Functionality Mistakes Throughout History That Were Way Too Expensive to Fix

In the 1990s, James Dyson proposed a groundbreaking bagless vacuum, stemming from dissatisfaction with his Hoover vacuum. Dyson’s innovation, worth billions today, was initially dismissed by Hoover, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Dyson, undeterred by Hoover’s rejection, established his own successful company. Hoover later attempted to imitate Dyson’s design with the Triple Vortex Vacuum but was legally reprimanded, resulting in a $5.19 million compensation to Dyson—equivalent to $7.51 million today.