The Think Tank: The Ultimate Formula for Success

By Pete Ellis

So what makes the Chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment tick? For that matter, what makes him up? Or rather, who?

I did my senior thesis on Vince McMahon (seriously, I did) and learned a lot about our favorite sports entertainment magnate. He has quite a resume of jobs that stand as the building blocks of his position within the WWE.

Vince is an actor, a bodybuilder, a hero, a villain, a father, a husband, a suger daddy, a genius, a fool, a ruthless employer, a tycoon, and a clown. He expresses the best and worst of all human traits for our entertainment, and it's always worth a moment of time to stop and take a look.

If Vince McMahon were to die tomorrow - like if he accidentally walked into a church and burst into flames - and it was up to me to rebuild him from the DNA up, this is the genetic formula I would use to do it:

• 10% P.T. Barnum. The circus entrepreneur made even the smallest parts of his show important and had a knack for surprises.
• 10% Arnold Schwarzenegger. Old muscles and new politics.
• 10% C. Montgomery Burns. The diabolical Simpsons villain brings his "no limits" approach to business and his flair for making greed is comically fashionable.
• 10% Cobra Commander. That venomous voice hissing "you're fired!" and the iron fist of a ruthless tyrant cannot be overlooked. Not to mention a little bit of madness.
• 10% Hulk Hogan. Laugh if you will, there are more similarities here then you might realize. The build, the approach to his professional life, and the absolute megalomania. Perhaps Vince McMahon "the character" has more in common with the "real life" Hogan then vice versa.
• 10% Dr. Frankenstein. I can just see Vince pulling the sheet off of his latest wrestling character creation while machines in the background roll out t-shirts by the truckload. "IT'S ALIVE!!!"
• 10% George Steinbrenner. Some people say true accomplishment comes more in the exploitation of others then in inspiration. Steinbrenner made a career out of standing on the shoulders of others to reach his lofty goals. So did Vince.
• 10% Vince McMahon, Sr. His passion for the wrestling business must have had a profound effect on his son. You would have to truly love wrestling to immerse yourself in it the way that Vince McMahon, Jr., does.
• 10% Donald Trump. No, not for the hair. The Donald is one of the hardest working men in any industry. Take away the TV shows, the goofy interviews and the comb-over and you'll find a man who worked hard enough to bounce back from bankruptcy and become a billionaire... three times over.
• 10% Walt Disney. Disney is seen in the business world as a visionary. Most people who can imagine the future they want to see and have the resources to make it happen end up being seen as visionaries.

It's not luck that Vince McMahon made the WWE as big as it has become. He pays attention to the changing times and the trends in society and adjusts accordingly. Success follows shortly thereafter.