When Ryan Ross was three years old, he started a chicken-and-egg business in his backyard. Today, the eight-year-old is on his fourth company — and has already earned close to $1 million.
“I had 60 chickens and sold a dozen eggs for three dollars,” recalls Ryan, who lives near Toronto. “I made $15 a day.”
When he tired of selling eggs, Ryan launched his next venture: A lawn-mowing business. Ryan charged customers $20 per hour, but because he was too young to operate a lawnmower, he hired older kids to do the work — for $15 dollars an hour.
“He made $5 per hour for doing nothing,” says his mother, Savannah. “It was the same thing with his next company, a power-washing business. We supplied the power-washer; he charged the customer $200 and paid a person $100 to do the work. And they’re all his ideas. My husband and I are adamant that Ryan has to understand everything he’s doing. If I do it for him, it’s my company.”
All along, Ryan has been investing his profit in real estate. Today he owns six buildings in Ontario and British Columbia; his personal net worth is $900,000. Ryan has also bought a hockey rink and basketball court for his family, and some 4,000 books for himself. But no cellphone: His parents won’t allow it. “His friends in school don’t believe he’s a businessman”, says Savannah. “They think it’s baloney.”
But Tiny Trump’s ambitions go beyond real estate. “I want to buy two National Hockey League teams,” Ryan tells Metro. “That way I can play in the NHL.”
Explains Savannah: “Ryan thinks hockey is all fun. But he has to understand the business side, so now we’re setting up meetings with NHL owners. They think it’s very cute.”
