Oxford student asked self-made billionaire for a handout. His brutal response relayed a priceless life lesson

In 2015, Alan Sugar, a self-made billionaire and founder of Amstrad, was speaking to students at Oxford University when one of them asked him a direct question. The young boy was visibly stressed with the job industry and asked Sugar if he could work with him. The billionaire heard the student and even sympathized with him, but refused to help him at all. The boy was certainly disappointed, but he also learned a priceless lesson about success that day. The expert's address was released on the Oxford Union's (@oxfordunion) YouTube channel.

The student apologized for being blunt, then proceeded to ask Sugar for some work experience. He said that youngsters are struggling to find a job amidst rising costs, and hence wants the billionaire to help him with it. Sugar heard his plea, let out a little laugh, and rejected his request almost immediately. Sugar, fondly called "Lord Sugar," agreed that it had become significantly difficult to find jobs but, at the same time, emphasized the need to forge one's own path. "Your destiny is in your hands. I succeeded because I had to; no one sorted anything out for me," he explained. The billionaire founded his company in 1968, at the age of only 21, with almost nothing, but took it to greater heights all on his own, without any external support. "I didn't go to any government and ask, 'Pretty please, find me some work and do something for me,' because it was a waste of bloody time," Sugar confessed. He urged the students not to expect any government or anybody, for that matter, to help them with their work. "You have got to go out there and fight for it yourself," Sugar added.

He also joked about the "wannabes," TV stars or pop stars who are obsessed with fame and won't stop until they achieve their goals. Sugar said that while they sincerely lack any talent, their determination is what works for them.  Moving on, the billionaire said that the student might not find his advice helpful, but nobody except him would be able to control his destiny. "Have you got a rich dad? A rich uncle?" he asked, and when the young boy denied, Sugar replied, "Well, then, you're going to have to do it yourself." 

When you set out to build an empire without any support, you are more likely to fail initially, but that failure will eventually lead you to success. Dashun Wang, a self-proclaimed 'failure expert,' asked his team to survey scientists who had applied for a grant from the National Institutes of Health. Wang's team kept in touch with the scientists and divided them into two categories: those who barely got a grant, and those who scored just below the cutoff for funding. After continuous assessment for 10 years, the team realized that although a majority of those who hadn't received a grant had dropped out of the system, those who remained were more/as successful than their peers who had received the grant. 

This further justifies what Sugar explained to the students at Oxford University. He, too, has experienced highs and lows in his career, but his determination and resilience have kept him going over the years. At one time, his company had become the largest manufacturer of computers in Europe, but it went through a phase of tremendous loss because of a fatal design error in its products. However, amidst challenges, Sugar didn't lose hope and took it as a positive learning experience. "I remember a friend of mine said, 'Look, get up, put your suit on, shirt and tie, get in there, and go for it again,' and that's effectively what you have to do," he explained.

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