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Minds of Madness Podcast. Listener discretion is advised. Oh, Perhaps there's no more quintessential story to the American dream than that of a self-made man.

A young person who starts from nothing, works their fingers to the bone,

and then carves out their own future by building a dynasty.

Well, in 1957, that's exactly what Charles Mond was doing in Austin, Texas.

At 19, Charles took what little money he had and started buying and selling used cars.

It turned out he had a knack for recognizing opportunity,

like having a sixth sense when it came to business.

After only a few years, he saved up enough to buy his first official car dealership.

Eventually, Charles expanded his operation into a handful of

dealerships something that was quite revolutionary for the time making him

one of the first automotive mega dealers in the entire country.

Before his death in 2002, at the age of 75, Charles had built an extremely successful and well-loved used car empire worth millions

he could pass down to the generations to follow.

But as the old saying goes, the first generation makes it, the second generation spends it,

and the third generation blows it.

However, it's difficult to imagine someone blowing it as badly as Charles's grandson

Erkmond would go on to do in 2020.

...