John Catsimatidis, A wealthy Greek business magnate who has made a fortune through real estate holdings and supermarkets in Manhattan, has shared how he started from the bottom and worked his way up in a new Book.
He criticized the younger generation, specifically Gen Z, for being too focused on the social media app TikTok and not prioritizing their career aspirations.
Despite dropping out of college, the mogul's dedication and work ethic were crucial to his success. He learned the value of hard work from his early job at a supermarket and believed that one should keep pushing even when it seems impossible to achieve success.
'If you're working 100 hours a week, and it's not working, you'd better work 120,' he told DailyMail.com. 'You can't win if you're afraid of losing.'
Born on the small Greek island of Nisyros, John Catsimatidis immigrated to the States with his family and quickly became a true New Yorker, raised in Harlem. He went to school by day and worked in a small grocery store by night to help his parents pay the bills until, just eight credits short of graduating from New York University. He opted to work in the grocery business full-time.
Today, that grocery business has become the Red Apple Group, a conglomerate with interests in energy, real estate, aviation, baseball, entertainment, and media, including the iconic radio station WABC, where John hosts leading figures in government, politics, business, and economics.
He never forgets his roots or where he came from on 135th Street in Harlem. He has been actively involved with the Police Athletic League of NYC for over 40 years, an NYPD charitable arm dedicated to youth development. He goes into inner city communities and is a mentor to children. One day one of those children might read his book on their journey to success, and maybe one of those children will become tomorrow’s billionaire that gives back to their community. To the Greek children in the community, he had some great words of wisdom to offer them on their journey toward success, whatever that success may mean to them: “Don’t make the top, just the Greek community. Make the top of the entire American community. Seek to go to higher places.”
His latest book, "How Far Do You Want to Go? Lessons from a Common-Sense Billionaire," has quickly climbed the ranks, currently at number five on the WSJ list.
