The Jain family's abundance mentality instilled a remarkable ability to solve problems and chase ambitious goals in their three children. Ankur Jain graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, while siblings Priyanka and Neil earned degrees from Stanford.
At just 14, Priyanka helped establish a school for girls in Afghanistan. Today, Neil and Ankur contribute to Kairos, a startup incubator Ankur founded to support ventures addressing global challenges.
Despite their father's billionaire status, Ankur recalls his parents' strict stance on non-essential spending. If it wasn't vital or educational, it came from his own pocket. At age 10, Ankur set his sights on dunking a balloon basketball.
As a self-described "little, skinny Indian kid," Ankur knew basketball tryouts were a long shot. But he discovered plyometric shoe attachments online—$110 devices promising better vertical jumps. His parents wouldn't buy them.
Undeterred, Ankur emulated his father's entrepreneurial drive. He launched a quiz-based portal for AOL Instant Messenger, a hit among 10-year-olds. With its popularity surging, he boldly called the plyometric company's CEO.
"His assistant put me through," Ankur shares. "I pitched promoting their product on my portal in exchange for a free pair."
The gadgets didn't turn him into a dunking sensation—no calves of steel or Vince Carter leaps. "I never dunked," Ankur admits, "but I hit the rim."
