Alex Spanos - Sharing the Wealth: My Story

Table of Contents

Have you ever wondered why there are no books in the library on How to Fail? It is because everyone can do it. Most of us have, many times. And have you ever wondered why all the people involved in the How to Be the Best You Can Be business seem pretty well off? It is because success is hardhard to achieve and really hard to maintain.

You are about to race through a marvelous and riveting account of a distinctly American life in which the concepts of failure and cant do not apply. You will discover how one man, who started his quest with but eight hundred dollars in his pocket, became one of the most successful people this country has produced, in every phase of his life, from career to family to friends.

One way in which Alex Spanos towers above many other successful people is his humility and character. The purpose of this book is not to detail his story so readers will marvel at him. It is, rather, to inspire people to reach deep within themselves to discover their true potential and capture it. Alex thinksno, he knowsthat most people are capable of achieving far more than they believe they can. He will inspire you to avail yourself of the glorious opportunities that abound in this great country. I have never met a more genuine, generous, and selfless man in my life. Rather than hoard the secrets of success and personal fulfillment, Alex Spanos shares all he has learned over the course of his life in an attempt to help as many people as possible reach their potential.

Why, you ask? Simple. Alex Spanos profoundly believes in this country and what it offers the human race. We have spoken many times about this. Two things separate America from the rest of the world. First is our freedom. Second is our Founding Fathers and their brilliance in constructing a Constitution that is itself founded on the notion of the yearning of the human spirit. Our Founding Fathers knew that this spirit is part of our creation. That spirit, that yearning for freedom, comes from God, not from other men granting it to some and not others, and they wrote a Constitution that limits not the freedom of the American people but rather the power of those we elect to govern us. This is the framework from which individual greatness grows, and to understand this is to understand the roots of this countrys amazing success. You see, Alex Spanos loves this country and wants it to continue to be the greatest country in the world. And he believes that it is the American people, pursuing happiness and success, striving for excellence each day, who make America what it is. He wants you and everyone to understand what is possible, even today, in America, so that you will seek it and, in the process, contribute to the ongoing magnificence that is the United States.

So why should you take the advice of this man? Well, one reason is this: I have always believed that it makes much more sense to listen to people who have made a success of their lives than to those who havent. Listening to someone tell you that you cant make it can be very seductive because it provides you an excuse not to try. Listening to those who have made it, however, is inspiring and motivational, not defeatist and negative. You can trust Alexs views and thoughts on the subject of success. But you will also learn that success isnt easy.

Alex Spanos certainly hasnt had it easy. His father was a tough-talking disciplinarian who required him to get up at four oclock every morning to work in the family restaurant before going to school. When World War II came along, Spanos served in the U.S. Air Force and after his tour returned home to join his father at the family business.

But he was unsatisfied. He longed to be on his own, to carve his own niche in life, and so, at age twenty-seven, he quit the security of the family restaurant and bakery and started his own business. He got no assistance from his father. It didnt matter. He was passionate and committed, and through sheer determination to succeed he made his first million at the age of thirty-three, in 1956.

Alex Spanos is not a phony or artificial man. He knows that his success is due primarily to his own efforts and commitment, just as he knows yours will be. Yet he makes massive donations to the community. The philosophy is simple: he believes in sharing the wealth (the title of this book). He doesnt donate money for phony PR reasons but rather to help those who need it most. And he targets his assistance so that it doesnt encourage dependence but instead helps people grab the innumerable opportunities for success that America offers.

Alex Spanos is such a self-starter that one of the most frustrating experiences in his life oddly accompanied the fulfillment of one of his lifelong dreams: to own a franchise in the National Football League (NFL). He bought the San Diego Chargers in 1984 and discovered that, unlike in his other businesses, his own personal involvement and hard work mattered little to the teams win-loss record. You see, he couldnt play the game each Sunday. All he could do was assemble the players and the coaching staff and try to instill in the organization all of his personal philosophies. But one of the reasons that Alex is so successful is that he learns from what doesnt work. In this case, he figured out exactly what he and the Chargers needed, and he turned the management of the team over to his son Dean. That enabled Alex to oversee the operation, advise his son now and then, and simply enjoy the fun aspects of owning his teamand the Chargers went to the Super Bowl that very season. He is now one of the most respected owners in the NFL and is routinely turned to for advice and guidance in league matters.

I will never forget the first time I spoke with Alex Spanos. He called me in the early 1990s and asked me to join him in a weekend fund-raising blitz throughout California for then-governor Pete Wilson and other Republican elected officials. I was speechless for a time, not believing Alex Spanos was actually on the phone seeking my assistance. The weekend he proposed was one I could not make, and I politely told him so.

Here is what he said: Why, that is wonderful, thats great. Ill arrange for you to get out here and well have a heck of a good time. Im so glad you can make it!

Uh, Mr. Spanos, I think you misunderstood me, I replied. I just cannot do it that weekend. I am committed to other things at that time.

To which he responded, I cant tell you how great it is that you will be joining us. So many people have asked for you and this will be great, just great that you can make it.

Alex Spanos simply does not know the word no. It isnt in his vocabulary. Negative thoughts never enter his mind. I have never met anyone more positive in my life, and these traits are infectious when you are in his presence.

You are about to experience these characteristics yourself on the pages of this wonderful book. In reading Sharing the Wealth, you will discover things about yourself you may not be aware of. You will be moved to emulate the life of Alex Spanosand you will finish knowing you can. The only thing standing in your way is you.

Be prepared to be dazzled, informed, entertained, and challenged. You will wish, as I do, that you had met Alex Spanos and his family much earlier. Remember, though, that it is never too late to encounter greatness, just as it is never too late to begin your quest for it. In