David Neeleman has founded three different airlines in his career, while also dealing with the everyday stresses of dyslexia as well as ADHD. Neeleman founded Morris Airlines in 1984, which eventually was bought out by Southwest Airlines. In 1984, JetBlue Airlines was launched and soon became a popular low-budget option for flyers. Neeleman stepped down as CEO of JetBlue in 2007, but shortly thereafter founded Azul Airlines in Brazil, his birthplace. He was born in Sao Paulo, but moved and lived in Utah from the age of 5.
With his dyslexia and ADHD, Neeleman struggled with standardized tests in school, but chose to focus on his strengths rather than his weaknesses. For him, this was his creative mind that allowed him to look at problems from a unique perspective for a solution. Although his learning disorder presents him with significant challenges, he enjoys the creative side of his brain. He says in an interview, “I knew I had strengths that other people didn’t have, and my parents reminded me of them when my teachers didn’t see them.” Now, he is one of the most successful CEOs in the airline industry.
Read more about David Neeleman in this article. Also, learn about other entrepreneurs with success despite their setbacks with dyslexia on our page here.