Assignment 2-2 Icons

I chose the following icons because of what they have accomplished and how they went about it. I also respect the challenges that they all had to overcome though some had to overcome more than others. I chose Warren Buffett, Jay Z, and Nora Roberts. All came from various backgrounds but made successes of themselves. I have admiration for all three of these people because of what they have been able to do and the amazing work ethic that they all have in common. You may think what does one of the richest men in the world have in common with a rapper and a romance writer? Well let’s talk about each one of them and see if you can find the commonality among them.

“The Oracle of Omaha” is one of many titles that Warren Buffett holds. He has long been one of the richest men in America and the greatest investor currently living today. He transformed an old textile company into one of the largest holding companies in the world. The company is Berkshire Hathaway and Warren Buffett is its largest shareholder and CEO (A&E Television Networks, 2010). Business schools have studied his investment techniques, the simplicity of them. He does not believe in investing in something that he does not understand. Warren Buffett also likes companies that have a built in “moat” or something allows the company to differentiate itself from its competitors. For instance Coca Cola is a company that is easy to understand and people are willing to pay more for a coke than an off brand name whereas salt is a commodity because for the most part people do not care about the brand of salt that they buy. He has been a very shrewd investor and all business people worship at the altar of Buffett.

Jay-Z is a little more controversial pick because of his background and his music. I admire him because of his intelligence, yes I said intelligence. It seems difficult for some people to equate intelligence with a rapper but a number of them are very smart businesswise. Jay-Z is a former drug dealer who has risen to the ranks of respected businessman. You do not reach his level of success without being smart. In fact he recently appeared in Forbes magazine with the previously mentioned Warren Buffett indulging in a couple of strawberry milkshakes (Ewalt, 2010). Forbes also mentioned that they expect Jay-Z to reach billionaire status within the next five years. He is a part owner of the New Jersey Nets NBA team, he owns the 40/40 nightclub, and he has run a number of companies including his own record label and clothing line. He has been able to go from nothing to the precipice of being a billionaire in less than 20 years (age 26-40). Hate him or love him, he has become the consummate business man.

Nora Roberts is a writer, a very prolific one. She stays atop the New York Times best sellers lists. Even when her books are reissued, they still sell well. She has written over 200 books since 1980. Nora Roberts was the first woman inducted into the Romance Writer’s Hall of Fame. She has published a number of books under her own name as well as a few pen names. J.D. Robb and Jill March are just two of the names. There are so many of her books in print that every minute an average of 27 Nora Roberts books are sold (Nora Roberts Inc, 2009). She used to be a stay at home mother and during a particularly bad winter she picked up pencil and started writing. She said that it probably saved her sanity. She treats writing as a job and works eight hours a day, Monday through Friday. Nora Roberts also owns her own Bed & Breakfast Inn BoonsBoro in Maryland.

I chose these three people because they all have shown great intelligence and dedication to make it to the top of their chosen professions. They have all done it their way and never listened to the naysayers that invariably pop up. I feel that they have all expanded beyond the normal scope of their fields. All three of them could walk away and be secure because they have diversified their respective brands so well that they would never have to worry about money.

Works Cited

A&E Television Networks. (2010). Warren Buffett Biography. Retrieved November 18, 2010, from www.biography.com: http://www.biography.com/articles/Warren-Buffett-9230729

Ewalt, D. M. (2010, September 22). The Geek Beat. Retrieved November 18, 2010, from Forbes.com: http://blogs.forbes.com/davidewalt/2010/09/22/jay-z-vs-warren-buffett-in-the-forbes-400/

Nora Roberts Inc. (2009, November 15). Nora Roberts Did you know? Retrieved November 18, 2010, from www.noraroberts.com: http://www.noraroberts.com/aboutnora/funfacts.html