24 year-old entrepreneur Farrah Gray began contributing to his family’s financial support at the age of six. Within a few years, at the age of 14, he made his first million. Part of what motivated him to begin earning money at such a young age was watching his mother work so hard.
“When I went to sleep, she was up; when I woke up, she was up,” Gray says. “So I never really was sure that she did go to sleep. And I really felt that out of that feeling of struggle, my mom had a heart attack, and I said there must be something I can do to help her.”
Gray began selling hand-painted rocks door-to-door.
“I started painting these oversize rocks. And I would knock on people’s doors. Knock hard. And shake people’s hand and say, ‘Hello my name is Farrah Gray.’ I said, ‘Would you like to buy this rock? It can be used as paper weights, bookends and door stoppers.’ And people would look at me and say, ‘Isn’t that the rock that was in front of my door?’ And I’d say, ‘Yes, but it’s different now.’”
Gray was only eight years old when he formed the Urban Neighborhood Economic Enterprise Club (U.N.E.E.C.) on Chicago’s South side, an organization that encouraged youth to become entrepreneurs. U.N.E.E.C. was the forerunner of New Early Entrepreneur Wonders (NE2W), the flagship organization he opened as one of the youngest people on Wall Street. NE2W enlisted, educated and engaged “at-risk” youth by creating and developing ways for them to acquire additional income.
As a teenager, Gray founded and operated numerous business ventures, including selling pre-paid phone cards, a One Stop Mail Boxes & More franchise and creating Farr-Out Foods, which generated orders of over $1.5 million.
Gray is now a syndicated columnist, an AOL Money Coach, co-CEO of a real estate company and co-publisher/editor-in-chief of Prominent Magazine. He lives in Las Vegas.
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Concrete Loop features ‘CL History Spotlights’ weekly honoring individuals who have played pivotal roles in history, made significant contributions but have been disregarded. submissions are welcome.
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It’s great to see young folks doing their thing.
Wow, this is an extraordinary story. What a way to start my early morning. Concrete Loop Rocks!!!!
14 making your first million
… I was buyin Bliss magazines. Wow. That’s brilliant. I hope I have enough motivation and drive to succeed in what I want to do. They need to teach business, enterprise and finance to the youth to get more kids inspired not to mention aware of how things work ( you wouldnt believe how clueless I was about tax, money, interest etc… up until I got a job and applied for uni last year) so they can become the next Farrah Gray or w/eva.
Now HE should be all over the next Black in America installment. Amazing!
Wow what a brilliant young man! So very good to see that! Such an inspiration.
Thanks for posting, its a very inspirational story.
YOU GO BOY!!!!
It’s always refreshing to see young men about their business! I wish I would’ve been as smart at 14!
VERY INSPIRATIONAL ..AFTER I READ AND SAW VIDEO ALL I CAN SAY IS WOW
THIS IS WE SHOULD BE MOTIVATED ABOUT 
Wow. Very inspirational
Very cool. Rich from the inside out, now thats the truth.
#11 I guess you mean Don! lol, ill stop.
Its nice to see young black men gettin it in. Well Done Farrah!
Black people have come so far…..Wish I could make a Milli!!
He is a true inspiration.
He should be up there with the other well know millionaries
Lets SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT FARRAH BECAUSE IF WE DONT NOONE ELSE WILL!!!
CL ROCKS!
Wow! Go head young brother!
I read about Farrah when he was 10 years old. I see he is still making the right moves.
Keep up the good work and stop wearing them big ass ties…lol
I proud to say I got the chance to meet Farrah Gray when he came here to Cleveland. He’s an inspiration to all us young, black and gifted brothers. He’s definitely one of my heros, and someone who I aspire to be like one day. Crazy thing is…he and I are the same age! Go figure!
I met this dude at a convention in Miami a few years back and he was an arrogant @$$.
Nevertheless, it doesn’t take away from everything he accomplished.
He gets a A+ for that and a F- in the personality/social skills department.
This young man is very inspiring. He exemplifies the reason I am proud to be a black man, exuding confidence, determination, drive and persistence in the face of oppression.
Everytime I hear about kid entrepreneurs and people my age or close to it making big moves I feel like I’m not reaching my full potential, but then I realize I’m doing everything I can to better myself and my family’s circumstances.
Nevertheless, I’m still proud of people when they achieve success especially my black people.
Wow!…I hope many young people read this and follow in his footsteps.
wOW, Thats AMAZING
Wow, this young man is Beautiful, basically all you have to do is try and believe in yourself no matter what the haters say or think.
Well done young man.
wow what an inspirational man, can’t believe he’ done soo much in 24 years! I better get to workin
I definitely have to give this man his props for going out and achieving the impossible even though the odds were against him. Thanks Loop for this story.
*******I love the fact that this young man is not an ENTERTAINER. I am so sick of
*******us listening to Forbes, and all these other magazines about who our richest
*******African Americans are. They are not entertainers. As a matter of fact, I just
******love how the rhetoric is kept alive that they only way we can make a cool
******million is to entertain. There was a black man at Merryl Lynch who made
******$67 million in a day. Name one entertainer that is able to make $67 million
******in a day. You can’t. The mainstream media knows how to keep the deception
******alive that we can only sing and dance. We are diverse in gifts and talents.
I agree w/ #4. How is it that we (the public) don’t hear more stories about minorities doing remarkable and special things? We should and I hope they (the media) does more about it.
great post!
i’m inspired!!!!!
Can we say eligible Bachelor. I think intelligent men are the sexiest. And I am so impressed that he did that at 14, not because of the money, but I think about what I was doing at 14, I couldn’t focus on anything too long. I know his mama is proud.
That’s why I love CL, you talk about real ish, not just stupid gossip.
@24, I so agree. Especially when people on this sites come on here bragging about how much their favorite Celeb made. I’m like look at the richest folks in the world, you don’t see entertainers close to the list. Also I liek when people come up with new innovative ways to make money. Being on tv, getting a commercial is not innovative and really doesn’t take much work. I am impressed by people like this than I would ever be of entertainers, like Tyra said they are just there to entertain, they do not lead our world.
Finally….a black person on the loop with sense, determination, and drive….if only we hyped these folk instead of niggas who throw a ball, shuck and jive like Amos and Andy, or sell crack to start up a rap career…. Go head Gray!
“Too many rappers, athletes, and actors
But not enough niggas at NASA” – Nas
Love it! I love seeing my black people succeed!
………I’m actually in awe…why didn’t know about this??? Amazing story
…….* why didn’t I know about this*
I am proud to see MY HAITIAN AMERICAN achieving big things.( And yes yes yes he’s a ZOE- my mother and his mother worked together for 10 years so i know the family).
WOW WHAT AN INSPIRATION… WE CAN DO ALL THINGS!!!
20…congrats!
Nice piece, but I’m always skeptical of stories showcased by the media like this because misguided youth often associate forward thinking, hard working individuals like Gray with hustling on the street. Gray is an exception to the rule and his accomplishments must be commended but young black men need an education to back up their “plans” or motivation.
Now enough of being positive…he reminds me of RuPaul when he’s not in drag.
There…I said it….
@ZION
Well put, you hardly ever hear of wealthy blacks unless they are entertainers!
Our gifts and talent goes whey beyond singing and dancing!
from the beginning of time our people have invented and created, hate to say it
but many whites have stolen our ideas and have made millions of dollars.
Wow…I need to learn a few pointers from him!!! His story is truly amazing!
that story is beautiful & touching & does give me inspiration-AWESOME 2 C this !!!
Who is that reporter…omg he is soooo fine! Congrats on Farrah for accomplishing all that he has…a True Inspiration!
I read about him years ago, I wondered what he was up to. And the media always hypes up the lives of entertainers regardless of color. The public finds what they do more interesting, then say a hedgefund manager or entrepenuer, its not all glam and glitz.
Wow!! He’s only 2 yrs older than I am and he’s already established himself. Wow!! I can’t believe he made his first million at 14. That is amazing. This is what hard work can do. =]
This is good, but what does he do? He became a millionaire selling rocks?
I agree with Willpwr. I appreciate a seeing a brotha of this caliber, but I think his ability to connect his message to others, especially the younger generation, is awfully lack luster.
The best news I’ve heard so far today!
@42.
thats the same thing I said..wtf
lol no he became a millionaire with his company farr-out foods.
Selling rocks to people – he sounds more like a con artist than an entrepreneur!
YES CANDICE GIRL! HE IS A SEXY BACHELOR