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See what remarkable builders and entrepreneurs achieved at age 56
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Notable Achievements at Age 56
Convicted of embezzlement (31 Mar 2025)
Convicted with other MEPs of embezzling over €4 million of European Parliament funds to pay National Front staff; sentenced to 4 years prison, 5‑year ban from public office, fined €100,000.
Died of non-small-cell lung cancer
Wojcicki died on Aug 9, 2024 after living with non-small-cell lung cancer for approximately two years.
CFDA American Menswear Designer of the Year – Winner (2023)
Awarded CFDA American Menswear Designer of the Year (2023), a prominent industry prize elevating visibility.
Convicted of cyberlibel (June 15, 2020)
Manila court found her guilty of cyberlibel; conviction carried potential prison term of 6 months to 6 years and fine of ₱400,000; widely condemned by international rights groups.
American Institute of Architects New York Chapter Medal of Honor
Annabelle Selldorf received the AIANY Medal of Honor in recognition of her body of work.
Rebranded to Starling Bank
Company rebranded from Possible Financial Services to Starling Bank (Jan 2016).
Died of tumor-related respiratory arrest
Jobs died at home in Palo Alto on October 5, 2011, after a long struggle with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor.
Named to Time's TIME 100
Featured in Time magazine's 'TIME 100: The Most Influential People' (May 2007).
Died in Silver Spring, Maryland
Rachel Carson died of a heart attack at home on April 14, 1964; her body was cremated; ashes partially interred and partially scattered in Maine.
Albert Lasker Award and Feltrinelli Award (Italy)
Received the prestigious Lasker Award for outstanding contributions to medicine (for the 'blue baby' operation); also awarded the Italian Feltrinelli prize.
Died of pneumonia in Chicago
Died on September 28, 1903 after catching a cold which developed into pneumonia during the traction campaign.
Death of spouse David Miranda announced
Greenwald announced via Twitter the passing of his husband David Miranda after a nine-month ICU stay (May 9, 2023).
Celsius files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Celsius filed Chapter 11 on July 13, 2022; company reported about $4.7B in customer claims and a ~$1.19B balance‑sheet hole.
First private company to launch astronauts to Earth orbit (Demo-2)
SpaceX launched NASA astronauts to orbit (Demo-2) on May 30, 2020; SpaceX became the first private company to send astronauts to the ISS — an achievement under Shotwell's operational leadership.
Donated $1.6M in medical supplies to UC San Diego
Donated medical supplies valued at $1.6 million to UC San Diego to be shared with regional health care systems.
Received Ernest C. Arbuckle Award (Stanford GSB)
Accepted the 47th Ernest C. Arbuckle Award recognizing leadership (event March 7, 2017 at Stanford GSB).
Inducted into National Radio Hall of Fame
Hannity was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in November 2017.
Posthumous Lifetime Achievement — D.I.C.E. Awards
Received a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2016 D.I.C.E. Awards in recognition of his contributions to games.
Court-ordered release of Laquan McDonald video
Judge ordered release of the dash-cam video on Nov 24, 2015; public outcry followed about administration's handling.
💡 What this means for you
At age 56, 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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