Everyone who got where he is
has had to begin where he was.
—Robert Louis Stevenson}
Is Business
Success a
Natural Talent?A
lot of people think I’m a natural at business. In some ways they
might be right, but it’s also an acquired skill that takes disci-
pline and focus, just as being an athlete or a musician takes perse-
verance and years of training. Before I decided to go to the Wharton
School of Finance, I had thought about attending the University
of Southern California to study film, but once I decided on Whar-
ton, I was a very serious and focused business student.
There’s a certain amount of bravado in what I do these days,
and part of that bravado is to make it look easy. That’s why I’ve
often referred to business as being an art. I’ve always liked Andy
Warhol’s statement that, “making money is art and working is art
and good business is the best art.” I agree.
I received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in January
of 2007, which was a big surprise for someone who opted for
Wharton and real estate as a career. Did I have a natural talent