Today, Christopher Gardner is a well-known businessman, novelist, and motivational speaker. His 2006 book, “The Pursuit of Happyness,” was so inspirational that Hollywood adapted it for the silver screen that very same year. Will Smith’s portrayal of Gardner in the film “The Pursuit of Happyness” earned the star nominations for Best Actor at the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes. For the real-life Gardner, his book not only hit the New York Times Bestseller List, but it also received an NAACP Image Award.
His story has inspired millions of people across generations worldwide as the author and entrepreneur continues to motivate audiences with his story. Gardner remains a highly positive philanthropist and leadership role model – and it all began by joining the U.S. Navy.
Gardner was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on February 9, 1954. He came from a troubled home, and his childhood was filled with incidents of domestic violence. Eventually, he was sent to live in foster care. Gardner eventually found a few good male mentors while growing up, who were his three maternal uncles.
His mother, Bettye Jean, after enduring many hardships during her son’s early life, came to have a more influential and positive impact on him. In 1972, he joined the U.S. Navy and served as a hospital corpsman. He left the Navy in 1974 to run a laboratory at the University of California Medical Center and Veterans Administration Hospital in San Francisco for accomplished cardiac surgeon Dr. Robert Ellis.
Gardner had considered becoming a physician in the 1970s, but looking at 10 more years of medical training ahead of him, he opted for a more lucrative profession. Before he decided on his new career, he stumbled into starting a family. He married his first wife, Sherry Dyston, in 1977; however, his decision to leave medicine ultimately strained their marriage. Gardner soon began a relationship with dental student Jackie Medina. His extramarital affair led to the birth of his son, Christopher Jr.
While this might all seem scandalous to the casual reader, Gardner relates the whole story in his book, “The Pursuit of Happyness,” because it’s fundamental to what came next. Christopher Jr. wanted to meet his dad’s father and grandfather, which led to the two traveling to meet Gardner’s father, Turner, for the first time. After the meeting, Gardner decided to succeed in business. It was while the pair were in San Francisco that Gardner met a stockbroker and was seduced by the world of finance.
But his pursuit of happiness would have to continue. His job in finance did not pan out, his relationship with Jackie fell apart, and he was jailed for a massive amount of unpaid parking tickets. Jackie moved away with their son and by the time Gardner was released from jail, he found his home empty.
He took a job with a stock brokerage company, unpaid, to train in the industry. He worked hard at becoming a broker, despite not earning enough to live, by making some 200 calls per day. He passed his finance exams and moved on to a larger firm: Bear Stearns & Company.
Jackie eventually returned to San Francisco with their son and left him with Gardner. With his token salary, he managed to secure a room in a flophouse, but because he was not allowed to have his son in the house, the two were forced to leave. Gardner, homeless, retained custody of his son and continued to work. None of Christopher Gardner’s coworkers knew about his struggle with homelessness.
“I couldn’t tell you that we were homeless,” Gardner wrote in his book. “I just knew that we were always having to go. So, if anything, I remember us just moving, always moving.”
The two slept in various locations throughout the city, including his office, motels, parks, the airport, and even a bathroom at a train station. Eventually, a local pastor, Reverend Cecil Williams, let them stay at the Glide Memorial United Methodist Church’s shelter in the city.
After reestablishing himself, Gardner rekindled his relationship with Jackie. The couple had a daughter, Jacintha, and the two kids stayed with Jackie during his extensive work hours. He would come to found his own firm, Gardner Rich & Co., in Chicago in 1987. The firm focused on financial products for large pension funds and unions, and he ran it out of his apartment with just $10,000 in startup capital.
Gardner sold his part of the firm in 2006. His success and drive while running the firm made him a wealthy individual. He has since become a motivational speaker and philanthropist, sponsoring numerous organizations, including the Cara Program and, of course, San Francisco’s Glide Memorial United Methodist Church.
He funds multi-million dollar projects in San Francisco for people struggling to make ends meet, donates clothing, and mentors those in need with job placement assistance, career counseling, and job training. Gardner endured many challenges and hardships throughout his life. He continued to press on despite stress, failure, and setbacks, finding a path forward. He transformed his leadership skills and work ethic into a monumental force of positivity and success, inspiring others to greatness with a story that will stand the test of time. So much so that even Hollywood wanted to bring his story to a worldwide audience.
