Big Shot How a 17-Year-Old From Tehran Turned $750 Into a Toy Empire | Isaac Larian
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Jun 25, 2026 
Isaac Larian, founder and CEO of MGA Entertainment and creator of Bratz and L.O.L. Surprise!, recounts his journey from Tehran to building a toy empire. He discusses arriving in America with $753, pivoting from electronics to toys, the creation and risky launch of Bratz, and the long legal battle with a major rival. Tough beginnings, bold bets, and relentless persistence drive the conversation.
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Snow Walk Promise That Fueled His Drive
- Isaac promised during a freezing walk to fetch his uncle that he would make enough money one day so his family would never suffer like that again.
- That childhood moment of walking four to five kilometers in snow with holes in his shoes became the lifelong fuel behind his drive and survival instinct.
First U.S. Job Was Graveyard Dishwasher
- Isaac arrived in Los Angeles at 17 with $753 and walked La Brea asking every store for work until a Persian waiter hired him as a graveyard dishwasher for $1.65/hr.
- That first job paid his meals and anchored his early U.S. survival routine of relentless hustle and saving.
Embrace Failure As A Strategy
- Isaac teaches entrepreneurs to embrace failure because repeated attempts and learning from mistakes are the path to success.
- He writes on the whiteboard that for success you must embrace failure and often tells students that every success follows many failures.