Bad Company III
For American Businessmen in the News,
the Defense Never Rests
 

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CBS: This Guy Makes Lots of Money, and That Makes Us Frown

     If you’re a billionaire, are you allowed to buy yachts and cars and nice houses? Not necessarily, according to the “CBS Evening News.”

     “For some people, no matter how much money they have, it is never quite enough,” said anchor Bob Schieffer, introducing a February 1 segment on Oracle software founder Larry Ellison.

     Reporter John Blackstone explained to the audience how far removed they were from “high-flying” Ellison, who spends “$55,000 a day” on “a lifestyle few of us can even imagine.” The source of the story? A note from Ellison’s accountant nagging him to spend less.

     “It’s no secret Ellison, the founder of software company Oracle, spends exuberantly…” Blackstone said, detailing purchases of real estate, a yacht and a “villa in Japan.”

     Blackstone even interviewed people on the street, and used one to sum up the report’s estimation of Ellison: “It sounds ridiculous to me. Just spend, spend, spend,” the bystander said.

     Spending time – and CBS’s money – on this story sounds a little ridiculous.

The Defense Never Rests  •  ‘Oh, How the Mighty Have Fallen’ – and We Covered it 105 Times Philanthropy  •  Small Business vs. Big Business  •  Good Stories
Conclusion  •  Recommendations  •  Methodology