Napoleon Hill was an American author best known for his self-help books. “Think and Grow Rich!” is one of the finest self-improvement books of all time. His mother died when he was ten years old, and his father failed to care for him. Napoleon Hill’s stepmother inspired him to start writing while he was a rebellious young man. He started working as a freelance reporter. During his employment, he had the opportunity to meet Andrew Carnegie. He challenged Hill to devote his life to discovering the recipe for achievers’ success, which he thought was universal. Hill’s life was forever transformed as a result of this. He spent the better part of two decades of his life interviewing accomplished folks from various fields. He published his findings in a variety of publications, which helped him gain notoriety, renown, and money. Freedom, democracy, capitalism, and peace, he believed, were vital components of the philosophy of success. Fear and selfishness were both stumbling blocks to achievement. Furthermore, persons who did not have strong convictions could never succeed. He coined the phrase “coordination of knowledge and effort in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose,” which he defined as “coordination of knowledge and effort in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose.” Napoleon Hill’s legacy was carried on through the Napoleon Hill Foundation after his death.
Childhood and Adolescence
On October 26, 1883, Napoleon Hill was born as Oliver Napoleon Hill. His mother passed away when he was ten years old. His father remarried, and his stepmother Martha pushed him to ditch his six-shooter in favor of a typewriter and encouraged him to start writing. He started working as a freelance reporter at the age of fifteen.
Later Life & Career
Hill enrolled in law school but dropped out due to financial constraints. He was hired by Bob Taylor’s Magazine, which provided advise on how to achieve power and fortune. In 1908, he had an interview with Andrew Carnegie, a steel mogul.
Hill was challenged by Carnegie to interview the wealthiest and most successful persons of the day and assemble the philosophy of achievement that underpinned their success, which he felt was universal. Carnegie promised to introduce him to some of the most powerful figures in the world at the time. Hill jumped at the chance, and for the next two decades, he worked on the mission for no pay.
Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, George Eastman, Henry Ford, Elmer Gates, John D. Rockefeller, Charles M. Schwab, F.W. Woolworth, Theodore Roosevelt, and Woodrow Wilson were among the renowned persons Hill interviewed at the period.
He moved to Chicago in 1912. He worked in a number of sectors. He offered his services to President Woodrow Wilson when World War I broke out. Wilson assigned him to the creation of propaganda materials. He published “Hill’s Golden Rule” from 1919 to 1920, a journal devoted to the philosophy of success mixed with biblical psalms and gospel teachings. It was an instant smash after being printed by George Williams.
He embarked on a countrywide tour in 1920. Hill relocated to New York due to rifts with Williams, who had taken leadership of the magazine. He launched a magazine, which grew in popularity. He became known as the “philosopher-laureate of success and ethics.” His colleagues’ actions, on the other hand, resulted in the newspaper’s collapse. He relocated to Ohio and established a college that offered journalism, advertising, and public speaking classes.
Hill met Don Mellet, and after Mellet exposed criminals in his Canton Daily News, Hill requested an investigation from the Governor. Mellet was assassinated in 1926. Hill was fortunate enough to be able to flee to West Virginia.
During the Great Depression, he lost all he had worked for, including his house and his dream school. The passion, on the other hand, did not wane. He authored “The Magic Ladder to Success” in 1930. Hill agreed to join President Roosevelt’s National Recovery Administration in order to assist restore public trust. From 1933 through 1936, he served as an unpaid counselor to the president.
In 1941, at the invitation of William Plumer Jacobs, he traveled to South Carolina to develop a self-improvement course. During World War II, production of the 16-volume set “Mental Dynamite” was interrupted owing to paper scarcity.
He met W. Clement Stone while teaching in Chicago. They formed a collaboration in 1952 to develop books and courses. He spoke on “Science of Success” and taught his Philosophy of Personal Achievement. He published “How to Raise Your Own Salary,” “Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude,” and “Grow Rich At Peace of Mind” during his time with Stone.
His book “Succeed and Grow Rich Through Persuasion” was released in 1970. Stone was named executive director of the Napoleon Hill Foundation by his wife Annie Lou after his death.
Major Projects of Napoleon Hill
Hill’s eight-volume “Law of Success,” published by Andrew Pelton, was finished in 1928. It included the accumulated wisdom of the early twentieth century’s finest accomplishments. His work was well-received. His then-wife Rosa assisted him in finishing the book “Think and Grow Rich!” in 1937. Andrew Pelton published it, and it went on to become the best-selling self-help book of all time. Rosa received all of the book’s revenues as a result of her divorce.
Achievements & Awards
The term ‘Master Mind’ was invented by Hill. Pacific International University gave him an honorary Doctor of Literature degree (Litt.D.) for establishing the Master Mind idea and other success concepts.
Personal History and Legacy
Hill married Florence Elizabeth Hornor in 1910. James, Napoleon Blair, and David were their three sons. Due to the ups and downs of his work, he was forced to relocate, leaving his family behind. His marriage to Hornor was annulled in 1935.
He met Rosa Lee Beeland, 29, in Atlanta two years later and married her. She assisted him in finishing “Think and Grow Rich!” Rosa and Hill divorced due to a growing chasm between them. After a prenuptial agreement granted Rosa practically all revenues for “Think and Grow Rich!” he became bankrupt.
Annie Lou Norman became a friend of his. She was employed by Jacobs Press, and they shared an office space. In 1943, they married and relocated to California, where he began speaking.
Estimated Net Worth
Napoleon is one of the wealthiest self-help authors and one of the most well-known. Napoleon Hill’s net worth is estimated to be $1.5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.
Trivia
Andrew Pelton, after reading the manuscript, suggested the title “Use Your Noodle to Win More Boodle!” for this inspiring writer’s book “Think and Grow Rich!”