I love reading about successful people. First, I love learning all the little details about how somebody became successful. Warren Buffett was an entrepreneur from an early age – he had a paper route, he bought candy in bulk and sold individual pieces at a significant markup to other kids, etc.

I also love learning all the little quirks and personality traits about people. For example, most people know that Bill Gates is smart. I mean, he dropped out of Harvard to start Microsoft. He got a 1590/1600 on the SAT. He was a National Merit Scholar and was helping to debug commercial software programs in exchange for computer time when he was in high school. But what most people don’t know about Bill Gates is that he was an absolutely ruthless business person. He threatened and bullied competitors and partners alike. This ruthlessness showed in his negotiating and management styles as well. These traits, as much as his technical prowess, lead to his success and the success of Microsoft.

But as much fun as it is to read about people who are among the 10 richest people in the world, they are, by definition, not very accessible. Learning how Bill Gates created Microsoft doesn’t hold a lot of lessons for the rest us. None of us are likely to start a company that will at some point become the most valuable corporation in history.

That’s why I love reading about “regular” successful people. These are people who are just like you and me – they lead relatively normal, unassuming lives, yet through a combination of skill, hard work, sacrifice, and intelligent risk taking end up amassing the kind of wealth than any of us would love to have.

I’ve decided to start a series modestly called “Profiles of Badass Investors” to show how some regular people have amassed astonishing wealth through

I’m working on the first installment of the series now. The first investor to be profiled is CC, a reader of TheMoneyCommando. Her story and path to wealth are truly inspiring.

If you or somebody you know would like to be profiled, please let me know (comment or email).