You've Got It, I Want It!

We are watching this absolutely fabulous show on HBO Max.

Considered to be the best series to ever come out of Hungary, you'll find it on the service under its Anglicized name, "Golden Life," as opposed to its Hungarian one, "Aranyélet."

We are only six episodes into a three season run. But whew, I'm flabbergasted. It's so INTENSE!

You absolutely have to watch it.

I found it on IMDB. I was looking for the best foreign TV series. I must have Googled this a thousand times, but I came upon this new list and "Golden Life" had a great rating and we dove in.

WHEW!

You won't know what is happening at first. And unlike in American shows there isn't tons of money thrown at production. But it's all there, including the 360 degree pan right out of French cinema.

So, one person is king of his domain. A Hungarian Mafia guy. He's riding high. He's got a mansion and so much cash that he can afford to lose some, but he's always got to be keeping an eye out for rivals. As he should.

I don't want to give away any plot points, but you've got to know, if you're on top of the heap, someone is gonna gun for you. If you're the number one artist, the richest person in America, I don't care if you worked hard to get it, someone else wants what you have.

Hell, there was even a story in today's "Times" about how Elon Musk's compensation package at Tesla has affected all companies. The CEOs all want stock, they think they're worth it. This guy Jeff Green made $800 million last year. Ten people made over a hundred million. Our friend Ari Emanuel made around $300 million and David Zaslav, of Warner Brothers Discovery, made about $250 million himself.

You see they want what Elon's got, and no one is going to get in their way.

They don't want to run an electric car company, they don't want to go to outer space, but they do want to show up on the private jet and spend money like it's water (not California water, but you get the idea).

You're not even in their league. You don't count.

Are they worth it?

OF COURSE NOT!

Will we see the poor revolt against the rich in my lifetime? I certainly hope so, but I'm not betting on it. And even if it happens, look at the result of the Arab Spring, authoritarianism. But no one could predict an overeducated fruit vendor could set off such a conflagration.

If you're at the top people are gunning for you. They're not happy for you, they want what you've got, so they can't lord it over you, so you can lord it over THEM!

There are even boardroom coups. Funny how Tommy Mottola got rid of Walter Yetnikoff, who gave him his job, and how Michael Rapino ended up running Live Nation. Someone is your best friend today, you're doing business together, you may have even gotten them their job, and then WHOOPS!

They want your job. They want your money. They want your girl. Just when you think you've made it, when you see clear sailing ahead, that's when you've got to watch your back.

And if you think what I'm saying is hogwash, that just indicates you've removed yourself from the fray, you've got so little no one wants to bother to take it away from you.

And most people have never had contact with those atop the economic heap. As for the "Housewives," they're not really rich, because anybody with real money knows you fly below the radar, because if people found out about your wealth they'd be gunning for it.

Classic example is Donald Trump. He was committing tax fraud with impunity until he became president. I could explain it to you, but either you don't want to hear it or wouldn't understand it. You probably don't even itemize, never mind move your assets through corporations and relatives, valuing them far differently from what they're worth.

They don't attack people online who've got 200 followers. But if you're flying high, it's just a matter of time before the hoi polloi bite back. Who do you think you are? You think you're better than us? We'll show you!

And then there are the ignorant who respond. They're just amplifying the story instead of letting it burn out. You've got to ignore it.

The second big compensation winner is Zig Serafin, of Qualtrics, with over $500 million last year. I've never heard of him or his company, and if he's smart he'll keep it that way.

And Zuckerberg killed MySpace and then TikTok put a dent in Facebook and Instagram too. And Zuckerberg fears ByteDance much more than he fears the American government. He can run circles around elected officials and bureaucrats, but business people? That's another story.

There's always someone willing to work harder to topple you.

You probably made it by working harder than the person you toppled.

Or you inherited your company from your family and not only did you not have the smarts and experience your ancestors did, you don't have the hunger. Beware, you're a target. Can you say Edgar Bronfman, Jr?

It's so down and dirty.

And the truth is everybody wants in. Even most journalists. They want to hang with the rich, they want a piece of that lifestyle. And those with the money know this, and manipulate them. To the point where if you're telling the truth no one believes you!

It's all about survival, for each and every one of us. And usually those who started out with little are the ones who end up with the most, they don't want to go back where they once were.

I just can't come down from this show.

"How Elon Musk Helped Lift the Ceiling on C.E.O. Pay - The gap with workers widened even further as public companies granted top executives rich pay packages partly inspired by Tesla.": https://nyti.ms/3OqmWp0

"Golden Life" trailer: https://bit.ly/3AapB1V


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