subject: Charles Ergen: #80 Forbes List [print this page] Charles Ergen: #80 Forbes List Charles Ergen: #80 Forbes List
The world's 100 richest men have a name on #80: Charles Ergen. You may ask what is unusual about this name making it to the Forbes list. The answer is simple. Back in 1980, when Ergen floated his own company by the name of EchoStar, even the man himself wouldn't have foreseen such an outcome a couple of decades down the line. After all, what did he have working in his favor back then? He was in Las Vegas with his friend Jim DeFranco. They were passing themselves off as professional gamblers till they ran out of luck. The duo was accused of counting cards at a blackjack table and unceremoniously evicted from the casino town. On their feet with little savings, they were definitely headed down an alley of dashed dreams.
A truck carrying satellite TV dishes changed their future plans. It stuck the two friends that far-flung areas will need more than just cable TV services. It was impossible to provide cable services to the rough terrains of Colorado. It had to be through satellite TV that they can be attached to the TV scene in America. But things were different for satellite TV back then. The satellite dishes were expensive, as they were huge. Charles Ergen and his would-be wife Cantey pooled some $60,000 together for the new business. They named their company EchoStar Inc. Their first assignment was to provide demonstrations and sell satellite dishes in Colorado. They bought two dishes and mounted them on a truck. While they were transporting these monstrous umbrellas, a strong gust of wind blew one away and it crashed beyond repair. The young entrepreneurs were left with just one satellite dish.
Undaunted by their initial set-backs, they moved ahead with what they had. Soon they were selling satellite TV dishes to more customers. The progress of Charles Ergen was nothing short of phenomenal. His ways were not much appreciated because of his overbearing insistence on cost-saving measures. Only Ergen knew what kind of territory he wanted to cover. He needed capital for his expansion plans. And anyone who knows Ergen would vouch that he'd rather pinch money from his existing business ventures than resort to fraud or scam. Ergen was always clear in his mind that he needed the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to endorse his business. He didn't want to be blacklisted as a service provider. His business goal was ambitious.
Charles Ergen's story is among the modern American legends. His rise from nothing to everything is now the stuff of business myth. What keeps him ticking despite the time that has flowed under the bridge is his determination to provide the best to his customers. Dish Network Inc, a part of EchoStar, is now the largest provider of satellite TV services in America. It has branched to various other countries of the world. In spite of being such a successful company, Dish Network continues to top the customer service satisfaction charts. Charles Ergen dedicatedly pursues his goal of making Dish Network the best service provider.
