Mr. Sam and Just Business

Packer's articles about Sam Walton and Jay-Z are similar in the sense that both are stories about successful men who have come from lower class backgrounds. Jay-Z had the hope of becoming successful so people would stop looking down on him. In a sense, he wanted to show that he was better than everyone else. Sam Walton's story was a similar case. In his quest to become a successful entrepreneur, he watched what his competitors were doing and always tried to do it better. The main difference between the two was that Jay-Z didn't only want to be on top of the world, he wanted to show people that he came from the bottom. He wanted people to not only acknowledge his success, but he also wanted them to relate to him. Sam Walton however, was shown to be quite the cheapskate. Despite his millions, he did little to give back to the people. At his "five-dollar haircuts," he wouldn't even leave a tip. Both men came from similar backgrounds and had similar success stories. The difference is, the world saw them for who they were in different lights.