Great men are rarely good; good men are rarely great.
This perspective has long influenced my thinking, and it comes to mind again in the context of the longstanding rivalry between the late Apple cofounder Steve Jobs and Bill Gates.
I was always uncomfortable with people valorizing Jobs, because the track record seemed clear: he treated people very badly. Meanwhile, Bill Gates has done objective good with his wealth since. And yes, rehabilitating a reputation by investing in meaningful global health projects… that is a good.
But, though we don’t know the final word on the Epstein files, Gates’s relationship there does not look good, especially in light of a noncommittal interview done by his ex-wife Melinda.
This is the trap: we always want great men, great leaders. No matter your politics or your stance, no matter your hobbies, we’re always looking for one. They make compelling stories, and we live in stories. Honestly, sometimes those stories might even do more good than harm.
But we can’t lose sight of the broader idea, that research backs up: power is a moral solvent. It doesn’t just reveal who someone is — it can change who someone becomes.
That theme was canonized in a letter by Lord Acton 150 years ago — the “absolute power corrupts absolutely” letter. But just after that, he writes the line people forget: “Great men are almost always bad men.”
The question isn’t “Who’s our great leader?” It’s: What systems do we have so we don’t need one?