Modanna is the epitome of unfocused fortunes. Before TV and Movies, fortunes were built upon what I would call the infrastructure of society, of life. You had the oil barons, steel barons, railroad barons, meat packing barons, etc. But these were industries that became essential and always played a vital, if not contentious, role in the lives of people. Then came the entertainment barons.

TV and Movies allowed a person with some personal talent to become very wealthy because their material could be seen and sold across vast expanses. But this wealth is built for the individual, not for the team or company. This wealth exists as long as the individual draws the attention they need to bring in the bucks, not on accomplishing something that is used as an integral, quiet part of life. Just compare Microsoft and Bill Gates to Madonna. I need to know nothing about Gates to use his (fairly bad) software. I am not saying people who make fortunes do not have a lot in common with entertainers – they do. But there are subtle differences in how they can deal with their success in the long run.

The industry-barons have work to do and can see their success in the continued use of their product or service. And there revenues continue for a long time. They can revel on the impact they had on humankind.

The entertainment-barons do not have this kind of permanence to their success. They can be trapped into being seen through the prism of their one great role or period. They want more after the years start rolling by and they are flush with cash and toys, but no new breaking accomplishments. Some go into a bizarre fantasy world like Michael Jackson. Others take on mankinds largest challenges and become pretend experts on things like Foreign Affairs and run around the world coddling the worst people. But they still strive for attention over substance.

buying a loved baby son from a needy father as a badge of her good deeds, instead of doing the quiet good, and just giving the poor man some help to get on his feet. Of course, helping a grown man to make a living to support a family is a long term effort. It would require a lot of sacrifice and would not be the same as pulling this poor baby form the destitude of his world. She went shopping in Africa, looking at the merchandise lined up in the windoe, and paid a hefty price to buy a human being. And she demanded that her money be spent teaching poor orphans a specific religion if they wanted to use the money. That was her overbearing answer to the problem she faces of leaving a lasting impression beyond an MTV clip. We have seen that before too, with Oprah and her school It seems Africa is now the place where the wandering rich and famous from the entertainment world try to establish some historic credibility. There is just one fact these uber-bored and uber-rich forget, just because you can make computer software everyone likes and become filthy rich does not mean you can perform brain surgery and save lives. They fall into the classic trap of success. They succumb to an arrogance to think they are more special then the common human being – rather than the reality of having once been dedicated, sacrificing to their goals and lucky. In Madonna’s case, she has gone where few who ever go. She has purchased a 1 year old baby for no real reason except to appease her demons.