As extraordinarily successful entrepreneurs may come to lead large firms that are global players, explanations of extraordinary entrepreneurial success can usefully combine findings from entrepreneurship and strategy. Entrepreneurship considers personality traits and social networks as predictors of entrepreneurial success, while strategy considers firm resources and capabilities and membership in favourable industries as predictors of firm performance. Combining these insights, I suggest that effective personality traits and social networks may equip an entrepreneur to invest in and gain access to valuable resources and capabilities and to survive in a high-growth industry, and to thereby achieve extraordinary entrepreneurial success. On the basis that immigrants may be more likely than non-immigrants to have personality traits and social networks that are conducive to entrepreneurial success, I test and find support for the hypothesis that amongst highly successful Canadian entrepreneurs, immigrants will be more successful than non-immigrants. © 2008, Copyright The Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

[No Keywords available]

[No Keywords available]