13 Famous People Who Succeeded in Business Despite Stuttering

The speech disorder, stuttering affects roughly one percent of the world population. It is one of the few disorders that are still mocked in school or public life. 

Lack of public awareness and prevalence of negative stereotypes about stuttering makes it difficult for people who stutter to find acceptance in many spheres of life. 

But, many people who had a hard time dealing with stuttering either in their childhood, teenage, or adult life, have been at the top of their game in business, politics, sports, entertainment, media, science, activism, and philanthropy.  

Here in this post, we will introduce you to business tycoons who stuttered and made it big in business.

Famous People Who Stutters

Stuttering, often misunderstood and stigmatized, can feel like an insurmountable barrier in a world that prizes smooth communication. Yet, the following individuals refused to let their speech define their potential.

Through resilience, creativity, and relentless determination, they rose to the pinnacle of the business world. Their stories prove that success is not about perfection—it’s about perseverance.

1. Richard Branson 

A well-known business-magnet, investor, author, and philanthropist, Richard Branson controls a conglomerate of more than 400 companies in different sectors. Most of his businesses bear the ‘Virgin’ brand name, including Virgin Galactic, Virgin Atlantic, and Virgin Records. 

According to Forbes.com, his net worth at the time of writing this post is $4.9B. Like any other business tycoon, he has had his share of failures in life. But, Richard continued to march forward.  

Richard Branson is known for his charismatic personality and style of working. Millions of people across the world admire and follow him. 

But, did you know that Richard Branson – one of the highly successful people in the business – stuttered as a child? 

 

Mum made us perform as kids in-in-in-in-in-in order to overcome a slight stutter & shyness. Obviously didn’t succeed! http://t.co/XHWTtsgGOJ

— Richard Branson (@richardbranson) July 15, 2013

Yes, today, it is hard to imagine him as an eight-year-old boy who struggled with stuttering and dyslexia. By the time Richard left high-school, his headmaster had told him that he’d either become a millionaire or end up in prison.

The school headmaster knew that Richard was smart and intelligent. Perhaps he didn’t know which turn Richard’s life would take next.

Richard’s entrepreneurial journey began at the age of 16 when he started publishing a magazine called ‘Student.’ In the 1970s, he launched a chain of stores – Virgin Records – which later became known as Virgin Megastores. In the following years, the Virgin brand snowballed and Richard Branson soon became a well-known name. 

Richard admits that he still struggles with stuttering on some occasions. However, he has become comfortable with it over the years. 

“My shyness and stutter have never disappeared completely,” says Richard. 

Here’s Richard Branson’s advice for people who stutter and fear public speaking: 

“I am still always nervous before going on stage. If you also suffer from the same problem, my advice is to try to talk as you would to your best friend. Whether there is one person, ten people, or 1,000 people in the room, try to relax and chat as you would in your living room.”

Richard says that if you still get stuck on the odd word while speaking in front of an audience, don’t worry too much about it – you are not alone. 

If you stutter and have been wondering whether you can speak in public with confidence, interact with clients or vendors daily, and lead a team of employees, remind yourself of the fact that if Richard Branson could do it – so can you! 

2. Jack Welch 

A famous American business executive, writer, and chemical engineer, Jack Welch were the Chairman and CEO of General Electric (GE) between 1981 and 2001. Jack Welch died on March 01, 2020, at the age of 84. 

He started his career in the company as a junior chemical engineer and rose to the top position. Recruiters in the company perhaps knew about the benefits of hiring talented individuals who stuttered. 

During his time as the CEO of GE, the company’s valuation rose from $12B to $280B. He supervised well over 600 acquisitions during this time as GE forayed into the emerging markets. 

Considered a managerial genius and an authority on business leadership, Jack Welch was among the most successful CEOs of his time. Five years after Jack left GE, he was commanding top-dollar as a speaker. 

In 2007, participants paid a whopping $10,000 fee (per person) to attend a workshop Jack presided over. At one point in time, Jack also ran a consulting business and taught at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. 

While millions of people today know about Jack’s professional successes, only a handful are aware of the fact that he stuttered as an adult. 

Here’s Jack Welch narrating his struggles as a child who stuttered.

Jack Welch is a fine example of what anyone with speech disfluencies can do in the world of business if they are determined to succeed. 

As a young kid in middle-class town Salem, Massachusetts, Jack was teased brutally about his stutter. Jack says that his stutter at the time was “almost impossible.” 

Jack attributes his success to eventually overcoming his stutters to his mother. 

When Jack told his mom about his experiences at school, she used to tell him, “Jack, don’t let that bother you. Your mind just works so fast, your tongue can’t keep up with you.” 

According to Jack, these encouraging words from his mother formed the foundation that gave him self-confidence. 

So, do you think your speech disfluencies are holding you back? Don’t let them. 

Learn from the life of Jack Welch, who struggled with stuttering for many years and scripted a success story that will continue to inspire people for a long time to come. 

3. Malcolm Fraser 

“We must be relentless in exploring and evaluating ways to help children and adults who stutter” – Malcolm Fraser. 

An American businessman, Malcolm Fraser founded the Genuine Parts Company. Born and raised in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York, Malcolm stuttered severely from a young age as did his elder brother, who later became a noted journalist. 

By his 40s, when Malcolm was running a successful auto parts business, he was still struggling with a significant stuttering problem. He knew about the trials and tribulations of people who stutter. So, he decided to do something to help those who stutter. 

He formulated a plan to set up a non-profit organization. At the age of 44, when most wealthy people would have thought of enjoying a lifestyle of comfort, Malcolm founded the Stuttering Foundation of America. 

It was Malcolm who gave the foundation most of its $10 million endowments. One of the first few people Malcolm worked with when he founded the Stuttering Foundation of America was Dr. Charles Van Riper, an authority figure in the field of speech-language pathology.  

Over the seven decades, this non-profit charitable organization has made an enormous contribution to improve the lives of people who stutter. The organization has published countless books, brochures, DVDs, and educational materials for both professionals and the general public. 

Malcolm was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association in 1984. 

Today, kids and adults who stutter or struggle with various other speech-language problems have the option of using numerous speech therapy tools, but during the 20th century, everyone had to rely on traditional speech therapy. It was through speech therapy sessions with Dr. Frederick Martin that Malcolm learned how to manage his stutters. 

Do you want to start a business? Don’t let your stutters keep you from trying. It’s just a tiny part of who you are. It does not define you. 

Get busy writing your business plan right away! Like Malcolm Fraser, you too can run a successful business and do a whole lot more you might have thought was impossible. 

4. Arthur Blank 

An American businessman and founder of ‘The Home Depot’ – the fastest-growing retailer in U.S. history – Arthur Blank has a net worth of $6.3B at the time of writing this post. 

According to the American Institute for Stuttering, Arthur Blank struggled with stuttering all through his childhood.  

Before he started his own business, Arthur worked with Handy Dan Hardware. He rose through the ranks at the company and left when he was ready to launch ‘The Home Depot’ in 1978. The company registered revenues worth $110.2B in 2019. 

He recently made a $20m donation for the University of Texas through The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. The funds have been made available for an institute focused on stuttering education and research. The institute will conduct research in stuttering treatments, 

“Today, I’m very proud to announce the establishment of the Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research, which will be an overarching center to expand the vision and work of Dr. Courtney Byrd,” said a release from the Office of the President, the University of Texas at Austin. 

A few days before that, Arthur had announced a $200m donation to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

 

We’re honored to announce a $20M grant for The Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research at @UTexasMoody. Founded by Dr. Courtney Byrd, this transformational work will empower people around the word who stutter to dream, speak, live. pic.twitter.com/l5iVX9lIWL

— Arthur Blank Foundation (@BlankFoundation) October 19, 2020

Arthur stepped down as co-chairman of the retail business in 2001. One year later, he bought the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons. He invested $545 million in the professional American football team and it’s worth $2.8B now. 

Arthur is also known for having brought pro-soccer to Atlanta. 

5. Joe Moglia

Joe Moglia’s stutter made him a target in school, but he refused to let it derail his ambitions. After being fired from a teaching job because of his speech, he pivoted to Wall Street, where he thrived by mastering concise, data-driven communication.

Rising through Merrill Lynch’s ranks, he became TD Ameritrade’s CEO in 2001, steering the firm through the dot-com crash and growing assets from 24 billion to 300 billion. Moglia later authored Coach Yourself to Success, blending leadership lessons with personal anecdotes about overcoming stuttering.

He credits his success to a simple mantra: “Focus on what you can control, not what you can’t.”

6. Tyler Perry

Tyler Perry’s stutter began in childhood, exacerbated by abuse and poverty. Writing became his refuge—he penned plays in his car while homeless, creating the iconic Madea character.

Perry’s stutter forced him to rely on written communication, a skill that fueled his storytelling prowess. Today, his Atlanta-based studio is a $1 billion empire, producing films, TV shows, and plays.

Perry’s journey underscores the power of alternative expression: “When I couldn’t speak, I wrote. When I couldn’t write, I imagined.” His studio’s success—and historic ownership—prove that creativity transcends verbal fluency.

7. Bob Love

Bob Love’s stutter haunted him even during his NBA heyday with the Chicago Bulls. Teammates nicknamed him “Whispering Bob” because he avoided interviews.

Post-retirement, his speech struggles left him unemployed and washing dishes. Determined to rebuild, Love spent years in speech therapy and landed a role as the Bulls’ community relations director. His relentless work ethic earned him promotions, culminating in his role as VP of Community Relations.

Now a motivational speaker, Love travels the U.S. sharing his mantra: “Don’t let your stutter define your story.”

8. Aaron Patzer

Aaron Patzer’s stutter made phone calls unbearable, so he turned to coding—a space where logic trumped verbal fluency. In 2006, he founded Mint.com, a personal finance app that simplified budgeting for millions.

Patzer’s technical brilliance and minimalist design ethos led to Mint’s $170 million acquisition by Intuit in 2009. He later advised startups, emphasizing that “innovation speaks louder than words.” Patzer’s journey proves that stuttering can redirect focus to scalable solutions.

9. John Stossel

John Stossel’s stutter began in childhood, but he harnessed it to develop a razor-sharp interviewing style. After decades in TV news, he launched Stossel TV, a libertarian media platform.

His speech challenges taught him to ask incisive questions and value substance over style. Stossel’s Emmy-winning career and entrepreneurial ventures—including bestselling books and a video series—reflect his belief that “curiosity conquers insecurity.”

10. Clarence Page

Clarence Page’s stutter led him to journalism, where writing became his voice. As a syndicated columnist for the Chicago Tribune, he won a Pulitzer for his incisive commentary on race and politics.

Page later joined the board of the Pulitzer Prize organization, advocating for diverse storytelling. “Stuttering taught me to listen first,” he says, “and that’s where truth begins.”

11. Darren LaCroix

Darren LaCroix stuttered into his 20s but conquered his fears by competing in Toastmasters. In 2001, he became the World Champion of Public Speaking, then built a business coaching others to overcome stage fright.

His company, Stage Time University, has trained Fortune 500 executives and TEDx speakers. LaCroix’s motto—“Stage time, not age”—highlights his belief in practice over perfection.

12. Nina G

Nina G, a stutterer and dyslexic, turned her struggles into a career advocating for neurodiversity. She founded a consulting firm that trains companies like Google and Microsoft on inclusive communication.

Her TEDx talk, Beyond Inspiration, challenges stereotypes about disabilities. “Stuttering isn’t a flaw,” she says. “It’s a filter for authenticity.”

13. Alan Rabinowitz

Alan Rabinowitz’s stutter isolated him as a child, so he bonded with animals, later becoming a leading wildlife conservationist. As CEO of Panthera, he secured millions in funding to protect big cats.

His memoir, A Boy and a Jaguar, details how his speech struggles fueled his empathy for endangered species. “Silence,” he said, “can be a catalyst for change.”

Conclusion 

These leaders didn’t eliminate their stutter—they outgrew its hold on their confidence. Their strategies—preparation, embracing alternative communication (like writing), and focusing on strengths—offer lessons for anyone facing adversity.

Stuttering didn’t make them weaker; it forced them to innovate, listen deeply, and lead with empathy. As Joe Moglia puts it, “The obstacle is the path.”

Yes, stuttering IS difficult to deal with. But, it is possible to learn to overcome it to a significant degree. With guided speech therapy or self-therapy apps, it is possible to make continuous improvement. 

Lastly, if you want to start a business, don’t let yourself believe that your speech disfluency can put you at disadvantage. Accept your stutter, work on it, and turn it your strength. You can have a side-hustle or a full-time business.

If there’s one takeaway, let it be this: Success isn’t about flawless speech. It’s about the courage to speak up, stumble, and keep going anyway.