Stars And CEOs Who Didn’t Succeed Until 45+

Gary Heavin

Gary Heavin is a Texas businessman who has a unique claim to fame: He is the founder and Chairman of the fitness chain Curves International. After dropping out of college at age 20, he took over a failing fitness center in Houston, Texas and ended up building a chain of 14 locations with his brother as his partner. He was a millionaire by age 25 but filed for bankruptcy at age 30.

Gary Heavin was 40 when he opened the first Curves fitness center in 1992 with his second wife Diane Heavin. It ended up becoming one of the fastest-growing franchises of the ’90s. Diane Heavin is an exercise enthusiast and advertising executive.