Which Famous Fool Are You?

Here's something a bit different: a collection of famous financial fairytales which show you just how it should - and shouldn't - be done!

We all have dark moments when we wonder if things are ever going to get better. And if you're in financial difficulty, that light at the end of the tunnel can seem very far away. When I was knee-deep in debt, every setback made me feel like a failure, and the odds seemed completely overwhelming. So I'm always cheered -- and inspired -- by tales of people who turn their lives around. Here, I've put together a collection of true stories that should give us all a bit of hope. It seems that financial success really can emerge from catastrophic failure! Starting from scratch There really is hope after financial disaster. Dozens of famous figures have fought their way back from the brink. After the main client of his business filed for bankruptcy, animation legend Walt Disney could no longer pay his employees or his rent, and was forced to do the same. He borrowed money from his parents and brother to build a new company -- five years later he created `Mickey Mouse' -- and the rest is history. Music mogul Simon Cowell was also forced to claw his way back from financial trouble. After his first music venture hit the skids, Cowell had to move back in with his parents. But he picked himself up and grappled his way back up the greasy pole. He may be Mr Nasty, but his persistence means he's now also Mr Incredibly Rich. Other famous folk who fought back from financial catastrophe include Mark Twain and Abraham Lincoln. Living below your means If you're struggling on a tight budget, take heart from these rags-to-riches tales. As a young actor, Sir Alec Guinness was so poor that he'd often walk the streets of London looking for work in his socks, carrying his shoes in his hand. He said he was trying to save money by not wearing out the shoe leather. And of course there's J.K. Rowling -- whose fortune is now estimated at £560 million. Ms Rowling was a single parent, unemployed and living on state benefits, when the publication of her first Harry Potter book was agreed. Job prospects If you're stuck in a poorly-paid, dead-end job, don't despair: take heart from these tales of famous career lows! Before hitting the big time, Sean Connery polished coffins and Brad Pitt delivered fridges. Amongst the ladies, Helen Mirren worked at an amusement park in Southend -- and Bette Midler was employed as `chief chunker' in a pineapple canning factory. Refused credit? You may have been silly with credit cards -- but probably not this silly: In his younger days, actor, writer and presenter Stephen Fry got into serious financial bother. After being expelled from school twice, he stole a credit card from a family friend, absconded and ended up spending three months in prison on grounds of fraud. He's since made millions (and probably improved his credit rating) as a successful actor, writer and presenter. Not bad, eh? Millionaire drop-out If your academic history is somewhat chequered - there's still hope. Some of the richest people in the world dropped out of school or failed to complete university. Perhaps the most famous billionaire dropout is Microsoft founder Bill Gates, currently the world's third richest man. Gates finally got his honorary degree from Harvard in June 2007, 30 years after dropping out of the top-flight university to sell software. `I did the best of everyone who failed', he joked, in his official graduation address. Head in the sand? And finally, have you ever been tempted to bin those bank statements unopened? We all know that's most unFoolish -- but you're not alone. The story goes that Hollywood legend Jack Lemmon once found movie star Rita Hayworth sitting tearing up a big pile of unopened letters, one by one. "Stop!" he cried, mortified. "There may be cheques in there." "Oh there are," Hayworth replied. "But there are also bills. I find it evens up." More: The Best Ways To Get Out Of Debt | Free Yourself From Credit Card Debt