Famous people and their childhood goals

We all had dreams and aspirations when we were little, about what we wanted to do after growing up. For some of us, there were more than one dream and for some their desires kept changing from time to time. Have you ever wondered what some of the famous people wanted to become when they were growing up? Let’s give you a quick glimpse at the dreams of some of the most successful and famous people from around the world and what their childhood dreams were!

  1. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
    When the Missile Man of India was ten years old, one of his teachers, decided to take the class to nearby seashore and asked the kids to watch the birds in flight. He then explained the theory of flight while the kids watched the birds soar in the sky in front of them. Little Kalam knew right then that he would grow up and do something that’s closely related to flying or flight.
  2. Barack Obama
    When he was in grade school, the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, was given a class assignment. The assignment required him to answer the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Guess what his answer was. This world-class leader had declared it back then that he wanted to become the President of America. Wow, who would have thought that the far-fetched goal would become a reality!
  3. Thomas Edison
    The inventor of bulb wasn’t considered to be the smartest of kids during his childhood. In fact, he was home-schooled by his mother as his teachers found it too difficult to teach young Thomas as he would ask way too many questions. While growing up, he took liking to Shakespeare’s works which led him to thinking into becoming an actor. Thanks to his shyness and high-pitched voice, he had to give up the idea and eventually went on to discover the light bulb.
  4. Bill Gates
    The richest man in the world wanted to be a business man growing up. Sure, he started a business, which is doing quite well. But, he also runs the largest non-profit organization in the history of the world – the Gates Foundation.
  5. Sundar Pichai
    The Google CEO, Sundar Pichai, excelled at Science and Technology, but revealed in an interview during one of his visits in India that when he was a kid, he wanted to become a cricketer. He was a huge fan of Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar.
  6. Mukesh Ambani
    India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, was asked to join Reliance Industries by his father, Dhirubhai Ambani. But, the career path he had planned for himself looked quite different. In his growing up age, he wanted to work at the World Bank or teach in a University. He still has aspirations of doing something in the field of education. So, it won’t be a surprise if this successful businessman took to teaching in the future!
  7. Oprah Winfrey
    This self-made billionaire had a very tough childhood. Despite that, her dreams were never a reflection of the limitations she was raised in. She wanted to be an actor as a kid. And she did become an actor, but not before becoming one of the best (and richest) talk-show hosts of the world.
  8. Priyanka Chopra
    Our very own “Desi Girl” who’s now taking the world by storm through her acting, wanted to become a software engineer or a criminal psychologist. Her entry to the world of movies and modelling started when her mother sent her pictures for a Miss India pageant without her knowledge.
  9. Akshay Kumar
    It’s a known fact that the Bollywood star, Akshay Kumar, used to be a martial arts teacher. But, did you know what he wanted to do after growing up as a kid? His dream was to join the Indian Army. When talking about this, he told in an interview, “..You can’t expect God to give you what you want. At times, God has his own plans.” And we agree!
  10. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
    When growing up, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, one of the most famous Indian celebrities in the world, had an inclination towards Zoology. This made her consider Medicine as her preferred career choice. She later developed an interest in Architecture, which she gave up to pursue a career in modelling. And the rest, as they say, is history.
  11. Madhuri Dixit Nene
    Madhuri Dixit Nene, did not set out to be an actor. She was planning to become a Microbiologist or a Pathologist, in fact she even completed her education in the industry. But, instead ended up being one of the finest actors from Bollywood, with some highly acclaimed performances to her credit.
  12. Brad Pitt
    This Academy and Golden Globe Award winner, and the former Sexiest Man Alive, Brad Pitt, had other aspirations. When he was growing up, he wanted to become an Advertising Art Director. However, he also had quiet aspirations of becoming an actor, developed from his love for movies, which he later chose over a career in advertising.