The people who inspire me
Abdulla Bin Sulayem is an inspiration to many in the industry, but who has spurred him to success?
H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum: You have other countries and cities that are trying to do what Dubai is doing and with all honesty, that one man with his team created something out of nothing.
He gave so much support to the people he put in place, creating Emirates airline, a brand that competes internationally, and Jumeirah Group, which offers high-end luxury hospitality. Having the courage to achieve that, he’s done an excellent job. I’m really inspired — I don’t see that happening anywhere in the future in any other city.
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Elon Musk, founder, CEO, Space Exploration Technologies Corp: Musk is the creator of Tesla Motors, an American company that designs, manufactures, and sells electric cars. They are very popular in the US and have changed the way people approach cars.
They’re not so popular [in the Middle East] but once they have a presence this might change. He created a brand of car that never existed and is competing with the major cars that took years of design to reach where they are today.
Bill Heinecke, chairman and CEO, Minor International: Minor has achieved a lot so far, it’s just mind blowing to see what they can achieve in one year, and I don’t think that’s easy.
Bill started the company from scratch, and Minor today owns Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, Thailand, St. Regis Bangkok etc. They also created the Anantara brand, which became a high-end resort brand in such a short period of time.
Steve Jobs, co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple Inc,: He really changed the way people see things and you could have consultants saying ‘this is the right way to do things’ and then he’ll find a more convenient way with a totally different approach.
Warren Buffet, business magnate: One person that has inspired me during my career in business is US investor Warren Buffet. He was ranked the world’s wealthiest person in 2008 and was named by Time magazine in 2012 as one of the world’s most influential people. However, despite being a self-made billionaire, he still lives in the same house he bought for $31,500 in 1957 and has pledged to give away 99% of his fortune to charity.
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