Michael Ovitz

And I kept, I related to him so much because in 1974, when I wanted to start CA, I will never forget this as long as I live, an agent at William Morris, we were friends and he said to me, why are you doing this? You're going to fail. And I said, what do you mean I'm going to fail? And he said to me, no one could build an independent agency. There are 200 agencies. You're going to get killed.

You're not going to get any clients. You won't be able to represent movie stars. You're not going to get writers. You're going to be looking for a job in a year. Why not just stay at William Morris? It'd be easier and you'll make more money. And I kept sitting there saying, what's wrong with this guy? I'm saying that to myself. What's wrong with this guy? And Steve was the same way.

You're not going to get any clients. You won't be able to represent movie stars. You're not going to get writers. You're going to be looking for a job in a year. Why not just stay at William Morris? It'd be easier and you'll make more money. And I kept sitting there saying, what's wrong with this guy? I'm saying that to myself. What's wrong with this guy? And Steve was the same way.

I know people said to him, and they talked behind his back, yeah, yeah, Blackstone, sure. It'd be a boutique bank, great. Maybe someone will buy it. Well, look who's got the last laugh now. CA is 50 years old. Blackstone's an institution. It's all about the founder. And Steve had a vision. I'm going to be an institution. And never did he stop.

I know people said to him, and they talked behind his back, yeah, yeah, Blackstone, sure. It'd be a boutique bank, great. Maybe someone will buy it. Well, look who's got the last laugh now. CA is 50 years old. Blackstone's an institution. It's all about the founder. And Steve had a vision. I'm going to be an institution. And never did he stop.

So when we started, we started representing people on television only. Then we went to movies, then to music. What's next? We just kept going. Investment banking, advertising, consulting. Steve did the same thing. One business line after the other, but...

So when we started, we started representing people on television only. Then we went to movies, then to music. What's next? We just kept going. Investment banking, advertising, consulting. Steve did the same thing. One business line after the other, but...

The genius move is the people, same as Stefan Cohn at Ballantyre, got the best people, picked up the best men and women in the financial universe, paid them more money, gave them more freedom, creativity, and let them run. And now you go into the Blackstone building and it's like, you know, it's crazy. It's like, it feels like it's been there a hundred years.

The genius move is the people, same as Stefan Cohn at Ballantyre, got the best people, picked up the best men and women in the financial universe, paid them more money, gave them more freedom, creativity, and let them run. And now you go into the Blackstone building and it's like, you know, it's crazy. It's like, it feels like it's been there a hundred years.

And this is what Andreessen Horowitz is doing. And Mark are building an institution that's going to outlive them. And that's their goal. They don't want to be a boutique. They don't want to be small. And one has to admire that vision because it's the driving factor to success. And success spawns philanthropy, jobs, social movements, and basic running the wheels of the economy.

And this is what Andreessen Horowitz is doing. And Mark are building an institution that's going to outlive them. And that's their goal. They don't want to be a boutique. They don't want to be small. And one has to admire that vision because it's the driving factor to success. And success spawns philanthropy, jobs, social movements, and basic running the wheels of the economy.

It's much different than A couple people being in charge of everybody. I said to someone the other day, I wouldn't want to be a startup guy in Beijing if my life depended on it. I don't want to see what happened to Jack Ma and say, oh my God, I want to kill myself to do this, but I got to walk around quaking in my boots. We live in the greatest country in the world.

It's much different than A couple people being in charge of everybody. I said to someone the other day, I wouldn't want to be a startup guy in Beijing if my life depended on it. I don't want to see what happened to Jack Ma and say, oh my God, I want to kill myself to do this, but I got to walk around quaking in my boots. We live in the greatest country in the world.

I don't care what anybody says about anything or any elected official. It's not going to happen here. We run our own lives and we're creative. I'll put our tech scene up against anyone's in the world. Hands down, we'll kill them. We'll kill them. We're just motivated, free thinkers.

I don't care what anybody says about anything or any elected official. It's not going to happen here. We run our own lives and we're creative. I'll put our tech scene up against anyone's in the world. Hands down, we'll kill them. We'll kill them. We're just motivated, free thinkers.

I'm still doing it.

I'm still doing it.

I haven't asked you for money yet. Yes, you have.

I haven't asked you for money yet. Yes, you have.

Oh, no. It's a postulate for me, and it's a great question because it's highly overlooked. They don't teach it in business school. As a matter of fact, in the curriculum in most business schools, they're impractical. They don't teach the things that I needed to know. No one taught me how to be an investment banker. Yeah, sure, I can.