It was shocking to read Agassi’s confession about having taken drugs earlier in his career, and lied about it too.
a. that as a player of his stature, he did it, and got away with it.
b. that just because he’s got a book out, he wants to come out and confess. Not really to repent, but to sell more books!
c. and he will pretty much run scot free. Where other athletes have had disastrous ends to their career, lost their medals, and lost financial rewards, when caught!
It is a shame really, considering that he was one of the more loved characters on court, had a fairytale wedding to another tennis ace, Steffi Graf, and was certainly an all-American favorite.
Is this a syndrome though? No, I am not referring to the drugs. I refer to the indiscretions, small or big, at the early stage of a career. Is it a done thing for many if not all very successful people?
Bending the law to one’s convenience. Cheating. Fraud – small or big. Are these often the start? And doing these, if one gets away, and breaks out, then the person “cleans up” his act??
We have all heard stories of Dhirubhai Ambani’s beginnings. The film Guru, clearly inspired on his life, shows many a maninpulation that was carried out. Perhaps with the best of intentions. But a crime nonetheless. And now we have a gigantic empire based on that foundation.
I heard a quote from J P Morgan, where he is supposed to have said that “Don’t ask me about my first million. I can explain every cent after that”.
Is that how it always is? Agassi, Ambani, Morgan – are these the inspirations for others, then?
And then, do the others know, where their “first million” comes? Or at what stage they need to stop taking the performance enhancing drugs??
Is it just a grey-grey world that we live in, where there is no white and no black, and depending on which side you look from, the grey may appear white enough for you?
What do you think?
Random Musings 
You can name only three. Don’t tell me that all the people who have become successful and popular do the same thing. These are all exceptions. Its just their injudiciousness at a point of time which they have corrected through experience.
Hi Prashanth,
I don’t claim that “all” who became successful have done so. And I also did not intend to make this a list of all who have erred, knowingly or unknowingly, early in life.
But my perception is this way. That early in life, especially in a first generation case, there are indiscretions done. And these are done by most people venturing out with ambition. And again, most of them do not “make” it to a substantial high. But few do. And when they do, they can then afford to legitimize things.
If you pick up the BSE 500 and look for first gen entrepreneurs there, I trust you, there will be skeletons (small or big) in most cupboards. That is why there is a thriving PR industry!! To hide these before the IPOs đŸ™‚ Likewise, with athletes or stars or others. Maybe the casting couch route (films), maybe an age declaration cheating (sports) etc. These are all very likely, in early days. All forgotten later in life, after success arrives.