Vietnam Vet's Logistics Company Was Down To Its Last $5,000. The Former Marine Took The $5,000 To A Vegas Blackjack Table And Made Enough To Keep The Company Going. Five Decades Later, FedEx Founder Fred Smith Had Built A $5.3 Billion Fortune

Federal Express founder Fred Smith took a company’s last $5,000 to a Las Vegas blackjack table after fuel suppliers demanded advance payment and General Dynamics declined to fund more. In Roger Frock’s account, FedEx had $32,000 on hand that Monday, but Smith told him he needed money for fuel—so he flew to Nevada and “won $27,000.” The payout bought only one week of jet fuel, not a permanent fix, as Frock says the company survived through investor goodwill, employees delaying payroll cashing, and later financing. The trip’s exact year is disputed, with some placing it in 1973.