The Ideal Kennedy's Man, Part 4

Copyright (c) 2009 Kennedy's All-American Club

Our Ongoing Picks of the Gents Who Best Exemplify the Kennedy?s All-American Spirit

At Kennedy?s All-American Barber Club®, we respect ? and make every attempt to emulate - those who turn business into an art; CEO?s who, through their originality and audaciousness have made themselves bigger than any company they?ve begun and at least as big as any entertainment superstar who?s made the front cover of ?Entertainment Weekly? or ?The National Enquirer.? They are truly their own brand ? and as worthy of our respect just for becoming successes by sheer force of their unique genius and personality.

That?s the reasoning behind this round of Ideal Kennedy?s Man picks. All three of these living legends can, on occasions, be controversial, outspoken and criticized ? but none of the three can ever be ignored (but at least one of them might consider a trip to a nearby Kennedy?s All-American Barber Club® for a new hairstyle ? you can decide which one we?re talking about?). So, without further ado, meet three super CEO?s who went beyond their balance sheets to join the Ideal Kennedy?s Men Hall of Fame!

RICHARD BRANSON

Who: The man who made Virgin an international brand attached to everything from airlines to soft drinks.

Why: Because he successfully promoted a brash, adventurous image while very carefully and cautiously building a business empire. Because when you think of Richard Branson, you think of a combination of James Bond and Donald Trump. Because he still holds the record for crossing the English Channel in the quickest time and he was knighted by the queen for his achievements in entrepreneurship. And because he has made cameo appearances in a James Bond and a Superman movie, and got into a water fight with Stephen Colbert on ?The Colbert Report.? And mostly because he makes running an international empire look like fun.

Fun Fact: Branson titled his 1998 autobiography, ?Losing My Virginity.?

Extra Fun Fact: Kennedy?s co-founder, Nick Nanton, scored a quick and memorable interview with Branson this past October 28th ? check out the video (and see Nick and Sir Richard?s photo together) on Nick?s Facebook account at http://www.facebook.com/Nicknanton. And let us know if you can figure out what Sir Richard is actually saying!

DONALD TRUMP

Who: ?The Donald.?

Why: Because Trump has made himself the international symbol of success. Like all super-successful businessmen, he?s had his share of ups and downs when it comes to his vast real estate and casino holdings ? but he?s made an indelible impression on the entrepreneur landscape through his best-selling books and his top-rated reality show, ?The Apprentice.? And most of all, because he had the cajones to take on Rosie O?Donnell - who has about a hundred pounds on him. You don?t like him? ?You?re Fired!?

Fun Fact: Trump has hosted two WrestleMania events at Trump Plaza. Neither involved a match with Rosie O?Donnell.

STEVE JOBS

Who: The CEO of Apple, who works for the huge annual salary of?$1.00.

Why: Because he not only revolutionized the computer business when he formed Apple in 1976, but he also revolutionized the entire music industry with the iPod and iTunes. Because he insisted that the traditional boring beige boxes that housed computers needed more pizzazz ? and so did the computer itself. Because his Macintosh operation system begat Windows and the modern computer interface as we know it, and his iPhone is now the hottest cell phone on the market. Because his amazing innovative marketing and product development has made Apple one of the most known brands around the world ? a brand that almost crashed and burned when the company he began actually fired him in the 1980?s and sunk into a traditional corporate rut without him. In 1997, Jobs returned and made the company bigger than ever, despite some major health problems that plague him to this day.

Fun Fact: In the 70?s, Jobs dropped out of college, dropped acid, shaved his head and backpacked across India.