Paul

"Paul understood the trap of stardom. He told me, “You know, I’ve been a movie star for a long time. And no matter how hard I try to tell myself I’m just a normal person, I keep hearing how wonderful I am. It gets to the point that you start to think you’re something you aren’t.”"

"Paul was a bona fide futurist, a believer in the societal benefits of a wired world, and by 1998 he would buy a controlling stake in one of the largest U.S. cable operators, Charter Communications, in which I own a substantial stake today. Years later, Liberty would buy Paul’s stake in Ticketmaster."

"Strategically, I knew that Bill was blocking an easy play between AOL, the fastest-growing online service, and TCI, the largest cable operator in the country. But I also believed what he was saying about the market, so I asked him, “What are you suggesting? What’s the alternative?” “Well, why don’t you just buy twenty percent of Microsoft Network? This is going wide fast, and it’s certain to be a massive success.” “What are you going to charge me for this?” I asked. “Well, why don’t you pay me the same amount you were going to pay Paul for his block. This could be worth an enormous amount… who knows?” This was a rather rich ask. Gates was seeking, for just 20 percent of his new and untested service, the same price we were about to pay for 25 percent of the leader in the online access business. It might sound a little arrogant, yet it also sounded like the truth."

"The station was pitched at 18- to 39-year-olds, baby boomers and their children who’d mostly grown up listening to rock music and, since 1959, watching television. Stokes, who turned forty a month after the launch, had just drifted out of the demographic. Bendat was old enough for his children Paul and Laura both to be in the target market. This wasn’t a shopping centre; they had to trust the experts they’d hired to make it work."

"Paul wondered if the new restaurant would provide growth opportunities for any of our top staff members, and, as importantly, whether or not we had enough of them to go around. Was anyone on our team ready to be promoted to chef or general manager?"

"Michael brings thoughtful balance to this group, being somewhat risk-averse and highly analytical. Richard Coraine is the ultimate realist. He knows what it takes to launch a new business, and he doesn’t mince words. He also knows food and wine and lives for the tireless discovery of the best. He’s actively involved in the selection of chefs and general managers. He’ll most often stick to his guns whenever our growth seems to outpace our ability to execute at the highest levels of quality. After all, when something goes awry, he and his operations team will be the ones most responsible for fixing it. Paul keeps us focused on the quality and capacities of the people who work in our organization, knowing that they are our core strength. He’s the adviser who best knows how…"

"The honeymoon between the “king of bleaching” and his disciple is at its peak. Those who get along like two brothers in business no longer part when it’s time to have fun. Léderlin, married to a Russian princess, Olga Skouratoff, a descendant of Boris Godunov, beautiful and ethereal but who he blithely neglects, leads the revelry with festivities going strong between Paris and the Vosges. Sparkling parties, nocturnal excursions, secretive gatherings: Marcel and Paul are inseparable."

"Paul, who succeeded him in 1909, continued the paternalistic work: he installed the first bathrooms in work"