In the United States, middle-class families are generally well-off, with independent villas and medium-to-high-end cars in the suburbs, which is enough for children to have a happy childhood and receive a college education that does not worry about food and clothing. Most of their children will also become white-collar workers and above.
Peter Lynch's father, like all other middle classes, lived a leisurely and prosperous life. At that time, as now, people above the middle class in the United States were most keen on golf.
Peter Lynch's father is also an excellent golfer, and he will play golf with his colleagues and friends at the Bray Burley Golf Club outside Boston on holidays.
Sometimes, Peter Lynch and his father play with staggering steps on the golf course. Before he was 65,438+00 years old, he knew the rules of golf like the back of his hand, and he was eager to try a golf club about his height from time to time.
/kloc-at the age of 0/0, Peter Lynch's carefree childhood ended and his father was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Cancer is an incurable disease, and most people will die in a short time after diagnosis. Peter Lynch's father missed the opportunity of early treatment because of his hard work, and soon became ill.
This change came to expect the unexpected, and the family's economic situation immediately fell into crisis. In this family, father is the only one who earns money. After my father couldn't work, the family soon became poor.
Finally, Peter Lynch's father failed to celebrate Peter Lynch's 1 1 birthday.
Father left them forever, and a middle-class family declined.
Mother has to go out to work. At that time, women didn't get high pay when they went out to work. Mother's hard-earned income is difficult to maintain the necessary expenses of a family. Moreover, for the sake of her son's future, the mother with technical secondary school education resolutely refused to let Peter Lynch drop out of school and even let him go to the best school.
Peter Lynch also wants to receive higher education, but no one can help them.
In America, we have to live on our own. People only worship winners and have no sympathy for losers. It is absolutely impossible to grow up with the selfless help of others.
Peter Lynch and his mother are also strong people. They withstood the blow. In order to relieve her mother's financial pressure, Peter Lynch decided to find a half-day job to help her family tide over the difficulties.
Peter Lynch found the manager of Brabury Golf Club, who naturally knew Peter Lynch's father before; He sympathized with Peter Lynch for losing his father when he was young, and Peter Lynch, who was 1 1 years old, was familiar with the rules of golf and was a fairly qualified caddy, so he was hired.
Bray Bray Golf Club is a membership system, and all members are the chairman and shareholders of large companies. These people are bourgeois, rich and idle. When they hit a smelly ball and need the caddy to get it back, they often give the caddy a generous tip. In addition, caddies are also responsible for carrying golf clubs for these people, and they will reward expensive tips for caddies' work whenever they leave.
Mr. George Sullivan is the president of the Deliti Magellan. Magellan Company is a large company that manages public funds and has a long history in the United States.
Mr. George Sullivan is good friends with the bosses of Jill Company and Polaroid Company, and often goes to Brabury Golf Club to play golf together.
George Sullivan is an optimistic and generous man, a typical American man. In the early years, he would be an excellent cowboy in the west.
"Son, have I seen you before?" When he first saw Peter Lynch as a caddy, he asked Peter Lynch.
"yes."
"By the way, what's your name?"
"Peter Lynch."
George Sullivan liked Peter Lynch's polite answer very much. Most caddies on golf courses are poor at home, and children who want to go out to work have little education. On the other hand, Peter Lynch grew up in a middle-class family and attended a famous children's school in Boston. So although he is a migrant worker now, he still looks different.
"oh! Peter, haven't you picked up the ball here before? "
Mr George Sullivan may not know Peter Lynch's father, because they don't come from a social circle. But he seems to know that Peter Lynch often goes to the golf course with his father. This club is close to Peter Lynch's home, so Peter Lynch has the opportunity to go to the golf course frequently.
"yes." Peter Lynch still counting, replied.
What a shrewd man George Sullivan is. Although he doesn't know the change of Peter Lynch's family, he can still estimate it. In America, the rise and fall of a family is a common occurrence. Billionaires are still like this, let alone an ordinary middle-class family.
Mr George Sullivan didn't ask any more questions. He knew that the caddy must have had a tragic experience, but he liked Peter Lynch's cleverness and his calm attitude towards adversity.
"You follow me! Hold my club for me. "
As a result, Peter Lynch almost became Mr George Sullivan's full-time caddy. As long as he goes to the golf course, Peter Lynch is always his caddy.
George Sullivan may be more out of sympathy at first, and often asked Peter Lynch to follow him. Of course, he didn't tip more than other caddies. George Sullivan has a typical American style. Out of sympathy, he won't give money to others, so although he likes Peter Lynch very much, he doesn't want his sympathy to make Peter Lynch feel ashamed.
This is the American attitude towards money.
George Sullivan will not give more or less, which is a kind of respect for Peter Lynch's personality.
Mr. George Sullivan and his friends always boast proudly of their recent victory in stock investment when playing left-handed or right-handed ball. At this time, 1 1 year-old Peter Lynch was always fascinated, which surprised Mr. Jeangeorges Sullivan. Because other caddies were indifferent to this, and Peter Lynch not only listened carefully, but also seemed to understand.
"Peter, are you listening to us?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Can you understand?"
"No, I don't know."
Peter Lynch's frankness Jeangeorges Sullivan prefers it. From then on, he no longer had the slightest sympathy for Peter Lynch, but supported him inadvertently. These will be confirmed in Peter Lynch's later experience.
Of course, Peter Lynch's initial understanding of stocks was not entirely obtained from Mr. George Sullivan, and the casual conversation of other members of the club also had a great influence on Peter Lynch.
However, these people may not pay attention to a 1 1 year-old caddy, but Mr. George Sullivan does.
Therefore, whenever Peter Lynch's followers play a round of ball games, they can get a free education on stock issues. Although tired, it's worth it. Later Lynch said:
"If you want to receive education on stock issues, golf courses are places where you are familiar with stock trading knowledge. So it is also the best place outside the exchange. "
George Sullivan not only favored Peter Lynch, but also enlightened and guided the growth of Peter Lynch. Later, under his care, Peter Lynch entered Magellan Company, and gradually revealed his extraordinary talent in stock investment.
In Peter Lynch's mind, Mr Sullivan took care of him selflessly like his father and tried his best to guide him like a teacher. Peter Lynch regards George Sullivan as a loving father and teacher.
1977 in may, just after Peter Lynch joined the company 10, the president George Sullivan called Peter Lynch to his office and announced that Lynch would take over as the president of the company.
Peter Lynch naturally lived up to Sullivan's trust. In just 10 years, he increased the company's total assets from $20 million to $9 billion, which earned him the reputation of "the first financier on Wall Street".
If a person wants to succeed, not only must he have his own strength, but opportunities are also very important. Peter Lynch chose to caddy at Brabury Golf Course because of the pressure of life, which should be the darkest time in his life.
However, the encounter with George Sullivan reduced the tragic factor of Peter Lynch in this period.
If Peter Lynch hadn't lost his father in his early years, he wouldn't have gone to work on the golf course.
If he doesn't go to work, he can't meet Mr. George Sullivan. Even if we can meet him, it is impossible to have in-depth contact and understanding with Mr. Sullivan.
Without Mr. Sullivan's careful care, Peter Lynch might not have chosen the major of finance, nor would he have achieved extraordinary success in this industry.
Of course, we don't mean that Peter Lynch can't succeed. With his cleverness, he may still succeed, but it may be in another industry and another field.
Peter Lynch's road will be at least different, and the stock market will have another legend, or there will be no legend.
Among those who appreciate Peter Lynch, Mr George Sullivan, president of Magellan Company, is the happiest. Peter Lynch's success is related to his strong support. Of course, Magellan also benefited a lot from Peter Lynch's joining.
George Sullivan gave Peter Lynch a chance to succeed, while Peter Lynch brought wealth to Magellan Company, and both sides were satisfied.