Despite the fact that his name is plastered in gummy white letters on every single Beanie Baby, Ty Warner (per Chicago Magazine) is an enigma. What is known about the elusive toy man largely comes from one, in-depth interview he did with People magazine in 1996.
Up until his creation of the Beanie Babies line, Ty Warner (above) had a relatively unimpressive life. Sure, he had a strained relationship with his parents, but what kind of arcane billionaire doesn’t? Hailing from the Midwest, Warner was known as a good student before dropping out of Kalamazoo College due to financial strain. With a penchant for the stage, he decided to use his newly cleared schedule as an opportunity to move to Hollywood to pursue acting — ironic for a man who is now shrouded in mystery. After five years of working odd jobs with no acting leads, Warner moved back to the Midwest, where his father, who happened to be in the toy business, got him a job at Dakin Toy Company.
At Dakin, Warner developed a reputation for being a bizarre but talented salesman. Known for showing up in elaborate outfits, including fur coats and top hats, Warner told People, “I figured if I was eccentric looking in Indiana, people would think, ‘What is he selling?'” As Warner’s confidence grew, so did his hubris, and soon he made plans to launch his own toy company.
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