Chris Gardner in conversation with 20/20 producer Lynn Redmond about his newly-published autobiography, "The Pursuit of Happyness." Gardner's fascinating story is also the subject of a movie of the same name starring Will Smith as Gardner and Smith's son Jaden as Gardner's son, Chris Jr. The film was shot in the Bay Area and is scheduled to be released in December 2006 by Columbia Pictures.
Gardner is President and CEO of Rich LLC. He is also an avid philanthropist committed to assisting organizations involved in education and economic development.
Bio
Chris Gardner
Chris Gardner: is president and CEO of the Chicago-based brokerage firm Gardner Rich & Co., which he founded in 1987. Prior to launching his own firm, Mr. Gardner worked for several prestigious Wall Street firms. He landed his first job in the securities industry in 1981 with Dean Witter Reynolds, coming out of their training program. Later, he spent four years with Bear Stearns & Co., where he became a top earner. A self-made multi-millionaire, Gardner is intent on giving back to the communities where he conducts business because he has never forgotten his humble beginnings or the odds he has surmounted.
Gardner's story is truly inspirational. His openess and honesty details landmarks through his life presented with both tragedy and humor. Gardner's story demonstrates the power of the human spirit to overcome domestic abuse, poverty, and socioeconomic factors and that we are not only a product of our environment. Gardner is a Bay Area inspiration. The film was partly filmed in San Francisco last year, it should be interesting to see.