Alex Spanos: Sharing the Wealth

"You are about to race through a marvelous and riveting account of a distinctly American life in which the concepts of "failure" and "can't" do not apply…Be prepared to be dazzled, informed, entertained, and challenged…This is a book that will change your life forever and for the good."

- Rush Limbaugh

The year is 1951, and Alex Spanos, twenty-seven years old, is an unemployed father of two with no money in the bank and no prospects. His first order of business is sheer survival.

Then he gets an idea. Days later he secures a meager $800 loan to start his own business. And he never looks back – until he becomes one of the nation's top businessmen and the owner of the San Diego Chargers.

Sharing the Wealth is the inspiring and exciting story of how one man rose from the humblest of beginnings to become one of America's most dynamic business leaders. Along the way, Spanos shares the secrets of his success – the strategies, knowledge, and insights from his remarkable fifty-year career.

Now the owner of a professional sports franchise and the chairman of a corporate giant, Alex Spanos has fulfilled his aspirations and reached the heights of success. Yet this son of poor Greek immigrants has never forgotten his origins or the opportunities he found in America. And he has always been eager to help others take advantage of the abundant opportunities that still exist. That is why he shares with all readers his fifteen "Fundamentals of Success."


Sharing the Wealth: My Story,
by Alex Spanos with Mark Seal and Natalia Kasparian. Available from Regnery Publishing

"Success," Spanos writes, "cannot be summed up in a sound bite, but it can be explained in a story." And Sharing the Wealth is a remarkable and inspiring story that will help countless others set goals and reach them.

Alex Spanos, owner of the National Football League's San Diego Chargers, is chairman and owner of the A.G. Spanos Companies, one of the nation's leading builders of apartment communities. His business career began in 1951 with an $800 loan that enabled him to buy a truck and start his own catering business. With his entrepreneurial genius, he moved quickly into the fields of real estate and construction, where he became an industry leader. A noted philanthropist, he has donated millions to benefit charities, educational institutions, hospitals, churches, and civic and athletic organizations. He has received many honors and awards, including the Horatio Alger Award and the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Medal of Honor. He and his wife, Faye, have four children – Dean, Dea, Alexis, and Michael – and fifteen grandchildren.

Praise for Sharing the Wealth

"This is a great story about a great man. Alex Spanos is living proof that serving others is what much of life should be about. His success has never gone to his head, and his life is an example from which we might all learn."

-Former president George Bush

"What a great lesson Alex is for every ambitious young person. We particularly recommend a diligent reading of the last few pages."

-Bob and Dolores Hope

"Alex Spanos dared to dream the American dream, and he made it come true. A truly brilliant story of a total commitment to excellence."

-Al Davis, owner of the Oakland Raiders

"This is a remarkable book telling the life story of a remarkable man…It’s about a life of unlimited generosity, of a constant omnidirectional offering, and of a continuous sharing of everything that with the help of God he has acquired."

-Archbishop Demetrios, leader of the Greek Orthodox Church of America

"Sharing the Wealth is a great book about an even greater man. Alex has done us all a great favor by sharing the inspirational story of his fabulous life. He is proof that nice guys can finish first."

-Jerry M. Reinsdorf, owner of the Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox

"A remarkably candid and touching autobiography…It is clearly passion, far more than even his exceptional business acumen, that has made Alex Spanos a force of nature in the business and politics of the America he so loves."

-Pete Wilson, former governor of California

"This book is an inspiration to all those who have the desire to win."

-Barron Hilton

"Alex has lived and continues to live the American dream….Our nation owes much to Alex Spanos because he has given us so much. This book is an inspiration to me because Alex is an inspiration to all."

-Jack Kemp