Seth Wenig / Reuters Apple cofounder Steve Jobs.
In 1985 Apple, the company Steve Jobs had cofounded now 40 years ago, sent the executive packing.
Getting kicked to the curb by your employer can certainly be demoralizing.
But Jobs, as well as many more successful people, prove that what may initially feel like failure may just be the launching pad you need for success.
Here are 21 people who turned their termination into an opportunity.
Vivian Giang and Alana Horowitz contributed to earlier versions of this article.