The Insulating Power of Success and Status

Key Insight

Achieving a position of power and success often causes past criticisms or misdeeds to be overlooked and forgiven. This phenomenon is observed across various fields, including politics and business. For instance, Senator Lindsey Graham, who vigorously criticized Donald Trump during his 2016 campaign, calling him 'a race-baiting, xenophobic bigot' and 'unfit for office,' later became one of Trump’s most loyal supporters. Graham explained this shift as a pragmatic move to 'be relevant' and secure 'good outcomes for the country,' including re-election in South Carolina where Trump commanded high approval.

This pattern extends to respected business leaders. Lists of 'most-admired CEOs' have included individuals like Steve Jobs, who backdated stock options; Bill Gates, who had relationships outside of marriage with underlings; Elon Musk, who violated SEC orders; Carlos Ghosn, who had to flee countries to avoid prosecution; John Browne of BP, who was forced from his job over a scandal; and Jeff Bezos, who faced criticism over work environment issues. These examples illustrate that the path to power and the current behavior of powerful individuals often become secondary to the allure of their achieved position. The desire to associate with power is strong, implying that one should not overly concern themselves with how power is acquired, as success largely ensures acceptance.

Essentially, power and its accompanying prestige tend to excuse almost everything. This means that once a high-level position is attained, the actions taken to reach it are generally forgotten or forgiven, leading to the perpetuation of that power. Even though holding power can generate jealousy and scrutiny, it also increases others' desire to be associated with the power holder and their willingness to overlook misdeeds, contributing to the stability of their position. For example, even notorious figures like Jeffrey Epstein remained active in high society and associated with influential individuals after serving prison sentences, and Martha Stewart's brand value appreciated despite her criminal record, demonstrating how power insulates individuals from severe consequences.