Entrepreneurs ought to be celebrated the way we celebrate quarterbacks who throw touchdown passes, three-point shooters, homerun hitters, and the other athletes and celebrities who allow us to live vicariously through their successes.  I’m not writing about Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, they’re exceptions. I’m writing about the thousands of men and women who “bet everything” on their ventures. They’re the champions of the American Arena.

Men and woman who start companies and create jobs are the real heroes of our society.  For example, Eagan and Marino who founded EMC Corp. in 1979.  They should be celebrated because they risked their time and capital and their company now employs 35,000 people and those employees have paid plenty in taxes, bought homes, pay real estate taxes, buy nice cars, pay sales taxes, and on and on.  In addition, since the company became public they have helped many other folks build their wealth by adding their stock to 401(k)s, etc.  So what if these two founders have become wealthy.  That’s the whole idea!  That’s the American Dream.  They are also wonderful philanthropists.

Our country would obviously be better off with more Eagans and Marinos than people complaining about their lack of opportunities.  These men ought to be celebrated as American Entrepreneurial heroes and President Obama should be holding their achievements up as examples for all instead of trying to convince us they are villains and don’t pay their fair share of income taxes. I would submit they’ve paid millions of dollars in taxes, probably much more than their fair share!  Celebrate entrepreneurship.

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©  Steven M. Stroum