Ralph Nader is a former presidential candidate worth $4.2 million. He’s been involved in politics virtually his entire life. He’s the child of Lebanese immigrants who owned a Connecticut bakery, and he’s gone on to amass his fortune through various business ventures and wise investments. Here are a few things you might not already know about Ralph Nader.
His Birth Story
Ralph Nader was born in 1934 at his home in the midst of a terrible blizzard. He was the youngest of four children. He has two sisters and a brother. His parents couldn’t make it to the hospital when the storm hit and his mother went into labor, so he was born at home.
He’s Bilingual
Actually, he’s more than bilingual. Though English is his first language, Nader is also fluent in Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and Arabic. He learned English and Arabic when he was a small child and learned the rest of his languages as he got older.
He’s Smart
Nader was such a smart child that he could read well by the time he was 3-years-old. He liked to learn and his father took him to local courthouses to watch cases unfold and lawyers argue their case, which is what made him decide to attend law school.
He Knew Some Famous Faces
Nader attended college at an Ivy League School. During his time at Princeton, he was not well-known, but someone he went to school with – also someone in politics – was. He went to college with Donald Rumsfeld, another well-known politician. Thought Nader didn’t know him personally, he remembers that Rumsfeld was on the wrestling team and walked confidently around campus.
He’s Instrumental in Vehicle Safety
Nader published his first bestseller at 31 and it was this book that led to the 1966 passage of much improved safety regulations in the automobile industry. His book, “Any Speed: The Designed-in Dangers of the American Automobile,” is an important part of American history.
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