How Walt Disney went from rejection to owning a $150 BILLION empire!

3 Feb 2026 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

0:59

In this motivational narration, Dan Novaes recounts Walt Disney’s early career setbacks and how they forged the foundation of the modern Disney empire. In 1919, Disney was fired from a Kansas City newspaper for lacking imagination, prompting him to launch his own studio, Laugh‑O‑Gram Films, which soon went bankrupt, leaving him homeless and surviving on canned beans. With only $40 left, Walt and his brother Roy moved to Hollywood and founded Disney Brothers Studio on October 16, 1923. Disney’s first hit, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, was seized by Universal, which also poached most of his animators, representing a second major loss. This betrayal forced Disney to create a new character—Mickey Mouse—whose success became the cornerstone of a company that now values over $150 billion. The story emphasizes resilience, rejection‑driven creativity, and the transformation from a bankrupt artist to a cultural powerhouse, concluding with a call to follow UBK for more entrepreneur stories.

Chapters

Did you know? Walt Disney Studios only exist because Walt Disney was fired for lacking creativity. In 1919, Walt was working as a cartoonist for a newspaper in Kansas City. After just a few months, his editor fired him, saying his drawings showed no imagination. Instead of quitting, Walt started his own studio called Laugh O Graham Films and made a few cartoons, then went bankrupt. Within a year, Walt was so broke, he slept in the office and survived on canned beans. With his last $40, Walt and his brother Roy packed up and moved to Hollywood for one final shot. On October 16, 1923, they founded Disney Brothers Studio, what we now call Walt Disney Studios. A few Walt created his first hit character, Oswald, the Lucky Rabbit. Then disaster struck. Universal took the rights and poached most of his animators. Walt lost everything again. That betrayal forced him to create a new character, Mickey Mouse. That moment, born from failure, rejection and stubborn belief, became the foundation of a company now worth over $150 billion. From a bankrupt artist sleeping on the floor to a studio that defined imagination for a century. And somehow, no one has made that movie yet. For more entrepreneur stories and information like this, follow UBK.