Speaking of people who never bothered with running in Presidential primaries or developing a high profile Congress with accomplishments: Every single President of the last century except Ronald Reagan.
Receipts:
Donald Trump: briefly ran in the Reform Party primaries in 2000 before dropping out before the primaries, ran in GOP primaries in 2016, won
Barack Obama: spent two years in the U.S. Senate, voting "Present" more times than anything else, then ran for Dimm primaries, won
George W. Bush: never elected to Congress, first ran in the GOP primaries in 2000, won
Bill Clinton: never elected to Congress, first ran in the Dimm primaries in 1992, won
George H.W. Bush: lost more times than successful to Congress, accomplished nothing, first ran in 1980 GOP primaries won VP by default, as VP entered 1988 GOP primaries, won
Ronald Reagan: first ran in 1968 primaries lost, ran in 1976 primaries barely lost, ran in 1980 primaries, won
Jimmy Carter: first ran in 1976 primaries, won
Richard Nixon: never accomplished anything in Congress, first ran in 1960 primaries as VP, won but lost election, ran again in 1968 against no competition, won
John F. Kennedy: never accomplished anything in Congress, first ran in 1960 primaries, won
Dwight Eisenhower: first ran in 1952 primaries, won
Franklin D. Roosevelt: tried polio instead of Congress, first ran in 1932 primaries, won
Herbert Hoover: first ran in 1928 primaries as Secretary of Commerce, won
Warren G. Harding: never accomplished anything but bangin chicks in Congress, first ran in 1920, won
Woodrow Wilson: never made it to Congress, first ran in 1912, won
Gerald Ford: elevated to Presidency by Nixon resignation
Lyndon B. Johnson: elevated to Presidency by JFK "assassination"
Harry S. Truman: elevated to Presidency by FDR dying while hottubbin with his lover
Calvin Coolidge: elevated to Presidency by Harding dying from bangin too many chicks