Thread of 15 Most Legendary Founders Who Got Fired from Their Own Companies 🧵
Built the dream.
Got kicked out.
Then changed the game forever.
1. Steve Jobs – Apple https://t.co/NXmaAqjlke
Founded Apple at 21.
Fired at 30 after a boardroom clash.
Built NeXT & Pixar.
Returned → launched iMac, iPod, iPhone.
Turned Apple into a $3T empire. https://t.co/UkoN3RblEU
2. Travis Kalanick – Uber
Co-founded Uber.
Resigned under pressure in 2017 after scandals.
Now building CloudKitchens—valued at $15B. https://t.co/t662aJEKcT
Before we continue, I want to thank @MeetGamma for partnering with me on this post.
50M+ users are already using Gamma not only to create AI presentations, but also websites, social media content, documents, and more.
đź”— https://t.co/QiLB4eLhbi https://t.co/yH5MzD8TXD
3. Elon Musk – Zip2 & X (.) com
Pushed out as CEO from both startups.
X (.)com became PayPal.
He walked away... and built Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, X (Twitter). https://t.co/ZOF1xClm47
4. Jack Dorsey – Twitter
Fired as CEO twice.
Came back, took it public.
Now focused on Block (formerly Square). https://t.co/aDWTJnpqal
5. Andrew Mason – Groupon
Built it into a billion-dollar company.
Fired.
Left with humor—and started new ventures. https://t.co/SR3WuETPAZ
6. Noah Glass – Twitter
One of the original creators.
Pushed out early.
Rarely credited—he coined the name “Twitter.” https://t.co/VnuLwJfUBe
7. Martin Eberhard – Tesla
Co-founder & original CEO.
Forced out in 2007 by the board.
Still a respected EV pioneer. https://t.co/K51z4RbTUs
8. Palmer Luckey – Oculus VR
Sold Oculus to Facebook for $2B.
Fired after political controversy.
Now building a $9B defense startup. https://t.co/orD5hf4UZl
9. Rob Kalin – Etsy
Founded Etsy to support artists.
Fired twice by the board for lack of “business” thinking.
His DNA still defines the platform. https://t.co/q3gg8udszt
10. Adam Neumann – WeWork
Turned WeWork into a $47B unicorn.
Fired after governance mess and IPO disaster.
Now raising millions for his next bet-Flow. https://t.co/XmEedROwUR
11. Parker Conrad – Zenefits
Built a $4.5B HR tech startup.
Fired after compliance violations.
Came back stronger with Rippling (now $11B+). https://t.co/piUy5HNkMK
12. Gurbaksh Chahal – RadiumOne
Built two $100M+ ad tech startups.
Fired by the board after legal trouble.
Tried making a comeback-but reputation took a hit. https://t.co/x7W9nuBxgM
13. Mike Jeffries – Abercrombie & Fitch
Revamped the brand with sharp marketing.
Fired after backlash and poor performance.
His era still defines A&F nostalgia. https://t.co/K2i6RvGqrw
14. David Neeleman – JetBlue
Built JetBlue from scratch.
Fired after massive flight delays and board pressure.
Went on to launch Breeze and Azul. https://t.co/Br4QMKXPtC
15. Aubrey McClendon – Chesapeake Energy
Pioneer of the U.S. fracking boom.
Fired by the board over governance concerns.
Left a lasting mark on the energy sector. https://t.co/VXX32FNI8X
You can build the future-even if you get kicked out of your own story.
Which story hit the hardest? 👇
Follow @thetripathi58 for more real business legends.
