In 1952, Jim was a struggling mutual fund salesman. During that time, he discovered he could open more doors if he quit trying to sell people mutual funds and focused his efforts on showing them how they could improve their financial position. With that philosophy, his business, and personal wealth grew.

He became more and more convinced that if he helped other people become successful, they in turn would help him become successful. That's exactly what happened. In 1958, he founded Twentieth Century Investors, now known as American Century Investments. Starting with $107,000 in capital from 24 shareholders, his own sheer determination and an optimistic outlook that "The Best Is Yet To Be®," he built a company that evolved from a small, single-style mutual fund manager to a multi-disciplined, global asset management firm offering diverse investment vehicles and employing approximately 2,000 people.

In April 2001, he and his wife Virginia opened the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri.

As cancer survivors, they have endowed their entire fortune to supporting the basic research that will provide long-term solutions to gene-based diseases. The Institute conducts basic research into complex genetic systems to unlock the mysteries of diseases and find the keys to their causes, treatment and prevention. It aspires to be one of the most innovative biomedical research facilities in the world.

The Best Is Yet To Be® is a registered mark of American Century Services Corporation.