Anna Wintour

Anna's father, Charles, believed in his daughter.

When 16-year-old Anna needed to list her career objectives, he didn't hesitate.

Well, you write, you want to be the editor of Vogue, of course.

Not work in fashion, not try magazine, editor of Vogue, the apex, named with the same certainty that you'd write your own address.

Most people aim for realistic.

The exceptional name their destination and work backwards.

Anna had two advantages most pretend don't matter.

Connections and cash.

Her grandparents' trust fund paid out $120,000 in today's money over six years, exactly what her siblings spent on university.

Anna invested that tuition differently.

Well, they bought credentials.

She bought time.

Time to take an unpaid internship.

Time to say no to the wrong opportunities.

Time to wait for the right ones.

Her father made one phone call.

The Evening Standard's fashion editor took Anna to lunch.

Barbara Griggs expected to mentor an eager teenager.

Instead, she met someone who already knew exactly where she was going.

All she wanted from me was some information.