No one can cut a deal like Richard Branson. In 1970, he was attempting to purchase an island and started his bidding at $100,000 for one that was worth $5,000,000. His offer wasn't a tempting one initially. However, the seller (a man by the name of Lord Cobham) was in desperate need for short-term capital and finally made Branson an offer of $180,000.
According to government law at the time, alien landholders were required to build a resort on newly purchased islands or the state would take back ownership. While he bought the land for an atom of the initially price, he invested $10,000,000 across 5 years of his life building the resort. Today, the island is worth more than $200,000,000.
So, I guess you can add Lord Cobham to that list with the publishers who turned down Harry Potter or the investors who thought Apple was a bad idea.
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