Would You Be Willing to Make a Friend?

In a presidential suite at a hotel somewhere in Kansas.

"Are you sure?"

"Word has been getting around that when Zucker Wald first burst onto the scene, he was very keen on attending all kinds of cocktail parties and invitation-only events. They say that at his peak, he attended more than 45 parties and events in a single month. That means he averaged 1.5 invitation-only events a day."

"But ever since 2000... he's become very low-key!"

"He hardly ever attends events unless they're absolutely necessary."

"At the very least, he's learned the principle of being high-profile in his work and low-profile in his personal life. I have to say, at an age when he should, by rights, be showing off his ambition, he's already acting like an old hand, cautious to a fault. Tsk, tsk, tsk... That's proof enough that he's an exceptionally smart and incredibly shrewd fellow."

"And now he's accepted an invitation from the Danaher Corporation?"

"That certainly makes you wonder why he's gone against his usual practice and accepted. Before this, Danaher Corporation's CEO, Larry Culp, had never had any contact with Zucker Wald."

In the hotel suite, David Koch, the second-in-command of the Koch Group, couldn't help feeling puzzled.

"Could it just be that he's interested?"

His assistant ventured.

"Don't be ridiculous!"

David Koch curled his lip and said, "Judging by his past conduct, that fellow is an out-and-out, refined egoist. Do you think he'd make a pointless move? Anyway... I absolutely don't believe it."

"..."

The assistant was instantly at a loss for words.

Of course, he also found himself agreeing wholeheartedly with his boss.

"Remember this: never underestimate the cunning of a young tycoon. Maybe luck, opportunism, and other factors helped him amass his fortune, but if you underestimate him, you'll pay dearly for