Mark Twain, “The father of American literature” — and quite possibly sales enablement’s pioneer.

William Faulkner called him “the father of American literature”.

From my research, Mark Twain may also be “the pioneer of sales enablement”.

Here’s the story:

Ulysses S. Grant led the Union Army as Commanding General in winning the Civil War, then became the 18th President of the United States, serving in that role from 1869 to 1877.

After the end of his presidency, he invested his life’s savings in an investment firm on Wall Street. The firm was called “Grant & Ward”, founded with his son (Ulysses S. “Buck” Grant, Jr.), and a third partner named Ferdinand Ward.

Turns out, Ferdinand Ward was a swindler, later known as “the Best-Hated Man in the United States”.

In 1884, Grant had lost everything through Ward’s Ponzi scheme. Everything, except the “$80 he had left in his pocket”. At the time, the President didn’t receive any sort of pension, so there was nothing left, and no means to a retirement plan.

In walks Sam Clemens, aka, Mark Twain, who is best known for his books, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885).