Posts

Financial Freedom: Don't Count on That Lasting Long

  This kicked in about three years ago: Too many who had assumed they had achieved financial freedom and turned on the off-duty sign realized they had to earn income again from working. Some had been part of the FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) movement. Others had felt financially safe with their Social Security, Medicare, savings and investments.  Inflation, stock market volatility and unexpected expenses such as out-of-pocket payments for medical bills had blown up the expectation of total financial freedom. At least for non-billionaires. Even the millionaires started coming to me for coaching.  The tough lesson for them and for anyone who considers exiting the labor market/closing up their business is that it has become increasingly difficult to re-enter.  In terms of barriers to re-entry the top one is technology. They hadn't kept up. For example, they didn't even know, never mind become skilled in managing, how AI had taken over everything from the f...
Post a Comment
Read more

College Saviors Not Being Saved - Leon Botstein and More

  In academia, fundraising takes on a high-minded tone. Or it did. Now, at least if it's associated with Jeffrey Epstein Anything, it can catapult you out of your noble calling serving the life of the mind. The latest to lose a job is Bard College president Leon Botstein. His signature had been "savior" of that out-of-the-box liberal arts institution. The Wall Street Journal reports: "WilmerHale [law firm contracted to investigate Epstein connection] stated that Botstein had argued that Bard’s needs for funds were paramount and quoted him saying, 'I would take money from Satan if it permitted me to do God’s work.'” The specific reason for being nudged into retirement is that the investigation turned up that Botstein wasn't forthright in describing the extent of his relationship with the master manipulator. Botstein has plenty of company in being a savior who doesn't get saved. Pursuing the funding of poetry, Harvard's Elisa New also received amazi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Whiff of Scandal: Standard to Hire Major Law Firm to Investigate

There's a lot of tsk-tsking that the University of Michigan is reported to be ponying up $11.5 million to have brandname law firm Jenner & Block conduct an investigation.  The probe began because of an allegation that head coach Sherron Moore was conducting an inappropriate relationship with subordinate Paige Shiver. That investigation kicked off in November 2025 and is assumed to have only concluded last month. That's a lot of looking-into. But such an expensive process has become standard for any organization hit with even a whiff of scandal. No longer does anyone accept the credibility of an internal probe done by the non-profit or the business itself.  The current template was established in 2016. That's when Rupert Murdoch's two sons Lachlan and James contracted elite law firm Paul, Weiss t o use its investigative procedures at 21st Century Fox. The issue were allegations of sexual shenanigans by media genius Roger Ailes. Investigations is now a designated prac...
Post a Comment
Read more

What We Might Read into David Eisman's Jump from Skadden to OnlyFans ...

Image
This is a gush. Legal platform Abovethelaw discussed my analysis  of Skadden partner David Eisman’s jump to OnlyFans. There Eisman will be general counsel. Not a video presenter.  Could Eisman be telling us: The future is in the X-rated economy. Not traditional knowledge work paths. The latest in that unraveling: KPMG is laying off 4% of the advisory workforce. For instance,  The Economist details the kind of money involved in everything from porn to virtual companions. And recall that OpenAI, which financial experts like Henry Blodget say is in dire need of the bucks, considered venturing into erotica. Could have been fast money.  Me? I'm still kicking myself for being so scared of the big bad wolf of stigma. Several years ago, there I was beyond my peak earning years. I had the opportunity to regain financial ground by creating content for soft porn. What if anyone found out, I thought. Back then, partner at Paul, Weiss Brad Karp and some of the gang at Jones ...
Post a Comment
Read more

BoomerVille: Stuck In-Place, Counting Our Money

  The cliche - we Boomers travel and travel - has blown up. With fuel prices so high, more of us are stuck in-place. Forget going abroad. Forget even the 2-hour day trip to the lake in this nice weather.  What we're doing today instead is focusing on our money. It's about 10:30 AM ET and the Dow is up 482.95. With the stock market holding up, despite the geopolitical whatevers, we might have to start seeing money differently. Not fret so much about outliving our funds?  UPDATE: Dow Jones Industrial Average INDEXDJX: .DJI 49,588.86 +727.05  (1.49%) today Apr 30, 1:45 PM EDT  •  Disclaimer
Post a Comment
Read more

Sex-Economy a Global Growth Business - The Economist, Skadden Former Partner David Eisman and More Agree

The March 21st - March 27th 2026 edition of The Economist documents the monetary aspects of the global sex economy. Here are snippets: Porn - $100 billion   Exchange of Sex for money - 0.6% of females over 15 of age   Virtual companionship - to be determined. And,  OnlyFans - $7 billion.  That could expand exponentially.  According to Bloomberg , OnlyFans is in advanced talks for a possible sales deal for a stake in the business. The buzz is that this is fertile territory for M&A.  To assist with those kinds of deals, Bloomberg Law just reported that OnlyFans poached from elite law firm Skadden partner David Eisman. The position is general counsel. In his 20-year career at Skadden he specialized in entertainment and media and was a key player in the M&A group in Los Angeles. Will there be snickers throughout the legal sector about Eisner's new employer? Will Skadden CMO Luke Ferrandino have to go on the defensive?  Maybe not. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

2026: The Outcomes Economy

  Increased sales 400%, with 34% reduction in resources.  Created model for AI Overview Citation, with 22% success rate. Edited four books in 2025 - 2027 on New York Times bestseller list. Those are outcomes. And that's what the humans doing the six to seven second look at a resume need to see. Otherwise they won't continue with the review. That focus on outcomes should not only be detailed in the Professional Experience section. It also needs to be frontloaded in the Summary. No one cares that you are passionate and hardworking. When you make it to the interview, hold much of the personality. The charm offensive is five years ago. Sure, present yourself as poised, confident and energetic. But the points to be made are what results you can achieve for that particular employer and how. Do enough research to customize the "sales" pitch. And that's what a job interview is: your best shot at selling.  Should you offer to work a few days for free to confirm your abil...
Post a Comment
Read more