If it hadn’t been for a snowy January morning like Wednesday, William Gross might never have become a successful businessman.
“It was fraternity rush, and I was driving to pick up some doughnuts for my brothers when the car slid off the street and hit a tree,” Gross said, describing the accident that almost claimed his life during his senior year at Duke.
In the accident, Gross nearly lost his head—literally. The crash sent him through the windshield of his car, cutting a section off the crown of his head. After being rushed to Duke Hospital, doctors were able to repair the damage, and Gross said he donated $5 million of Wednesday’s $23.5 million gift to the School of Medicine partially “to say thank you for putting my head back on straight.”
Unable to go to class during his three-month stay in the hospital, Gross read a book on the card game blackjack, learning how to beat gambling odds. After being released from the hospital and graduating, Gross said he headed to Las Vegas to test his newfound knowledge. Gross said the reading proved fruitful, helping him earn a substantial sum of money and develop an interest in business.
“That led to my career at PIMCO because it took the same skills—math prowess and initiative—to try and beat the system,” Gross explained.
Now the manager of the world’s largest bond mutual fund and an investor responsible for nearly $600 billion, Gross credits that January day with starting his career and providing him with the means to give back to Duke Wednesday, another snowy January day.
“That snowy morning at Duke started my career, and it’s fair to say that it’s come back full circle,” Gross said.
— by Seyward Darby
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