Breaking Barriers: Notable Figures Who Thrived with ADHD

Last updated: 12 November 2024

Having ADHD means your brain works differently. And guess what? Many successful people have ADHD too! Let’s meet some of them and see how they turned their different way of thinking into something special.

Sports Stars

Michael Phelps is the most winning Olympic swimmer ever - he has 28 medals! He found out he had ADHD when he was nine years old. Swimming helped him in a big way. When he was in the pool, his busy mind felt peaceful. His mom says swimming gave him a great way to use his extra energy.

Simone Biles, one of the world’s best gymnasts, also has ADHD. She can focus really well when doing gymnastics. This helps her learn hard moves that other gymnasts can’t do. When she’s interested in something, like gymnastics, she can focus better than most people!

Stars from TV and Music

Justin Timberlake has ADHD, but that hasn’t stopped him from being a singer, dancer, and actor. He likes that he can do many different things in his job because his brain enjoys switching between activities. This helps him stay interested and excited about his work.

Emma Watson, who played Hermione in Harry Potter, has ADHD. She went to Brown University while still being an actor. She shows that you can do well in school with ADHD if you have the right help and support.

Business Leaders

Richard Branson started the Virgin Group, which includes airlines, record stores, and lots of other businesses. He says ADHD helped him become successful because he thinks differently than other people. School was hard for him, but this made him find his own ways to learn and solve problems.

David Neeleman started JetBlue Airways. He loves having ADHD and wouldn’t want to change it! He thinks differently about fixing problems in the airline business. What some people might see as problems with ADHD, he sees as special powers that help him run his company.

Scientists

Dr. Stephen Faraone is a scientist who studies ADHD - and he has it too! Because he knows what it’s like to have ADHD, he’s really good at understanding how it works and helping other people with ADHD. He’s one of the world’s best ADHD doctors and researchers.

Dr. Edward Hallowell is another doctor who has ADHD. He writes books that help people understand ADHD better. He’s good at explaining complicated things in ways that are easy to understand. Having ADHD helps him connect with his patients and explain things in creative ways.

Musicians

Adam Levine, the singer from Maroon 5, talks openly about having ADHD. He says music helps him focus better. When he’s making music, his ADHD actually helps him be more creative.

will.i.am from The Black Eyed Peas thinks ADHD is like a gift. His mind thinks up lots of ideas really fast, which helps him write songs and come up with new business ideas. He says his brain works like a special computer that helps him be creative.

Famous People Today

Paris Hilton recently told everyone she has ADHD. Understanding this helped her make sense of why she thinks differently. Now she runs several successful businesses and uses her extra energy and creativity to help them grow.

Zooey Deschanel, an actress you might know from TV, has ADHD too. She uses her excitement and different way of seeing things to help her act and run businesses. She shows that being different can be a good thing!

Thriving with ADHD

Many famous individuals have turned their ADHD into an advantage. Read personal stories of managing ADHD to see how others have created systems that work for them.

What We Can Learn

All these people show us something important: having ADHD doesn’t mean you can’t do amazing things. In fact, sometimes ADHD can help you do things better! These people didn’t try to change who they were. Instead, they found ways to use their ADHD traits - like having lots of energy, being creative, and thinking differently - to do great things.

Some of them found what they were good at when they were kids, others when they were grown up. Some take medicine for their ADHD, others don’t. What matters is that they each found their own way to be successful.

Note: Everyone in this article has talked about having ADHD publicly. These are real stories!