First Case: John Paul Dejoria Bounced Back from Homelessness

You've probably heard of Paul Mitchell's hair products and Patron tequilas, but did you know how these brands have common origins? Both enterprises were co-founded by John Paul DeJoria, who went on to become a billionaire along the way. His path to achievement, however, was not always smooth. DeJoria was arrested twice and spent time on the streets. He was just 22 when he became homeless for the first time, and he had a two-year-old son to care for. Nonetheless, he persisted in his entrepreneurial goal, eventually co-founding John Paul Mitchell Systems with $700 in startup capital. DeJoria is now a philanthropist who supports a variety of social concerns. He assists in the provision of resources to those experiencing homelessness, among other things.

Second Case: David Denashagar Won Startup Money by Playing Poker

What is the quickest way to raise $30,000? If you're a card shark like David Daneshgar, you might want to enter a poker tournament. Daneshgar and two pals intended to launch an online marketplace that connected florists with customers, but they lacked the necessary beginning capital. So Daneshgar, the 2008 World Series of Poker champion, spent $1000 to enter a poker tournament. The grand reward of $30,000 was, coincidentally, exactly what they needed. Daneshgar told his companions what they hoped to hear at the end of the stressful final round: "It's flower time." Soon after, they founded their company, BloomNation.

Third Case: Seth Priebatsch Took Dedication to a New Level – While Barefoot

In 2011, SCNGRW – A social app similar to FourSquare – was a $100,000 million company with a rate non-traditional CEO. Founder Seth Priebatsch, the company's self-described "chief ninja," was 22 years old at the time and had a tendency of not wearing shoes to work. He also wore a bright orange shirt to work every day and rarely left the office, preferring to sleep in his office. In 2012, Priebatsch rebranded SCVNGR as LevelUp, a mobile payments platform, although he preserved his title of Chief Ninja and his characteristic orange clothing.

Fourth Case: Mark Benioff Staged a Protest to Steal a Competitors Spotlight

Marck Benioff, one of Salesforce's founders, is well-known for inventing outrageous (and occasionally offensive) marketing ploys. Most notably, he once staged a phony protest at a Siebel Systems conference, complete with picket placards, chanting, and even a phony television crew. This drew a lot of attention to Salesforce at the expense of his competitor. In another instance, Benioff arranged for an airport's whole taxi fleet to be rented just before another Siebel event nearby. To Siebel's chagrin, he then had his workers pitch Salesforce on the way to the event.

Fifth Case: Mark Zuckerberg Killed His Own Food

In 2011, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg undertook a personal challenge to only eat meat that he killed himself. He announced this challenge to the world with his now-infamous status update, “I just killed a pig and a goat” on May 4, 2011. Zuckerberg quickly stated that he accepted the challenge to learn more about sustainable farming and to consume resources more wisely. However, the modification was not permanent. After the year-long challenge ended, Zuckerberg resumed purchasing meat at the grocery store.

Sixth Case: Clive Palmer Tried to Clone a Dinosaur

What if Jurassic Park was more than simply a film? Clive Palmer, an eccentric Australian industrialist, sought to clone dinosaurs and even met with scientists to explore the notion. This happened in 2012, and since clothing techniques still haven’t advanced enough to bring back extinct species, It doesn’t look like Palmer’s dreams will be coming to fruition anytime soon. However, his love for dinosaurs abides. In 2013, he opened a theme park called Palmersaurus that features over 160 enormous dinosaur replicas.