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Famous Dyslexics
Stories of success because of dyslexia, not in spite of it.
Charles Schwab
(Investor)
Schwab used mental imagery to memorize crucial data and concepts, creating vivid mental pictures to represent financial ideas, which aided in retaining and recalling information.
Agatha Christie
(Author)
Surprisingly, Agatha Christie had dyslexia. She could draw on vivid visuals in her head to construct crime scenes and clues, making her novels highly detailed, hinting at solutions to the mysteries.
Thomas Jefferson
(Politician)
Most modern historians of Jefferson believe that he was dyslexic. His own formative education was a battle to read and write. It is believed this made him into a pioneer of educational advocacy., writing about educational reform.
John F Kennedy
(Politician)
As president, JFK created the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, likely inspired by his own experiences and learning struggles. JKF was diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age along with many other members of his family.
Prince Harry
(Philanthropist)
A member of the British royal family, Prince Harry was diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age and notably struggled more with his studies than typical.
Henry Ford
(Industrialist)
Henry Ford grew up with dyslexia, which made it difficult for him to read. However, he excelled in engineering and used his dyslexia as a springboard to fine-tune his other abilities. He founded Ford and invented the vehicle assembly line manufacturing.
Nigel Kennedy
(Musician)
British violinist Nigel Kennedy is one of the world’s most recognised classical musicians, known for the phenomenal success of his Vivaldi Four Seasons recording with the English Chamber Orchestra, which sold over 3 million copies following its release in 1989.
Hans Anderson
(Author)
He much preferred memorizing stories rather than learning to read and attempted to return to school in his late teens, but fared poorly. He was not a good speller and was discouraged from writing, mocked by his teachers for his ambition to become a writer.
Bradley Little
(Politician)
The 33rd governor of Idaho, he served as the 42nd lieutenant governor of Idaho and as an Idaho state senator. Little helped achieve historic investments in education and infrastructure.
Winston Churchill
(politician)
Despite early challenges, Churchill went on to deliver and write powerful speeches that were instrumental in rallying Britain during WWII. These speeches offered vivid imagery that inspired the British onward.
Anderson Cooper
(TV Journalist)
Anderson was diagnosed with dyslexia as a child. And even now, he’s grateful for reading specialists who played a role in his career success. “I grew up in a home where reading and writing had great value,” Cooper has said.
Walt Disney
(Animator)
Disney often reversed letters and numbers, struggled with spelling, and found reading aloud particularly daunting. Yet, he showed remarkable artistic talent from an early age; drawing and sketching whenever he could.
Tom Cruise
(Actor)
Diagnosed with dyslexia, Tom states that he believes his dyslexia is what gave him his intense work ethic, imaginative mind, and incredible resourcefulness in filming. He declares that he learned to become a functional illiterate in his school years.
J K Rowling
(Author)
Diagnosed as an adult, she struggled with reading comprehension, but that didn’t stop her from being an avid reader and she found solace in books during difficult times. Rowling has been open about her struggles with dyslexia, advocating for dyslexic students.
George Patton
(Stratagist)
Patton’s dyslexia is confirmed by his family, documented by two specialists. He had a startling ability to visualize and make ideas concrete. At 10 George entered the Classical School for Boys in Pasadena, unable to read or write.
Muhammed Ali
(Athlete)(
Ali hated reading as a student, recognized the impact of dyslexia on current-day students, and worked with his wife and Scholastic to create a new series of books that would help improve the literacy of young readers who struggle.
Tommy Hilfiger
(Fashion Designer)
Tommy Hilfiger says his dyslexia inspired him to build his fashion brand. The fashion designer said his inability to read well and feeling dumb in school, is the reason why he started the Luxury Fashion House at the age of 17.
Magic Johnson
(Athlete)
Being persistent helped Johnson succeed in spite of his dyslexia. He never doubted his ability, but he made every effort to stay the course. He studied hard and worked hard. By the time he was in the eighth grade, he pictured his future was in basketball.
Keira Knightley
(Actress)
Keira was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 6 and faced challenges with reading in school. Initially, this was not obvious because she had memorized books and appeared to "read" from memory.
Richard Branson
(Entrepeneur)
Richard has dyslexia. He has described his dyslexic thinking as his superpower and credits it for his success. He said it forced him to master the art of delegation, a skill that many intelligent people struggle with.
Leonardo Da Vinci
(Polymath)
Da Vinci often wrote his notes in reverse/mirror image (a trait sometimes shared by other dyslexics). He also mentioned his discomfort with writing. His genius ranged from painting, drafting, engineering, science, theorizing, sculpting, to architecture.
Albert Einstein
(Physicist)
He had problems with spelling and grammar, and his teachers declared him ‘borderline intellectually impaired’. Fortunately, his parents placed him in a special school where he was taught using his special abilities rather than through what he could not do.
George Washington
(Politician)
George Washington, the first U.S. president, is believed to have had dyslexia. He struggled with spelling and grammar, but he taught himself to work through his learning differences. Historians report that he often spelled words the way they sounded.
Jay Leno
(Comedian)
While Jay Leno says that dyslexia doesn’t affect him much, it seems to be because he naturally leans toward accommodations that work for him, using paraphrasing cue cards and teleprompters.
Stonewall Jackson
(Strategist)
Military historians regard him as one of the most gifted tactical commanders in U.S. history.
He served during the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War. He also taught at the Virginia Military Institute.
Ansel Adams
(Photographer)
He lived a fairly normal childhood until the eighth grade, when his father recognized that Ansel was having difficulty fitting in at school. A shy introvert, young Ansel may have also suffered from a hyperactive disorder or dyslexia.
Andrew Jackson
(Politician)
Jackson’s spelling was indeed creative; examples include “devilopment,” the continent of “Urope,” a reference to a “femal character.” He sometimes spelled the same word several different ways in a single letter.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
(Author)
Fitzgerald is believed to have had a learning disability which was mostly likely dyslexia, but went on to write a classic novel.
Cher
(Musician)
Diagnosed with dyslexia, Cher had the determination to succeed and a talent that took her to the top. She used her creativity to deliver unique vocal signatures and creative style.
Whoopi Goldberg
(Actress)
Whoopi was not diagnosed with dyslexia during her early years, but later realized it prevented her from succeeding in school. Goldberg says that her dyslexia made her more introspective, giving her an upper hand in acting
Keanu Reeves
(Actor)
Diagnosed as a child, Reeves is the recipient of numerous accolades in a career on screen spanning four decades, he is known for his leading roles in action films, his amiable public image, and his philanthropic efforts.
John Lennon
(Musician)
His troubles in school, especially with spelling and memorization suggest that he likely had dyslexia, and at least one biographer (Albert Goldman) believed he was dyslexic, though Lennon was never formally assessed.
Henry Cushing
(Neurosurgeon)
Suspected of being dyslexic, he had a notable athletic prowess and incredible artistic talent. His drawing of the brain and anatomy became incredibly famous, helping his research and practice which is still relevant today.
Nelson Rockefeller
(Industrialist)
Rockefeller claimed that dyslexia helped him develop invaluable administrative skills. He delivered a speech on the PBS special “The Puzzle Children”, recounting his own struggles with dyslexia and advising other dyslexic “puzzle children”.
Robert Weir
(Musician)
Weir had trouble in school because of undiagnosed dyslexia, and he was expelled from nearly every school he attended. He pioneered the 'jam band scene.'
Tom Holland
(Actor)
He was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 7, which led his parents to enroll him in a private school to support his learning needs. He has been an advocate for dyslexia, inspiring others to overcome learning obstacles.
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