The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google

by Scott Galloway

To grasp the power of Steve Jobs as the icon for innovation, think of young Elvis. If he had died in his twenties after the Sun Studio sessions and before he left for the army, we never would have seen him waddling across Las Vegas stages in white-bangled bell bottoms. Elvis exited before he hit forty. If he had hung around a few decades longer, he’d be doing oldies acts on retirement cruises, and Graceland would be a mobile home park. Dying removes the icon from the inevitable judgment of everyday existence, including aging, and elevates persona to legend—ideal for a brand. Imagine what the Tiger Woods brand would be worth to Nike if, instead of fading into mediocrity, the once-iconic golf star had been run over by his wife that night she discovered he couldn’t keep his putter in his bag. That’s arguably one of the few upsides to a public figure passing away—it inoculates them from foolish acts that destroy their reputation and, worse, aging. We know that the Founding Fathers of this country were quietly relieved when George Washington shuffled off this mortal coil—because he was then past the risk of tarnishing his sterling reputation.