Stars And CEOs Who Didn’t Succeed Until 45+

Stan Lee

And (for all of the comic book fans) we have Stan Lee. Lee is an American comic-book writer, editor, publisher, media producer, television host, actor, and former president and chairman of Marvel Comics (whew, what a busy guy!). In collaboration with several artists, he created fan favorites like Spider-Man, the Hulk, Doctor Strange, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Daredevil, Thor, the X-Men, and many other fictional characters. Lee subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics.

But all of this success didn’t happen early in life, or overnight. Lee created his first hit comic, The Fantastic Four, in 1961. This happened right before his 39th birthday. Later, he created the legendary Marvel Universe, whose characters became American cultural icons.