measure For Measure: 14 Occasions When Success Was the Greatest Revenge

In a world where adversity and setbacks can often fuel the fire within, some rise above the challenges, using their success as the ultimate form of revenge. From overcoming personal tragedies to smashing through societal barriers, some visionaries and artists can make the most out of a bad situation, turning their success story into a beautiful, unexpected act of revenge.

1. Steve Jobs vs. Apple

Steve Jobs had a monumental hand in building Apple’s current success, but it was only after he had been fired from his own company. 在 1985, Jobs and Apple’s board were at odds after the Lisa and the Macintosh failed to drive revenue. When he was moved off Macintosh to give someone else a go at building the company’s success, Jobs became antagonistic to the board of directors and then-CEO, PepsiCo CEO John Sculley.

Though Sculley claims Jobs quit, the Apple visionary states the board forced him out. He later founded NeXT as a competitor in high-end computing, but the company couldn’t stand up to Apple. Incidentally, 在 1997, Apple purchased NeXt, bringing Jobs back to his company. After some movement that included the release of then-Apple CEO Gil Amelio, Jobs was brought back into the fold, ultimately as the interim CEO. Before his passing in 2011, the returning leader set the company back on track.

2. Steven Spielberg vs. The University of Southern California

On three separate occasions, the legendary film director was denied by the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. His first application was rejected when an admissions officer felt his C-average grade was too low for the school’s academic standards. Undeterred by the decision, Spielberg applied again, only to be met with another rejection.

Thinking that the third time would be the charm, Spielberg was rejected once more. 现在, when you’re part of a university’s leadership, you ultimately want names like Spielberg attached to showcase the school’s ability to create leaders in an industry. 这么, surely, when the director went on to wow audiences with Jaws 和 Raiders of the Lost Ark, everyone who rejected him at USC had to have felt a pang of regret.

3. The Beatles vs. Decca Records

There is a popular anecdote suggesting that an executive from Decca Records famously told The Beatles in 1962 that “groups of guitars are on the way out” and that guitar bands were no longer in vogue.

The rejection by Decca Records, which declined to sign The Beatles, is often cited as a significant missed opportunity by the label. 然而, this setback did not hinder The Beatles’ rise to fame. They signed with another label, EMI’s Parlophone Records, and became one of the most successful and influential bands in music history, defying the notion that guitar-based bands were fading in popularity.

4. Netflix vs. Blockbuster

Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph recalls a poetic moment in his book, That Will Never Work, which follows the humble beginnings of Netflix. In a particularly poetic moment, Randolph flew out to a meeting with Blockbuster to pitch a business proposal where Blockbuster could purchase Netflix for $50 million to help accelerate the company’s venture into DVDs. He recalls the CEO of Blockbuster barely being able to contain his laughter.

With Netflix’s visionary business plan of online streaming, Blockbuster went bankrupt. Today, there is only one left in the world.

5. Ford vs. Ferrari

In the 1960s, Ford’s attempt to acquire Ferrari was rejected as Ferrari chose to be purchased by Fiat instead. This fueled Ford’s determination to outperform Ferrari in the racing world. Ford developed a brand-new supercar and went on to achieve victory over Ferrari at the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans race from 1966 to 1969.

This marked a significant turning point as Ferrari has not been able to win against any other car manufacturer since then. Adding to their triumph, Ford made a remarkable comeback after a 50-year hiatus from competing and emerged victorious once again in later years.

6. Ring Camera vs. The Shark Tank Investors

The inventor of Ring cameras, Jamie Siminoff, defied the odds after facing rejection on the popular TV show Shark Tank. Despite his groundbreaking invention and unwavering belief in its potential, Siminoff’s pitch failed to impress the “Sharks,” who opted not to invest. Undeterred, he persisted in his vision and continued to refine his product.

Ring cameras, a home security system that revolutionized the industry, eventually found its way into the hands of millions of customers worldwide. In a remarkable turn of events, the company gained immense success and caught the attention of tech giant Amazon, which acquired Ring for a staggering $1 billion. It’s now one of the most popular home security camera systems, and Siminoff has since returned to the show as a guest Shark.

7. Brendan Fraser vs. Hollywood

Fraser had a decade-long Hollywood blacklist resulting from his brave decision to speak out about his alleged experience with sexual assault at the hands of a former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Because of this, he found himself shut out of Hollywood. His health also took a toll. He lost his mother and suffered a terrible divorce.

然而, he never stopped speaking out and continued his passion for acting. 在 2023, his extraordinary talent and dedication were finally rewarded when he won the Best Actor Oscar for The Whale, cementing his triumphant return to the spotlight.

8. Michael J. Fox vs. NBC President Brandon Tartikoff

During the casting of Family Ties in the 80s, Michael J. Fox had his eyes set on the lead role. The only problem was he lost the role to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off star Matthew Broderick. When Broderick had to back out of the project, NBC President Brandon Tarkitoff knew one thing for sure – he did not want Fox to play the role of Alex P. Keaton.

A Fox fan explains that Tartikoff said, “He was too short, not cute, not heartthrob enough. You’re never going to see his face on a lunch box.” However, he was cast due to the other producers’ belief in him, and the show received critical acclaim and high ratings. Following his success on the show and simultaneous filming of Back to the Future, Fox cheekily sent Tartikoff a lunchbox with his face on it.

9. Jennifer Hudson vs. American Idol Winner Fantasia Barrino

Despite finishing in 7th place on American Idol, Jennifer Hudson undoubtedly has become one of the most successful, famous singers to ever hail from the show. Shortly after her loss, she began a long string of film and television performances earning her not only worldwide recognition for her incredible vocals but also critical acclaim in the form of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards that make her one of only 17 EGOT recipients. The Idol winner that season was Fantasia Barrino, whose fame sharply declined. Today, she has little name recognition.

10. David Tepper vs. Former Goldman Sachs Boss

Okay, this guy invented ‘petty.’ American banker David Tepper got sick of being passed on for a partner at Goldman Sachs by the then-CEO Jon Corzine, so he decided to take matters into his own hands by being self-employed. Decades later, he’s a billionaire who purchased his former boss’ $43 million mansion from Corzine’s ex-wife.

Once he acquired the property, he knocked it down to rebuild a much larger mansion, almost double the size. Ouch. Even the ex-wife participating in your enemy’s revenge! Can’t say this is a feel-good, ethically sound story, but it is amusing.

11. George Lucas vs. 狐狸

George Lucas was able to secure ownership of the toy rights to 星球大战 because the toy companies did not foresee the success the franchise would achieve. When negotiating the initial deal for the original 星球大战, Fox had no real interest in merchandising for the film, especially after Lucas agreed to forego $500,000 to retain those rights. After taking a wash on Doctor Dolittle merchandising, Fox had little faith in 星球大战’ success.

This turned out to be a monumental decision as 星球大战 became a massive cultural phenomenon, exceeding all expectations. The toy line, in particular, was a massive success, generating substantial revenue and becoming an integral part of the franchise’s popularity and longevity. By retaining the toy rights, George Lucas earned over $20 billion from merchandising alone by 2012.

12. Artists vs. Their Exes

Taylor Swift, Adam Levine, and Post Malone have entered the chat. Can you imagine that one day you’re living a normal life with your significant other, then something happens that causes you to split, and then suddenly your ex is catapulted into worldwide fame and success all off the back of songs they wrote about you? It’s a little bizarre to think about.

There must be at least a few cases where the person who received all the fame and fortune was entirely in the wrong, yet they have their albums go #1 on Billboard and receive Grammys telling everyone what a terrible person their ex was. Yikes.

13. Adam Sandler vs. Saturday Night Live

When Adam Sandler finally returned to the SNL stage more than 20 years after being fired, he sang an uproarious tongue-in-cheek song during his monologue to a crowd who cheered on his success story. Here, he got the last laugh as he told the story of how NBC let him go, and he went on to earn over $4 billion at the box office in a string of successful films in one of the biggest comedy careers in Hollywood from films like Big Daddy 和 50 第一次约会 to Just Go With It 和 Billy Madison.

14. Sony vs. Nintendo

Did you know that the Nintendo 64 was initially supposed to be a collaboration between Nintendo and Sony? They had already announced their collaboration in combining Nintendo’s gaming hardware with Sony’s sound technology to make video games even more immersive with superior sound quality. 然而, during development and after Sony announced their partnership, Nintendo abruptly pulled out of the deal.

After pulling the plug on the deal with Sony, Nintendo opted to work with Philips to put Nintendo games on their CD-i console. As fate would have it, these Nintendo games received the worst reception. To make it even worse, Sony decided to develop the PlayStation out of spite, which became the best-selling console in gaming history, putting them on the map as a force to be reckoned with in the console industry today.