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See what remarkable builders and entrepreneurs achieved at age 49
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Notable Achievements at Age 49
Phil Hartman murdered by his wife; wife later killed herself
In the early hours of May 28, 1998, Brynn fatally shot Phil while he slept; she later shot herself; both were found dead that morning.
Michelle McNamara died
Wife Michelle McNamara died in her sleep; death attributed to undiagnosed heart condition and medication complications.
Fired as U.S. Attorney by President Trump
On March 11, 2017, during the Trump administration, Bharara was dismissed after refusing to submit his resignation when asked.
Fatal hit-and-run; arrested for murder
Jan 29, 2015: Knight drove his car into two men in Compton after an alleged dispute on the Straight Outta Compton film set; Terry Carter was killed and Cle Sloan was seriously injured. Knight fled the scene and was arrested.
Announced purchase of The Washington Post ($250M)
Announced acquisition of The Washington Post and affiliated publications for $250 million in cash via Nash Holdings.
Announced death of Osama bin Laden (Operation Neptune Spear)
Announced that U.S. forces conducted an operation in Pakistan resulting in the death of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden (raid occurred May 1–2, 2011).
Elected ACM Fellow
Elected a fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery for contributions to AI and information retrieval.
Ranked No. 38 on Comedy Central's 100 Greatest Stand‑up Comedians
Placed #38 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest stand-up comedians of all time.
Elected to U.S. House of Representatives
Elected Vermont's at-large member of the U.S. House (took office in January 1991).
Victory at Yorktown; Cornwallis surrenders
The Franco-American siege forced General Cornwallis to surrender, effectively ending major military operations in the Revolutionary War.
Written judgment published (Judge James Mellor)
The court's written judgment (20 May 2024) stated evidence supporting Wright's claim were forgeries and that Wright had lied to the court.
Elected Governor of Pennsylvania (defeated Doug Mastriano)
Won the 2022 gubernatorial election in a landslide, defeating the Trump-endorsed Republican Doug Mastriano by nearly 15 percentage points.
Won Democratic nomination for Governor of Texas
Won the Democratic primary on March 1, 2022 with 91.4% of the vote and 983,182 primary votes.
2021 federal election — re-elected, Liberals remain minority
Called a snap election and led the Liberals to another minority government; Trudeau won Papineau again.
Married Alfred Molina
Lee and Alfred Molina married in August 2021 in a ceremony officiated by mutual friend Jonathan Groff.
SEC files complaint against Ripple and executives
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued a complaint alleging Ripple, Brad Garlinghouse and Chris Larsen committed securities law violations related to XRP sales (Dec 23, 2020).
FBI unsealed indictment in Wolverine Watchmen kidnapping plot
Federal indictment unsealed charging men associated with Wolverine Watchmen with plotting to kidnap Governor Whitmer and overthrow the Michigan government.
Purchased Bel Air mansion from Elon Musk for US$29 million
In June 2020 Ding bought a 16,000-square-foot Bel Air mansion from Elon Musk for US$29 million.
Named to Time 100 Most Influential People
Recognized by Time magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in 2019.
💡 What this means for you
At age 49, you're at a pivotal point where many successful entrepreneurs made their breakthrough. Whether you're building your first company or scaling an existing one, these examples show what's possible with focus and execution.
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