Everyone loves a winner, but what we love more is somebody who refuses to lie down, triumphs over seemingly impossible odds and makes a bundle of cash in the process.

Here Alan Farnham has gathered together the 12 apostles who have defied natural disasters, bankruptcy, illness, criminal indictment and jail to rise again.

Some of the names and brands are familiar, from Donald Trump to Tom Monaghan, who started Domino's Pizzas. We also have the boxing promoter Don King and Kevin Maxwell, son of the late Robert Maxwell.

King's is the most colourful tale, rising from poverty to pre-eminence in an industry not renowned for its rigorous accounting system.

Jailed for manslaughter, he went on to stage the Ali-Foreman extravaganza and eradicated failure from his vocabulary.

Former boxer Larry Holmes described him as looking black, living white and thinking green, and indeed King measures success in dollars and seems immune to the allegations of exploitation of an ageing Ali and unapologetic about his part in reducing boxing from a sport to a soap opera with blood.

Indeed what comes across from all of the stories is the inherent and incredible selfbelief that the likes of King, Trump, Emma Chapell, who founded the United Bank of Philadelphia, and Larry Ellison of Oracle possess.

For these types, failure and self-doubt are not on the agenda.

Farnham writes in an engaging and no-frills style and the stories are intriguing and entertaining.

Conn O Midheach - comidheach@irish-times.ie