People have been starting businesses with limited personal wealth since time immemorial. He may or may not have had the flexibility to do exactly what he did, b

People have been starting businesses with limited personal wealth since time immemorial. He may or may not have had the flexibility to do exactly what he did, but mortgages and business loans for things that aren't utterly ridiculous are not difficult to come by in good economic conditions (which is what he had at the time).