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Magic Johnson for Small Business Administrator?
By Marc Tracy
That's the "dream pick" of Karen Kerrigan, who heads the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, for who should be in charge of the Small Business Administration under President-elect Barack Obama, the Wall Street Journal reports. (Obama has already named New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson as his choice for Commerce Secretary, who would oversee the SBA). Could this happen? Kerrigan is apparently skeptical, but sees the merit in the idea: in the Journal's words, Johnson "has started a string of successful businesses, could draw celebrity attention to a stodgy federal agency, cares about helping the disadvantaged and urban revitalization and aligns himself with smart people." Except for the successful businesses part, he actually sounds an awful lot like Obama.
For those who just know Johnson as a former superstar Los Angeles Lakers point guard (as well as a prominent HIV/AIDS activist, who announced that he had HIV in the early '90s), you should read this, which details his "urban business empire". Basically, Johnson built movie theaters, Starbuckses, and in general invested in the inner-city communities that others wouldn't touch, bringing much needed capital to the neighborhoods that need it most...and making a bucketful for himself.
MSNBC recently interviewed Johnson, asking him for his business advice. He has all the charisma you'd expect of a former NBA star, and all the savvy you'd expect of a tremendously successful businessperson. Check it out:
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
President-elect Obama: we hope you give him some consideration for SBA head. We're sure Johnson would be willing to play an occasional game of one-on-one as part of the deal. Who knows, he may even let you win.
Comments (0)December 18, 2008 1:38 PM
