These inducements are of course related to what economists call the will to “empire-build,” but strictly speaking the phrase refers to an activity that is its own reward, the fulfillment of an innate desire as expressed by someone like Theodore Vail. While Ross certainly had such “pure” yearnings, he was also unquestionably drawn to what we might term imperial prerogatives, and these lures account for why he was attracted in particular to the film industry when he was already running a very solid business. It can be astonishing how much some executives prove willing to spend or
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