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The Incredible Story Of How A Bankrupt And Unemployed Brian Williams Got His Big TV Break

Aly WeismanJul 8, 2014, 00:54 IST

Alex Wong/Getty ImagesBrian Williams failed in local news before striking up a friendship with an important news director in Washington, D.C.

Before Brian Williams was the Emmy-winning anchor and managing editor of NBC "Nightly News," the 55-year-old struggled to even find a job after dropping out of college.

Now earning a reported a $10 million annual salary, Williams went bankrupt in his early 20s after "a failed experiment in local news."

It wasn't until a news director in Washington, D.C. took a chance on him that Williams resumed his on-air career years later.

MediabistroTV spoke to Williams about his big break and success after failure.