Best Life - April 2009

the
success

Renowned investor Christopher Davis likes to quote his grandfather’s observation about tough times: “You make most of your money in a bear market,” says Davis, “you just don’t realize it at the time.” More than a reminder to buy stocks when they’re cheap, the point is that our actions in the face of adversity make us who we are. In our annual Success Issue, we offer tools to help you prosper in times of hardship.

Few successful men forged their character in a tougher crucible than Bedford-Stuyvesant, the drug-infested Brooklyn neighborhood where Jay-Z grew from drug dealer to CEO of a global business empire. In “Not a Businessman…,” he explains how he became a multimillionaire without sacrificing authenticity.

While Jay-Z was dodging bullets in Bed-Stuy, Nassim Taleb was ducking mortar fire in Lebanon.

Philosopher, money manager, and author, Taleb was known to a relatively small circle of admirers until his predictions of economic collapse proved spot-on. In “Swan Dive,” the father of two explains how we got into this mess and suggests ways to keep your nest egg safe.

For too many successful men, the economic collapse has been more than a wealth destroyer…it has been a killer. In “The CEO Suicides,” we

report on the recession’s deadly toll and offer tips for conquering stress.

One victim of the recession may be the cult of consumerism that led many of us to load up our credit cards with the lust of a Lehman trader buying up mortgage bonds. We say RIP. The Best Life reader is interested in value, and that’s what we offer in “How to Buy…Anything.” After all, stocks aren’t the only things that are best purchased cheap.