Chris Gardner
Christopher Gardner | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 9, 1954 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, motivational speaker |
| Known for | Founder of Gardner Rich & Co; subject of The Pursuit of Happyness |
Christopher Paul Gardner, Sr. (born February 9, 1954) is an American entrepreneur and motivational speaker. During the early 1980s, Gardner experienced homelessness while caring for his young son. Subsequently, he entered the stockbroking industry and established the brokerage firm Gardner Rich & Co in 1987. He divested his minority interest in 2006 and authored a memoir that inspired the movie The Pursuit of Happyness, featuring Will Smith.
Early years
Gardner was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Bettye Jean Gardner and Thomas Turner. He was Bettye Jean’s second child and only male offspring. His family also included an elder half-sister and two younger sisters from his mother’s marriage to Freddie Triplett.
Growing up without strong male role models—his father resided in Louisiana and his stepfather was abusive—Gardner endured time in foster care following incidents linked to his mother’s incarceration. A brief period of positive influence came from his maternal uncle Henry, who tragically drowned when Gardner was nine years old.
Despite his mother’s difficulties, she instilled in him a philosophy of independence, often reminding him that "You can only depend on yourself." These early hardships fueled Gardner’s resolve to avoid abuse, illiteracy, and fear throughout his life.
Early adulthood
Motivated by Uncle Henry’s Navy service around the world, Gardner enlisted after high school. He served four years as a hospital corpsman stationed at Camp Lejeune. During this time, he developed a connection with Dr. Robert Ellis, a San Francisco-based cardiac surgeon, who offered him a position assisting with clinical research at the University of California Medical Center and Veterans Administration Hospital. Accepting this opportunity, Gardner relocated to San Francisco in 1974. Over the next two years, he managed laboratory operations and co-authored medical journal articles alongside Dr. Ellis, acquiring valuable research experience.
Marriage and struggles
On June 18, 1977, Gardner wed Sherry Dyson, an expert in mathematics education. Although initially pursuing a medical career, changes in healthcare and the extensive training required prompted him to reconsider. Advised to seek more financially rewarding opportunities, he informed Sherry of his decision to leave medicine shortly before turning 26.
Their marriage became strained due to this career shift and personal differences. While still married, Gardner began a relationship with Jackie Medina, a dental student who became pregnant within months. After three years of marriage, Gardner separated from Sherry to live with Jackie and prepare for fatherhood; their divorce was finalized in 1986.
Gardner’s son, Christopher Jarrett Gardner Jr., was born on January 28, 1981. Initially employed as a research lab assistant at UCSF and the Veterans' Hospital earning around $8,000 annually—an amount insufficient to support his family—Gardner transitioned after four years into medical equipment sales, doubling his income.
With improved finances, Gardner located his biological father living in Monroe, Louisiana, and traveled there with his son for their first meeting.
Back in San Francisco, after encountering Bob Bridges—a stockbroker known for driving a red Ferrari—Gardner became interested in finance. Bridges introduced him to the industry and arranged interviews with brokerage firms offering training programs such as Merrill Lynch, Paine Webber, E.F. Hutton, Dean Witter Reynolds, and Smith Barney. For two months, Gardner prioritized attending these meetings over sales calls despite accumulating parking fines.
His breakthrough appeared imminent when accepted into E.F. Hutton’s training program; he resigned from his sales position to focus entirely on stockbroking. However, upon arrival he discovered that his hiring manager had been dismissed the previous week. Simultaneously, his relationship with Jackie deteriorated amid legal disputes over custody of Chris Jr., resulting in a brief jail sentence for unpaid parking tickets totaling $1,200. Jackie relocated Chris Jr. eastward but chose not to press charges.
Following release from jail to find his apartment vacated, Gardner secured a spot in Dean Witter Reynolds’ unpaid stockbroker training program. Coupled with modest earnings from medical equipment sales ($300–$400 monthly), he faced severe financial hardship without savings or formal education.
Fatherhood and homelessness
Gardner distinguished himself as a leading trainee at Dean Witter Reynolds by consistently arriving early and staying late, making up to 200 calls each day. In 1982, he successfully passed the Series 7 Exam on his first attempt, securing a full-time position. Subsequently, he was hired by Bear Stearns & Company in San Francisco.
Approximately four months after Jackie left with their son, she came back and entrusted their child to Gardner’s care. With a limited income, Gardner could only afford lodging in a flophouse, which prohibited children. Although employed, both he and his son experienced homelessness while he saved for a rental property in Berkeley.
For nearly a year, none of Gardner’s colleagues were aware that they were homeless in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District. He faced challenges securing daycare and often depended on soup kitchens. Their nights were spent in offices after hours, motels, parks, airports, public transportation, and even a locked bathroom at a BART station.
Worried about his son’s well-being, Gardner reached out to Reverend Cecil Williams, who provided shelter for them at the Glide Memorial United Methodist Church's facility for homeless women, now known as The Cecil Williams Glide Community House. Christopher Gardner Jr. later remembered their frequent relocations but did not recognize it as homelessness.
Once stable housing was obtained, Gardner reconnected with Jackie and had a daughter named Jacintha in 1985. He chose not to reconcile with Jackie but arranged for both children to live with her during his lengthy workdays.
Career as a stockbroker and entrepreneur
In 1987, Gardner established the brokerage firm Gardner Rich & Co in Chicago, Illinois, focusing on executing transactions involving debt, equity, and derivative instruments for large institutions, public pension funds, and unions. Beginning with $10,000 and just one wooden desk in his modest Presidential Towers apartment, the company’s name paid tribute to commodities trader Marc Rich, whom Gardner admired despite having no direct affiliation.
After selling his interest in Gardner Rich through a multimillion-dollar transaction in 2006, Gardner assumed the role of CEO and founder of Christopher Gardner International Holdings, operating offices in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. During a trip to South Africa near the decade mark of apartheid’s conclusion, he met with Nelson Mandela to discuss potential investments aimed at job creation and increasing foreign currency inflows. Specific details remain confidential due to securities regulations.
Philanthropic activity
Gardner actively engages in philanthropy, supporting initiatives like the Cara Program and San Francisco’s Glide Memorial United Methodist Church, a place where he and his son once sought refuge.[1] He has played a role in a $50 million development project in San Francisco aimed at providing affordable housing and job opportunities in communities where he previously experienced homelessness.[2] In addition to financial contributions, Gardner donates apparel and footwear and offers employment placement services, career guidance, and training programs for homeless and vulnerable individuals in Chicago.[1]
Dedicated to promoting positive fatherhood, Gardner holds a position on the National Education Foundation board and sponsors two yearly education honors: the National Education Association’s National Educational Support Personnel Award and the American Federation of Teachers’ Paraprofessionals and School-Related Personnel Award.[1]
Awards and honors
In 2002, Gardner was honored with the Father of the Year Award from the NFI, received the 25th Annual Humanitarian Award from the Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women (LACAAW), and was presented with the 2006 Friends of Africa Award by the Continental Africa Chamber of Commerce.
He delivered a speech at his daughter’s graduation ceremony at Hampton University in 2008 and later served as the commencement speaker for the Spring 2009 graduation at the University of California, Berkeley.
The Pursuit of Happyness
Following widespread national attention after his January 2002 20/20 interview, Gardner recognized the cinematic potential of his life story. He released his autobiography on May 23, 2006, and took on an associate producer role for The Pursuit of Happyness, directed by Gabriele Muccino and distributed by Columbia Pictures on December 15, 2006. The film’s title is inspired by a sign Gardner noticed during his homelessness, which misspelled "happiness" as "happyness".
Featuring performances by Will Smith, Thandiwe Newton, and Jaden Smith, the movie dramatizes Gardner's nearly year-long experience with homelessness. It earned $163 million in domestic box office revenue and surpassed $300 million globally, marking one of Will Smith’s string of $100 million hits and securing him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. The film compresses several years of Gardner’s life into a shorter period and depicts his son at a younger age than in reality. Initially skeptical about Smith’s casting, Gardner was ultimately persuaded by his daughter. He makes a cameo appearance in the closing scene alongside Will and Jaden Smith.
To promote financial self-sufficiency among Chattanooga’s homeless community, the city’s mayor arranged a special screening of the film for them. Gardner highlighted that his narrative touches on broader societal challenges including alcoholism, domestic violence, child abuse, and illiteracy.
Gardner did not attend the movie premiere on December 15, 2006; instead, he chose to inspire others as a guest speaker at a Christmas event hosted by JHT Holdings, Inc., in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Additional Appearances
Gardner was featured in the 2004 Canadian documentary Come on Down: Searching for the American Dream, where he shared his insights on the American Dream from his office in Chicago. The documentary also included appearances by prominent personalities such as Bob Barker and Hunter S. Thompson. In 2008, he made a brief appearance portraying a community leader in the comedy film The Promotion.
Bibliography
- The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
- Start Where You Are: Life Lessons in Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be (2009)
- Permission to Dream (2021)
See also
External links
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