Speaking of Mark Twain, the American author grew up poor after his father died when the novelist-to-be was 11 years old.
Throughout his career, Twain desired to become rich, and even though he married up on the social ladder, his dream never came true.
After the success of Grant’s biography and “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” Twain’s publishing house went bankrupt. His financial failings contributed to depression and in 1894, the satirist declared bankruptcy.
With more successful writing and a popular speaking tour, Twain got back to financial security but then lost a $30,000 investment in a protein powder.
