The fruit trade is a dirty business. Take, for example, Sam Zemurray, known as the Banana Man, a Russian immigrant who became an influential figure in the American banana trade. This is the story of how he became one of the most powerful men in the world, overthrowing governments and contributing to the Guatemalan civil war.
The Birth of an Empire
Before he became the Banana Man, Zemurray worked as a fruit peddler, a banana hauler, and a dockside hustler. He noticed that many bananas were deemed unfit for sale due to early ripening and discarded as waste. Seeing an opportunity where others saw trash, he bought the ripe bananas at a low price and sold them quickly before they spoiled. Zemurray proceeded to build his fortune on the overlooked fruit.
