IT WAS THE FIRST TIME that I had the honor to attend an exclusive, invite-only corporate celebration. Forbes brought together 38 licensed editions in New York to mark its 100th anniversary. Out of the gathered 800 people, at least half were invited guests, Forbes heroes, distinguished respondents and major players in the US economy. The celebration was proceeded by Steve Forbes’ invitation where he promised an unforgettable evening, as well as a musical performance by a special guest. All the guests knew beforehand that the opening speech would be made by the editor-in-chief Steve Forbes and the undisputed business guru and leader of our ranking Warren Buffett.
The business gurus that gathered in September at Chelsea Piers in New York to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the Forbes magazine reminded us once again about the entrepreneurial spirit and perseverance and also the companies with over several trillion dollars’ worth of investment portfolios. It’s hard to convey in one article all the emotions that you get when you have an opportunity (and almost everyone present there had that opportunity) to meet and talk to the Philanthropist Jacqueline Novogratz, singer Sean Combs (better known by his stage name Puff Daddy), Jack Welch – an American retired business executive and former CEO of General Electric and Jerry Jones – the owner, president, and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys National Football League team.
“The Mystic Musical Surprise” turned out to be Stevie Wonder. I ran into him as I was roaming the hall and shaking hands with the guests. He was headed to the stage accompanied by several people. After this encounter, my phone started to load with multitudes of videos and selfies. Stevie Wonder and Buffett sang a duet of the classic hit The Glory of Love.
The Forbes leaders shared many new products and challenges with their partner countries, which will definitely be reflected in the printed as well as digital products of the Forbes Georgia.
The reason is quite simple; we learn from experiments and seek continuous improvement. And, it’s important to us to be passionate about what we do, to have fun and play to WIN.
