I think you make an excellent point, but all these cases are examples of guys who got a seat on a rocket and were pretty ruthless about who else got to ride.
Which is to say, they're lottery ticket winners. And that's super, but it is a bad idea to model your personal finances on lottery ticket winners.
In the rest of the stupid world, with people who are just grinding it out day by day and not jousting with billionaires, being nice is a very, very, very good idea. Being nice keeps doors open. Being nice to everybody you can keeps a lot of doors open. You never know when your next deal, or next gig, or next hire is going to come from. I can't tell you how many times I have gotten a great opportunity (often years after the fact, or through a friend of a friend of a friend) through helping people out just to be nice.
You can't dictate luck, but you can absolutely put yourself in a position to be lucky. And the more times you can spin the wheel, the better off you are. Having people in your corner is a powerful influencer of this.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to finish a very profitable contract job that I got because I liked to hang out and drink beers with the drummer who lived next door a couple years back. (Who subsequently went on to become the head of marketing for a national firm. When hippies sell out, they go all the way.)
some of them, yes, lucky once, no proven success after that. but not all.
jobs, ellison, gates and as it's currently looking to be, zuckerberg. sustained success, even after massive setbacks. you don't build billion dollar companies (as in revenue, not fantasy valuations) on pure luck.
you build them on being a mean motherfucker. practically all of history is evidence against PG here. edison. ford. rockefeller. etc etc etc.
You're not a billionaire. Acting like one is a poor strategy. We plebians are well served by being nice if we want to move up the bracket.
By all means, when you are rich and powerful, act like kind of a prick. You might need to act like a prick. I honestly couldn't say, but you could make a very plausible case for not being sunshine and rainbows all day, saying 'no' a lot, and pushing people pretty hard. (Lying, cheating, and stealing is another matter-- these are principally the actions of desperate people. Being a tough businessperson doesn't make you a jerk, though.)
But do yourself (and the rest of us) a favor and don't go there until you have to.
I'm afraid everyone giving robber barons and their ilk as counter-examples is misreading the essay. PG states that he works on the premise that a new non-zero-sum game of wealth creation is afoot, as exemplified by tech startups. In this specific context, being non-mean significantly improves success odds.
Everyone focuses on the last statement but misses the premise, which is a recurring theme in Graham's essays.
oh, that is clear. but that, let's say, "new economy" talk has been around for a long time and simply does not vibe with history, capitalism, human nature.
human beings that strive for greatness are ruthless, that necessary focus and willpower come with a price. it can be seen everywhere - politics, the military, arts, sports,...
Which is to say, they're lottery ticket winners. And that's super, but it is a bad idea to model your personal finances on lottery ticket winners.
In the rest of the stupid world, with people who are just grinding it out day by day and not jousting with billionaires, being nice is a very, very, very good idea. Being nice keeps doors open. Being nice to everybody you can keeps a lot of doors open. You never know when your next deal, or next gig, or next hire is going to come from. I can't tell you how many times I have gotten a great opportunity (often years after the fact, or through a friend of a friend of a friend) through helping people out just to be nice.
You can't dictate luck, but you can absolutely put yourself in a position to be lucky. And the more times you can spin the wheel, the better off you are. Having people in your corner is a powerful influencer of this.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to finish a very profitable contract job that I got because I liked to hang out and drink beers with the drummer who lived next door a couple years back. (Who subsequently went on to become the head of marketing for a national firm. When hippies sell out, they go all the way.)