His parents had little formal education and insisted that their son attend school. Young Albert, however, did not share his parents’ high regard for education.

“I stayed outside most of the time doing pranks with my friends,” he says. “I’m embarrassed to say that we used to steal hubcaps so that we could get a little cash.”

In time, Albert became more serious about his education, graduating first from Brooklyn Tech High School and then from the College of New York, where he earned a degree in mechanical engineering.

After graduation, he got a job at Rockadyne, where he designed rocket engines. A job transfer took him to Southern California, but Albert eventually decided to return to New York and attend graduate school at Columbia University. He then returned to Southern California to work for Arthur Andersen as a consultant.

Eventually, he joined Computing and Software, a company that specialized in batch processing for large organizations, including the federal government. There, he trained technicians.

He then worked for Xerox, where his ability to describe business needs to technicians led to more involvement with sales. He became a salesman for a division that sold time sharing on computers to mid-size companies. He excelled as a salesman and became a regional manager, teaching others the sales techniques he had developed.

Albert left Xerox to join TRW Information, where he was responsible for a division that sold credit reports. He enjoyed the work but experienced an epiphany when his brother died of a heart attack at the age of 49.

Deciding that he did not like the “work to die” mentality, Albert began implementing an investment plan that would allow him to retire at a young age. Today, he teaches marketing courses at a major university, participates in the Voluntary Service Overseas and manages his portfolio of real estate.

Albert doesn’t worry about money, only about “health and happiness.” In 10 years, he wants to be doing exactly what he is doing today: sailing, golfing and participating in a “group with common interests.”

Just like his parents, Albert extolled the value of education to his children. His son received a master’s degree from Cornell University, and his daughter has a Ph.D. from Harvard University, a living legacy of which previous generations of the family would be proud.

---

 

 

 

 

 

---

 Discuss this article on the forums. (0 posts)

---