So I was in meetings this week with some investors - like top of their game guys.
Did some research about their lead guy who we had dinner with and spent the whole of the next day with discussing the business and future plans etc.
The guy is a billionaire, insanely smart and very very dry. We had some really good convos and he and his team will add a lot to our biz.
Anyway, did some more research on him and there are stories about him leaving his fam and running off with a young model and having models over to his place to party. Was just so shocked. Never in a million years would I have put that person with that story after the day we spent.
I worked with a guy for over 4 years. We’d play baseball together and go out to the bar occasionally. I was even at his wedding. About a year after I left the company I opened up my local paper one morning and he was on the front page. He had been accused of raping a young girl.
I read the story and as much as I didn’t want to believe it was him it sure looked like it was. I never heard the results from that article so I don’t know what happened but I never saw that coming
In my professional life, I deal with people that have a shit-ton of money and I regularly run into people like this.
I have seen everything from some guy leaving his family and running off with his daughter’s best friend, assistant, housekeeper, etc. Some that got their mistress’ pregnant, and one guy that was married to two women at once. I had one client that owned a boat and would hire 5-6 high end prostitutes to accompany him. They would go out and spend the afternoon boating near Detroit and having fun. I never accompanied him on those types of boat rides.
I can’t explain the behavior. My kids think I should write a book.
Your post seems to imply that someone successful in business is likely to be more morally upright than the average Joe. I don’t have any evidence, but I strongly disagree with that idea. In fact, I’d go further to suggest that those who excel in their business or professional careers have a greater incidence of Machiavellian, narcissistic, or psychopathic tendencies than the average Joe. In these cases, the same high level of drive that results in success can result in the types of behaviors described above (affairs, cheating, etc.) and the person is often smart enough to mask their unsavory behavior.
Your post seems to imply that someone successful in business is likely to be more morally upright than the average Joe. I don’t have any evidence, but I strongly disagree with that idea. In fact, I’d go further to suggest that those who excel in their business or professional careers have a greater incidence of Machiavellian, narcissistic, or psychopathic tendencies than the average Joe. In these cases, the same high level of drive that results in success can result in the types of behaviors described above (affairs, cheating, etc.) and the person is often smart enough to mask their unsavory behavior.
No, that wasn’t my point at all. I totally agree with you actually
My point was that in the meetings and interactions this person was extremely dry and really barely had any personality- although a brilliant human being. Then I read that he’s banging models etc.
I find the veneer of corporate America and it superficial expectations to be pretty bland and antiseptic. People put on their professional mask; behave appropriately; maybe slip a minor curse word in when talking about the latest major league sports game that was geographically close to the other people in a meeting, just to show that they’re a regular guy; and simmering underneath that surface is all sorts of dysfunctional, very human shit.
I know / knew a guy in Chicago. Big on the social scene, pretty wide, thee kids, smooth talker, big gym guy, quite a good business man (tens / hundreds of millions) had a thing for card tricks and really really loved himself
I only ever met him with his family
Turns out there was a full time gf installed in an apartment downt town…
I’ve heard several stories of guys working fly in/out shifts of a few weeks at a time in Western Australia who have two entirely separate sets of families that don’t know about one another.
For example, someone will have a shift that is 2 weeks on, two weeks off. He will work his two weeks, goes to Thailand for a week with family #1, then fly back to Perth for a week with family #2. Each set of family thinks the guy is working 3 weeks on, 1 week off.
On a completely unrelated note, the father of a girl I went to highschool with is in prison for sexually abusing young girls he taught at choir, including his own daughter. He was always a polite, nice man that parents liked and respected.
Truly evil monsters walk amongst us, and disguise themselves well.
I’ve heard several stories of guys working fly in/out shifts of a few weeks at a time in Western Australia who have two entirely separate sets of families that don’t know about one another.
For example, someone will have a shift that is 2 weeks on, two weeks off. He will work his two weeks, goes to Thailand for a week with family #1, then fly back to Perth for a week with family #2. Each set of family thinks the guy is working 3 weeks on, 1 week off.
Sounds like he’s following the tutelage of a young Obi Wan:
I find the veneer of corporate America and it superficial expectations to be pretty bland and antiseptic. People put on their professional mask; behave appropriately; maybe slip a minor curse word in when talking about the latest major league sports game that was geographically close to the other people in a meeting, just to show that they’re a regular guy; and simmering underneath that surface is all sorts of dysfunctional, very human shit.
There was a family that we grew up with where the dad traveled quite a bit to upstate NY for work; nice guy, married to his wife for close to 30 years, three good kids. Typical good suburban family. Turns out he had a second family (including kids of his own) in upstate NY that he was able to keep secret for years. When it finally came out, both his sons went after him and gave him a beating. Cops had to be called, wife and kids devastated and wanted nothing more to do with him where no one saw it coming. Pretty sad story. I don’t know how or why someone would think they can get away with something like that.
I did not know this guy personally, in full disclosure.
My childhood best friend’s brother was young when he suddenly died, leaving behind a widow and young son. The widow is a very good person and waited a while to get back in a relationship, not wanting her son to be hurt. She married a guy who was publicly well known for his work in the Christian industry. He was away at a Christian convention. She gets a call – he was arrested there for child porn and raping a little boy. They’d been married for less than a year. Nobody saw it coming, she has no prior knowledge whatsoever, no signs to have seen. I believe he’s serving life now. I haven’t seen her since a couple of years before this all went down and just hope she’s doing well and has been able to put the pieces back together since. I’m still in contact with my friend’s mom, but feel awkward asking about how things are going with that situation when we catch up.
I did not know this guy personally, in full disclosure.
My childhood best friend’s brother was young when he suddenly died, leaving behind a widow and young son. The widow is a very good person and waited a while to get back in a relationship, not wanting her son to be hurt. She married a guy who was publicly well known for his work in the Christian industry. He was away at a Christian convention. She gets a call – he was arrested there for child porn and raping a little boy. They’d been married for less than a year. Nobody saw it coming, she has no prior knowledge whatsoever, no signs to have seen. I believe he’s serving life now. I haven’t seen her since a couple of years before this all went down and just hope she’s doing well and has been able to put the pieces back together since. I’m still in contact with my friend’s mom, but feel awkward asking about how things are going with that situation when we catch up.
1st husband dies young, second one is a pedophile and child rapist? Wow. I’m not sure how you pick up the shattered pieces of your soul after that.
No kidding. She has amazing resolve, so from the little I’ve heard she’s doing well overall. I’d be on my back for years after each of those situations, let alone both happening.
'I did not know this guy personally, in full disclosure.
My childhood best friend’s brother was young when he suddenly died, leaving behind a widow and young son. The widow is a very good person and waited a while to get back in a relationship, not wanting her son to be hurt. She married a guy who was publicly well known for his work in the Christian industry. He was away at a Christian convention. She gets a call – he was arrested there for child porn and raping a little boy. They’d been married for less than a year. Nobody saw it coming, she has no prior knowledge whatsoever, no signs to have seen. I believe he’s serving life now. I haven’t seen her since a couple of years before this all went down and just hope she’s doing well and has been able to put the pieces back together since. I’m still in contact with my friend’s mom, but feel awkward asking about how things are going with that situation when we catch up.
1st husband dies young, second one is a pedophile and child rapist? Wow. I’m not sure how you pick up the shattered pieces of your soul after that.
Years ago the wife and I were friends with a couple from Texas. Used to babysit for each other. The wife was a sweet southern belle who must of had her choice of men. Hubby was a great guy, big Cowboys fan. They moved back to Texas and we lost touch. Years later I ran into a mutual friend and asked how they were doing. Turns out, the wife was home watching TV one afternoon and sees that they busted some perv who had been exposing himself to girls in the fast food drive through lanes. Her husband.
I had one client that owned a boat and would hire 5-6 high end prostitutes to accompany him. They would go out and spend the afternoon boating near Detroit and having fun.
I find the veneer of corporate America and it superficial expectations to be pretty bland and antiseptic. People put on their professional mask; behave appropriately; maybe slip a minor curse word in when talking about the latest major league sports game that was geographically close to the other people in a meeting, just to show that they’re a regular guy; and simmering underneath that surface is all sorts of dysfunctional, very human shit.
Exactly the scene I was thinking of. The professional world I see, and what I think the the OP was seeing, has quite a few lesser Patrick Batemans running around in it.
Same. I have one wife, one kid, one dog, and a career that while busy is nowhere near as frantic as some of my former colleagues in big firms, and I still feel pressed for time most days. I have no idea timewise how I’d fit in a whole separate family even if I wanted to.
I had one client that owned a boat and would hire 5-6 high end prostitutes to accompany him. They would go out and spend the afternoon boating near Detroit and having fun.