The Sky's the Limit

USA Today Bestseller Stories and lessons from John P. Calamos Sr., a rags-to-riches self-made American billionaire Sky's the Limit: Lessons in service, Entrepreneurship and Achieving the American Dream tells the inspirational tale of John P. Calamos Sr., an American trailblazer, self-made success story, and living legend in the world of investing. Each chapter contains stories and business lessons he learned along the way. From a stock boy in his parents' grocery store in Chicago's west side, to 400+ combat missions in Vietnam, to launching his own firm which now has upwards of $35 billion in assets, John's career and the extreme success he's enjoyed through that career have been built on taking risks and being resilient. Some of the events detailed in this book include: Teenage John's discovery of stock certificates in his family's basement ignites a passion for investing Major Calamos' time in the Air Force, including five years of active duty flying B-52 bombers and twelve years in the Reserves flying A-37 jet fighters Pioneering initiatives to launch one of the first convertible funds in 1985 and one of the first liquid alternative funds in 1990 Sky's the Limit: Lessons in Service, Entrepreneurship and Achieving the American Dream earns a well-deserved spot on the bookshelves of all individuals seeking to mirror the success of a man who is a living embodiment of the quintessential rags-to-riches American dream.

Preface 1 The American Dream: A Journey Begins 1 2 Stock boy and the Stock Certificates 9 3 Factory Floors to Academic Halls 17 4 Shaping His Vision 23 5 Active Duty 29 6 Red Smoke! 37 7 The Defining Mission 41 8 Back to the States 49 9 Civilian Life Again 53 10 Founding of Calamos Investments 59 11 We Hired PhDs 65 12 A Journey Home 73 13 Strategies for Stability 77 14 A Journey Together 85 15 A Lifelong Passion for Flight 95 16 Calamos Goes Public 103 17 Weathering the Storm 109 18 A New Era Begins 117 19 Reclaiming Control 125 20 From Success to Significance 131 21 Global Influence 139 22 Excellence, Innovation, and Leadership 147 23 Forging a Lasting Legacy 155 From the Desk of John P. Calamos, Sr. 165 Acknowledgments 171 About Joe Garner 173 Index 175