The Billion-Dollar Beginnings of FedEx and Bubble Wrap

Flipping through the channels yesterday afternoon, waiting for the Mavericks vs. Celtics game to start, I was desperate to find something worthwhile to watch. I came across a couple of stories about how some of the biggest companies in America got started.

One was FedEx. Frederick Smith had the idea to move packages across America more quickly by taking every package to a hub, which was Memphis. You sort them there and then deliver them the next day. He actually presented the idea to a college professor and got a C on the project.

FedEx is now a $90 billion company, and Mr. Smith is estimated to be worth roughly $5.7 billion.

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The history of bubble wrap was also featured. It was accidentally invented by a couple of guys who were trying to create a different style of wallpaper. Once they invented it, they didn't know what to do with it.

They finally landed a deal with an electronics manufacturer shipping little computer boards through the mail. The bubble wrap provided the necessary protection, and the inventors were off and running.

Today, bubble wrap sales are over $600 million. They produce over 240,000 miles of the magical stuff every year in 52 countries. That 240,000 miles is equal to a length of cable stretching around the Earth 10 times. Feel free to impress your friends with that knowledge at parties.

I'm still looking for whatever the feeling is called that makes you want to pop every single bubble on any piece of bubble wrap you get. All I know is that I have it.