Hezekiah Griggs, A Self-Made Man

MY9TV.COM - Get ready to meet a guy who defines "self made man".
Like many kids from inner-city neighborhoods the odds were stacked against Hezekiah Griggs.
But he beat the odds and made a fortune.
Brenda Flanagan explains how he did it.

Multi-millionaire Hezekiah Griggs the third sure isn't poor anymore! He won't say exactly how much he's worth, but tells us, "On paper I look very promising. My future wife is gonna have to sign a pre-nup."

Does that sounds sassy for a 23 year old from Passaic who grew up fatherless, penniless, sometimes even homeless?  But, Griggs says, "I've got a degree of arrogance that has been helpful. I've always believed in myself. "

Griggs doubled down at school,got good grades and looked for a path out of poverty. He loves to tell kids about his very first business selling copies of his grandfather's church sermons. He was 7! He recalls his first transaction, "An old lady came up to me and said, "Son, how much does a tape cost?" I had to make an instant decision, I said, "$15." She went into her pocketbook and gave me the $15. This was a lot of money! I was RICH!"

Not Oprah Winfrey-rich. Or Jay-Z and Beyonce-rich. But Griggs does have something crucial in common with these superstars: They all know how to market themselves.  Griggs doesn't rap or dance. Instead, he sells advice and helps
companies reach out to young consumers. He also invests big bucks in promising start-up companies. Now when you look at Griggs you don't see any bling.  He doesn't live in a penthouse. He takes the subway. But he's got plans to spend millions in the 'hood'.

He tells us, "Some of these communities - they just accept their conditions, and you can't accept them. You have to challenge them."

Despite his hard knock life, Hezekiah says it taught him an important lesson: that we are blessed by the struggles we face.  Griggs founded H-360 Capital. It's a minority-run business that helps companies located in urban communities
with a struggling economy.  He says, "If you don't go through a struggle  you're really not prepared for life."

He brings the same message to school kids across the country because he wants to invest in them, too. Griggs' foundation aims to train young black men to become community leaders, and mentors and he expects them
all to pay it forward. He says, "I'm very very passionate! I know my purpose in life."

I'm Brenda Flanagan, The 10 O'Clock News.