How Aristotle Onassis Grew His Empire
There’s no such thing as too far. You understand? You push everything as far as you can. You push and you push and you push until it starts pushing back. And then you push some goddamn more. – Al Pacino
One of the most interesting tycoons you can read about is the Gatsby-like Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis (1900- 1975). He was one of the most high profile people on the planet back in the 1960s and ‘70s. You could say that he was the Mick Jagger of the business world back then. The media covered not only his business life but his personal one as well, particularly his romantic affairs with famous actresses, models, opera divas, and a presidential widow.
The Big Short War
I haven’t had time to follow this story due to various deadlines but will try to find some to read this Vanity Fair piece on the battle royale.
Hedge-fund titan Bill Ackman has vowed to bring down Herbalife, the 33-year-old nutritional-supplement company, which he views as a pyramid scheme. With his massive shorting of Herbalife stock, the price plummeted, prompting two fellow billionaires—Ackman’s former friend Dan Loeb and activist investor Carl Icahn—to take the opposing bet on Herbalife. As the public brawl rivets Wall Street, William D. Cohan learns why, this time, it’s personal. (source)
Here’s Why You Should Study Tycoons
Before you can attempt something truly big, you will need the courage.
Before you can have the courage, you will need the knowledge.
Do you have what it takes to succeed at the tycoon level?
Here are three reasons why any serious entrepreneur needs to study tycoons:
– Tycoons are creative problem-solvers. While most people give up on their goals after hitting an obstacle or having a set-back, tycoons almost always find a way to get the deal done and keep their momentum rolling forward. Where there’s a will there’s most certainly a way.
– They are unstoppable. They are real life “Terminators.” Friedrich Nietzsche is famous for having written about the “will to power,” which he believed to be the primary driving force in humans. Specifically, it’s the ambition and drive for achievement, recognition, and the highest possible position in life. Tycoons tend to be the best examples of people with this type of drive.
– And last but not least, they are builders. They build companies, edifices, and empires. The best ones leave behind a legacy as well.
Kirk Kerkorian the Smiling Cobra
The world needs a new biography about this consummate deal-maker. Kirk is 95 years old as a I write this and gradually slowing down. The man is a rare example of a bona fide rags-to-riches story. His one and only biography was published in 1974. That’s 39 years ago.
Not only is it widening but the bottom 90% is having to share an ever-shrinking slice of the pie.
After the crash of 2008 millions of people, particularly real estates agents, sought new lines of work. A substantial portion of them hung up their shingles overnight as Twitter consultants. I say this because sites like Linkedin were suddenly swamped with people offering to teach you how to make fast money by twittering. Or is it tweeting? I can never remember. I really don’t care either. It’s a fatuous concept.
The lesson here is that if you are going to survive and thrive you need to do some serious upgrading of your skills set. Any field that allows you to step in overnight and proclaim yourself an expert and consultant is to be avoided.
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