10 Most Successful Convicted Felons

If we are used to the news where many convicts spend their lives in and out of prison without any changes in their lives for the better, discovering which ex-convicts were successful after being released from prison is quite an interesting and unusual topic, isn’t it?

Aside from convicts that didn’t improve their lives, it turns out that some have proven that they’ve succeeded in turning things around and avoiding various things that could have caused them to fall back into it.

From several ex-convicts who have become influential figures, we can learn that it’s never too late to change our lives to become better individuals, even though we’re felons. If they can do it, you can too, right?

Okay, here’s a list of the 10 most successful ex-convicts who managed to open a new page in their lives!

1. Kevin Mitnick

Kevin Mitnick has been on the FBI’s most wanted criminal list at the age of 16, following his crime after hacking several large companies and government agencies, as well as stealing software and data.

Kevin was finally arrested in 1995 and served seven years in prison. After being released, this computer expert completely changed his life by establishing his own company called Mitnick Security. Through his companies, he became a security consultant to assist companies in finding security problems in their computer systems.

He has also written several books about his hacking exploits and how to protect yourself from cyberattacks. It could be such proof that he could change his life in old age for the better, even though when he was young he took the wrong path in the process.

2. Junior Johnson

After living one year behind bars due to a felony conviction related to illegal liquor manufacturing and smuggling, Johnson turned his action to professional racing. Of course, efforts don’t betray results, right? He eventually became a successful NASCAR driver and team owner, winning 50 races and six championships.

This ex-alcohol smuggler has proven to be not only talented but also an innovative racer. During a tryout in 1960, Johnson discovered “drafting” and later used this technique to win the Daytona 500. In 1986, he was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame and received an even greater reward, i.e., a presidential pardon for his conviction.

3. Charles Colson

Charles Colson was an attorney and political advisor to the former president of the United States, Richard Nixon, from 1969 to 1973. Due to his involvement in the Watergate scandal, he had to serve seven months for obstruction of justice at the federal Maxwell Prison in Alabama.

After his release, Colson made changes to his life while in prison and eventually became a born-again Christian. Along the way, he founded Prison Fellowship, a national ministry that helps prisoners restore their relationship with Christ.

The program that Colson ran turned out to have a positive effect on the prisoners because it strengthened their spirits and helped them live a better life. Additionally, he wrote several books on Christianity and politics, and he received the Presidential Citizens Medal and the Templeton Prize.

4. Frank William Abagnale, Jr.

The film “Catch Me If You Can,” which you may have seen, is a profile of the real-life journey of Frank William Abagnale, Jr. As depicted in the film, he was a master of deception and fraud who always managed to impersonate himself in various professions, such as pilot, doctor, lawyer, college professor, and even a US law enforcement agent.

He was finally arrested in 1969 for identity deception and another fraud crime, forging checks worth millions of dollars. However, he was finally released after serving 5 years in prison on the condition that he was willing to cooperate with the FBI to be involved in investigating con artists like himself.

From the various experiences he had gained, he started his own consulting company, called Abagnale & Associates, and began his career as a legitimate private fraud consultant.

5. Kweisi Mfume

Kweisi Mfume was a high school dropout who got involved in a misdemeanor and should have spent time in jail. But his life is not over here. After being released from jail, he then enrolled in college and earned a bachelor’s degree from the prestigious Johns Hopkins University.

After graduating, he began a successful career as a US congressman and president of the NAACP. He then became a civil rights activist and politician. It didn’t end there; he also ran for the US Senate and became a radio host.

6. Danny Trejo

Danny Trejo, who is currently known as a Hollywood actor and American voice actor, can be said to be relatively late in starting his career in the world of acting. Why? Well, bad experiences on his part meant he had to spend years in Los Angeles prison for drug-related and robbery charges.

While living in prison, he learned boxing, which ultimately led him to a place he had never imagined before, i.e., the world of acting. Trejo only got his first role in 1985 in the film “Runaway Train.”

Due to his skills in acting as well as his boxing abilities, he was soon offered the role of additional boxing trainer for Eric Roberts. There, Trejo recovered his life and finally succeeded in starring in several action films and television series.

7. Michael Vick

Michael Vick is a former quarterback star and had to serve 18 months in prison in 2007 for running an illegal interstate dog fighting ring. At the time of his arrest, he was playing for the Atlanta Falcons, and many fans thought that he never returned to playing football.

But he again proved his abilities by signing a contract with the Philadelphia Eagles, and he was successful again. After returning and becoming the starting quarterback, Vick threw the longest touchdown pass of his career and helped his team win the NFC East title.

Apart from his career being back on top, he is also involved in making a documentary about BET, called “The Michael Vick Project,” as a comeback after serving life in prison. He also continues to share his life experiences in prison with local youth as part of his probation obligations and advises them not to get involved in a troubled life like his.

8. Martha Stewart

Before being found guilty and sentenced to five months in prison, five months of home confinement, and two years of probation for conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and making false statements, Martha Stewart was a business mogul and household diva who often shared her inspiring lifestyle.

Due to his involvement in insider trading and being accused of selling his shares in ImClone Systems, a biotechnology company, he also had to resign from his company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, and pay a fine of $30,000.

Of course, the lawsuits have changed his life and reputation. However, she tried to recover and build her name and reputation again by returning to television and appearing on “The Martha Stewart Show,” as well as releasing several books and taking on several new projects.

9. Marion Jones

Marion Jones, a renowned Olympic athlete, was forced to surrender when she was stripped of her five medals when she admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs to compete at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

Because of the fraud, Marion was sentenced to six months in prison, two years probation, and community service in 2008 for perjury and obstruction of justice for her steroid use and involvement in a check fraud scheme.

After being released in September 2009, Marion then attempted to revive his athletic career as a basketball player. In 2010, Jones returned to sports as a point guard for the WNBA’s Tulsa Shock and is also a motivational speaker and prison reform advocate.

10. 50 Cent

50 Cent, a.k.a. Curtis Jackson III is a superstar rapper who has been convicted of felony charges on two occasions.

First, he was arrested on drug-related charges and sentenced to three to nine years in prison in 1994. The second time was in 2002, when he was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a forged instrument. He pleaded guilty and, luckily, received a reduced sentence of two years’ probation.

While at the lowest point of his life, he is determined to change his life and achieve success after being released from prison. The dream comes true! 50 Cent started his career by rapping after getting out of prison, and his popularity soared with the release of his first album in 2000. He is known for his songs such as “In da Club”, “Candy Shop”, and “Many Men”. Until finally, he managed to win several awards as a musician, actor, producer, and entrepreneur.

Okay, those are the 10 most successful ex-convicts who have succeeded in changing their mindset towards the status of ex-convicts, so that they can change for the better and achieve success in their fields.