FORMERLY THROWN AWAY AT A DUMPSTER, FREDDIE FIGGERS BECAME A MILLIONAIRE TECH ENTREPRENEUR DESPITE ALL ODDS
It doesn’t have to be your circumstances that define you.
Freddie Figgers found out when he was eight that his biological mother abandoned him near a dumpster shortly after he was born, according to BBC News.
“Listen, Fred, I’m going to tell you the truth. I adopted you out of foster care because I didn’t wish to send you through foster care.” Freddie recalls his father telling him, “You are my son.” Your biological mother threw you away, and you and Betty Mae adopted you out of foster care.
He describes the thoughts that went through his mind after finding out that his adopted parents found him near a dumpster.
He told me that and I felt unwanted and that made me feel trash.” said Freddie. I remember he grabbed my shoulder and said, “Listen, don’t ever let that bother you.'”
Although Freddie continued to be plagued by the circumstances surrounding his adoption throughout his youth, he persevered.
I was called a lot of names when I was younger, including ‘dumpster baby,’ ‘trash can boy,’ ‘who wants you,’ and ‘you’re dirty.'” said Freddie.
In 1989, Nathan and Betty Mae were living in Quincy, a rural community in North Florida, when Freddie was born.
After fostering many children, they chose to adopt Freddie when he was just two days old.
It was always my father’s intention to help others, stopping by the roadside to help strangers and feeding the homeless, he said. The reason I wanted to be like him was because he adopted and raised me.”
In the meantime, Freddie and Nathan would do “dumpster diving” on the weekends, looking for old things that could still be useful.
Freddie wanted a computer.
“I was always fascinated by computers, and there is an old saying that ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. During that time, gateway computers weren’t in our budget.”
At the age of nine, Freddie found a broken Mac while browsing in a Goodwill store with his father. The rest is history.
“When I got home and the computer wouldn’t turn on, I took it apart,” said Freddie.
His determination would not let up until he was able to get the computer up again.
“When I inspected it, I found some damaged capacitors. Using parts I had from my father’s radio alarm clock, I built a circuit board.” I used my father’s soldering gun and I also had radios and alarm clocks.
A few attempts later, the computer powered on, and Freddie was convinced that technology was what he wanted to do the rest of his life.
In today’s world, Freddie Figgers is a millionaire inventor of inventions that include a GPS tracker, designed as a result of the Alzheimer’s disease his father, Natham, suffered from.
Within a month of selling the tracker rights, he lost his father.
Freddie continues to break into the tech industry, and he is married to attorney Natlie Figgers. Instilling this advice into their daughter is something he says he will do together as a couple.
The world may seem cold, but you must never give up.
The trajectory of Freddie Figgers’ life could’ve been very different if he’d given up.
He also offers this piece of advice for others: “Don’t allow your circumstances to define you.”
This article was penned by Jonathan P. Wright. Jonathan is a freelance writer for multiple mainstream publications and CVO of RADIOPUSHERS. You can read more of his work by clicking here.
