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Comment by jahewson | Hacker News Reader

Most of California’s gold rush prospectors went home empty-handed. Those who sold the shovels did not.

Samuel Brannan, the shovel guy, died poor and in relative obscurity.

Due to divorce, not unprofitable shovels.

The wikipedia article says he was a millionaire.

L. Strauss and W. Fargo did okay and they were in the same category.