Jay-Z and Sam Walton

George Packer's articles documenting the rise of two megabusinessmen, Sam Walton of Wal-Mart fame and rap legend Jay-Z, bring to light some interesting and rather dark perspectives on what success is and what it means to us. We see in both of them a passion for thrift and merciless efficiency, and in Jay-Z a willingness to sacrifice righteousness for money, power, and success. Walton's immorality is more subtle, but it his visible in how he treats local businesses, not to mention the lack of philanthropy. As repulsive as their tactics can be, we can't help but be inspired by how these two men quickly rose from low-income lives to explosive luxury. It leads us to wonder: is the American Dream really just...greed?