This writer has a new hero. Not of this time, but of a time long past. He  started at age 11 as a helper for a wagon transport company in the American West, forced at that early age to go to work because of the death of his father. He soon graduated to driver of teams pulling large cargo wagons across the prairie. Then he graduated to scouting, did a stint as a Pony Express rider, but became famous as a leading scout, serving the Union Army and other parties needing someone to guide them through frontier territory.

He went on to form the most famous touring Wild West show the world has ever seen. In all probability he was the most famous person in the world during the height of his success, as his amazing show took him to all 48 states, and to many Canadian cities, as well as numerous European centers. But most noteworthy was the fact that he included many native Americans, plus a wide range of other nationalities in his show. Not only that, he had a herd of buffalo, numerous horses, and a total entourage of several hundred that had to be fed and housed every day.

The show ran for more than 20 years, and eventually ended up bankrupt, leaving William J (Buffalo Bill) Cody pretty much broke. But consider where he came from, losing his father at age 11, and his mother only about 4 years later. Hardly any formal education, but a lot of life learning at an early age, accumulating skills we can only marvel at as horseman, scout, marksman, and leader.

These are not the main reasons for admiration, however. He became a leading proponent of Women's rights. All women in his troupe were paid the same as the men. And he marched with women to promote their right to vote, long before they finally achieved that franchise. He also learned of the greatness of the native peoples that he had once done battle with, coming to appreciate their culture and values, becoming an advocate for their rights. Further, he brought many cultural groups together in his troupe, fostering the idea that people of different races and backgrounds could work and live together harmoniously. Ahead of his time? Indeed.

Finally, he was a great entrepreneur. He invested in many ventures, with the aim of opening up the west, particularly in Wyoming, so that people could live and prosper in a new west. He invested in irrigation developments, tried drilling for oil, got into the development of hotels, and other progressive ventures, most of which failed and ate up his large profits from the Wild West Show. He was an easy mark for people with high ideas, and although his ventures may have failed, he showed a willingness to stick his neck out and give it a shot, paving the way for others who followed to be successful.

He died a near pauper, with a failed marriage only resurrected in his latter life. He saw three of his four children die early deaths. But he maintained his positive attitude to the end, and had thousands attend his funeral, had dozens of tributes from the well-known and the ordinary citizen.

He was a true renaissance man, highly successful, but also well failed, yet never lacking confidence to try new ventures. Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Edon Musk, raise a glass to the forerunner of your daring and your success. William J Cody.