I'm currently reading Anita Raghavan's 'Billionaire's Apprentice' . It's a rivetting account of how highly accomplished individuals with ivy league educations behind them fell prey to the seductive greed that seems to spread like old world plague in the modern world.
This is a fascinating real life rags to riches story of Rajat Gupta who rose to corporate greatness by his brilliance and untiring effort. However his fall from greatness to a convict is even more sharp. What drives a man to committ seemingly obvious blunders? Why do men go in search of more wealth when they have already got it all?
Perhaps in blind search of wealth, there cannot be ever enough. There are always billions to chase after you have made your millions. What is bizarre is a man of Rajat's pedigree and education never seemed to have considered the fallout of his deviations. How could he have mingled with the likes of Rajaratnam-the pot smoking wheeler dealer and shady hedge fund billionaire.
In retrospect, maybe he never thought he was doing anything wrong. Caught in the heady dance of success he appeared to have become brazen.
The other great characters in this strange tale-Sanjay Wadhwa, Preet Bharara and their team who bring Gupta, Rajaratnam and others to justice, complete the immigrant circle.
One of the most engaging books I've read.. As they say truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.
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