You Must Hold On!

[A Giant of an Era — Stepping Down in Disgrace!]

This was the front-page headline in the evening edition of the New York Daily News published on April 30.

"During my tenure, the financial audits of WorldCom were absolutely clean. I firmly believe that WorldCom will continue to exist as an industry leader and set the standard for those who follow."

--Bernard Ebbers.

The New York Daily News reported: "The departure of WorldCom chairman and CEO Bernard Ebbers, regardless of whether the outcome is good or bad, is bound to have a profound impact on WorldCom itself, as well as the entire telecommunications industry in America!"

The article also cited the personal biography of Bernard Ebbers.

Bernard was born into an ordinary family in Canada, later moving to America with his family due to his father's work;

At the same time, he dropped out of high school twice;

After graduating from high school, he worked as a milkman for a period of time;

In a television interview, he said: "Delivering milk day after day in minus 30-degree weather was absolutely a miserable experience, one that once filled me with despair for the future."

However, he was also lucky!

He was fortunate enough to be favored by a university and received a basketball scholarship, which allowed him to escape the freezing weather and his stagnant fate, eventually earning a bachelor's degree in physical education from that university in 1967;

He served as a high school basketball coach, switched careers to run a clothing warehouse, and even founded a motel...

It could be said that he was a grassroots figure!

Yet, it was this very grassroots figure from the bottom of society who took only 16 years to become the president of WorldCom, and then charged ahead, developing WorldCom into a telecommunications