Movie Cover

Part of my values is to make money and I can’t change my values. A great painter loves to paint. What do you do, criticize him because he loves to paint? What makes me fulfilled about it is that I also believe I’m making money by doing the right thing.

# Review

I couldn’t believe it when HBO released a documentary on the life of American financier Carl Icahn. Having worked in finance, Icahn’s stories are both infamous and legendary, such as his public disputes with fellow financiers.

This film uncovers Icahn’s life, from his earliest days studying philosophy in school, to his eventual ventures and battles. I liked how the film covered both his wins and losses, as well as featuring extensive interviews with Icahn himself and people near him. There were several takeaways I got from this documentary:

• I’m not sure what it is with philosophy and entrepreneurial success; so many business leaders, such as Peter Thiel, George Soros, and Reid Hoffman, achieved mainstream financial success after studying philosophy in school. I’m not exactly sure what the mechanisms are which link philosophy and success, but I do think having a philosophical background may help one be a more logical and bigger-picture thinker.

• While Icahn’s critics critique him for aggressive corporate raiding, Icahn has never really tried to deflect the accusations or genuflect to his critics. He has been clear about what his goal is (targeting underperforming companies) and he has been upfront about why he does what he does (to make money for shareholders and himself). While I can certainly understand why people are critical of his role, I do respect his intellectual honesty for facing the criticisms head-on.

• Icahn is an amazing storyteller; he is witty and charismatic and his tales are entertaining. I am a firm believer that storytelling is a crucial skill to master for anyone who needs to liaise with the public or with clients, and for anyone who leads organizations.

# Conclusion

An intimate look into the life of Carl Icahn.

# Overall rating: 7.8

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