Boy with learning disabilities turns entrepreneur making $5K an hour

At just 14 years old, Tucker Findley is a successful entrepreneur with a six-figure business. But his journey wasn’t straightforward.

Diagnosed with learning disabilities and a neurological condition, Tucker couldn’t read, write, or count past 10 by the time he was 9. School was a daily struggle, and he felt like he didn’t belong.

Everything changed the day Tucker found golf balls near his Sterling, Virginia, home.

Instead of seeing them as just objects, he saw an opportunity. “I found golf balls everywhere,” he recalls. He started cleaning and selling them on Facebook Marketplace, where they sold out — 2,000 in just three days.

Tucker reinvested his profits, hiring friends to help and even buying a kayak to collect more balls.

From there, he expanded his focus to antiques and collectibles, inspired by TV shows like Antiques Roadshow. With his parents’ support, Tucker opened an eBay store and quickly realized he had a knack for spotting undervalued items. A $6 BMX bike frame turned into $500 in parts. A Barbie doll sold for $1,000.

“It wasn’t just about making money,” says Tucker’s mom, Rebecca. “It was about seeing him excited to learn.”

Tucker, who has dyslexia and dyscalculia, found ways to improve his math and reading through his business. Counting golf balls, tracking profits, and negotiating deals taught him skills he’d struggled to grasp in traditional classrooms.

His online school even built lessons around his business activities.

Today, Tucker runs his business - Tucker’s Vintage Treasures - out of a 2,500-square-foot warehouse at home. He sells everything from sneakers to vintage toys through eBay and livestream auctions, sometimes making over $5,000 in just an hour.

What sets Tucker apart isn’t just his business success — it’s how he gives back.

When he earns big profits from items he buys cheaply, he often returns to the seller and shares the earnings.

“I’m honest and fair,” he says.

Tucker’s journey underscores the importance of focusing on neurodivergent children’s strengths instead of their challenges. His father, Ryan, left his job to homeschool Tucker, tailoring his education to what he loved.

“The most important thing is to find what you’re good at,” Tucker says.

Tucker’s story is a reminder that every child has potential. Sometimes, all they need is the right environment to let it shine.