About the author

v

Preface

vii

Part I — Introduction

1

Why haven’t I got what Bill Gates has? 

3

2

Seeking the causes of extreme wealth    

5

Part II — Biographies

3

Billl Gates

13

4

Warren Buffett

25

5

Ingvar Kamprad

37

6

Larry Ellison

47

7

Carl Icahn

59

8

George Soros

69

9

Steve Jobs

79

10

Charles Schwab

93

11

Ralph Lauren

103

12

David Geffen

115

13

Frank Lowy

125

14

Richard Branson

137

15

George Lucas

151

16

Bernie Ecclestone

165

17

Steven Spielberg

177

18

Oprah Winfrey

187

19

John Sperling

195

Part III — The big picture

20

Finding the pattern

207

21

Outsiders and their edge

219

Part IV — Beginnings matter

22

Development pain

243

23

Salvation

287

24

Learning about learning

293

25

Trading intelligence

301

Part V — Lessons Learned

26

Don’t try this at home folks

313

27

Hope for the future

319

Bibliography

325

Further reading

329

Index

333