Becker Private Equity & Business Podcast
Tom Brady, Michael Dell, Mark Zuckerberg, and LeBron James 1-30-25
Thu, 30 Jan 2025
In this episode, Scott Becker explores the extraordinary careers of Tom Brady, LeBron James, Mark Zuckerberg, and Michael Dell, drawing parallels between their sustained success in sports and business.
Chapter 1: Who are the key figures discussed in this episode?
This is Scott Becker with the Becker Private Equity and Business Podcast. Today's discussion is Tom Brady, Michael Dell, Mark Zuckerberg, and LeBron James. So here's what ties these four people together. And you might think this is almost the strangest assortment of four people you would see other than all of them being super rich. But no, it's not that.
Chapter 2: What parallels exist between sports and business careers?
What Zuckerberg and Dell have done in business is comparable to what LeBron and Tom Brady have done in sports. So LeBron is still playing incredible basketball at 40 years old. Tom Brady played incredible quarterbacking until 42 or so or some later age than that, some incredible year. I don't have the exact year in front of me.
Chapter 3: How long have Tom Brady and LeBron James played professionally?
But each of them had longer careers than the average career in their sport by a huge amount. And here's how Mark Zuckerberg and Michael Dell line up. Michael Dell, of course, the founder of Dell. Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook. Michael Dell has now been CEO for 40 years of Dell. And not only that, Dell is moving through another growth period of time where they've re-found their bearing.
Chapter 4: What is the significance of Michael Dell's career longevity?
They've reinvented themselves over the years. They've pivoted. They've sucked their core, but re-pivoted over the years. But he's literally been in the game for 40 years. Now, the average lifespan of an NFL running back, I think, is three years. Tom Brady played for 24 years or something like that, something crazy like that. LeBron has played for 20 plus years.
Chapter 5: How have Zuckerberg and Dell reinvented their companies?
I don't know what the average NBA career is, but I assume it's similar two to three years or something like that. And he's played for 20 plus. Similarly, the average CEO tenure of a publicly traded companies, I think about 8.3 years. And you're looking at Michael Dell now 40 years in and still pivoting, thinking, growing and making it work. It's really a remarkable thing.
Chapter 6: What does the average career span look like in sports and business?
All the other CEOs of his era, They've either moved on, you know, the Bill Gateses of the world, obviously Jeff Bezos of the world, Steve Jobs passed away. Elon Musk, also remarkable energy and perseverance is still at it. Mark Zuckerberg, similar. And Zuckerberg stock, you know, it's I think the fifth or sixth or seventh largest market cap stock in the country.
He's now been added as CEO for 21 plus years. And when I look at these folks, whether it's Tom Brady, LeBron James, Michael Tell, Mark Zuckerberg, I am amazed at the diligence, the discipline, the perseverance, the ability to keep themselves sharp, the ability to keep themselves on and focused and growing and building for all those years.
I find it to be an amazing sort of almost a miracle of nature, a miracle of human mind. Probably all of them make the effort to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy. Obviously, Tom Brady and LeBron had to be crazy about that for their business, but I bet You know, you never see an overweight pitcher of Dow or Zuckerberg.
And the energy and perseverance they've had over all these years to keep at it and stay in leadership is remarkable. I've led different organizations. The maximum I led one for was 15 years. It was exhausting. And I did two different stints as a leader of that organization. I find it to be an exhausting thing. I'm amazed at these folks that could do it. Just hats off to LeBron, TB.
Zuckerberg and Michael Dow. It almost sounds like I'm on a first-name basis with them, but I'm not with any of them, but really amazing what they've done. Thank you for listening.
I mean, the closest I've gotten to Mark Zuckerberg is scrolling on Facebook, and the closest to Michael Dow is knowing his brother, a magnificent ophthalmologist in Austin area, Stephen Dow, but I don't know any of the Zells or Zuckerbergs, the Dells or Zuckerbergs. or LeBron's or TP's personally, but God bless them all. Thank you for listening to the Becker Private Equity and Business Podcast.
A tribute to these guys' perseverance. It's remarkable and amazing.
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