The never-before-told story of how one of America's most important entrepreneurs founded and grew such diverse companies as Sterling Software, University Computing, Michaels Stores, Bonanza Steakhouse, and Green Mountain Energy--life lessons from a man ahead of his time. Sam Wyly founded and grew best-of-breed companies on the leading edge of advancements in technology, energy, retail, and investments over a career spanning 45 years. Now this fast-paced and candid memoir reveals the creative process, relationships, struggles, and financial strategies that led to him becoming one of the 1,000 wealthiest people in the world, according to Forbes magazine. From the hardships his parents faced trying to hold on to the family cotton farm during the Depression to the coaching he received on the high school football field, this self-made billionaire describes how his early days in Louisiana prepared him for what lay ahead. He recounts how his experience in sales working for IBM and Honeywell led to his idea to start a "computer utility." Needing $600,000 of start-up capital, he risked $1,000 of his savings to found University Computing in 1963, then took it public in 1965, making him a millionaire at age thirty. Later successes included: *Creating Data Transmission Company and taking on the mammoth AT&T monopoly *Growing a restaurant chain from 20 to 600 Bonanza Steakhouse locations *Co-founding Sterling Software and selling it to Computer Associates for $4 billion *Growing the arts-and-crafts chain Michaels Stores from 10 to 800 stores and selling it for $6 billion *Co-founding hedge funds Maverick Capital & Ranger Capital *Founding Green Mountain Energy, the largest provider of cleaner energy in America today. Part autobiography and part inspirational business guide, 1,000 Dollars and an Idea is full of refreshing insights and homespun life lessons about what it takes to create, grow, and build successful companies.