How Legends Build Legacies with Larry King

Lately, I've been obsessed with 'the future.' More precisely, its messy, idiot cousin, The McFuture. The future promises us flying cars, 180-year lifespans, and 'The One' from The Matrix. But The McFuture hands us surge pricing, 30% health insurance hikes, and Donald J. Trump. In this mess, it's easy to lose sight of what's important. Who better to calibrate my compass than the man who spent 60 years interviewing the most accomplished people on earth? The Larry King. On this week's episode of The McFuture podcast, Larry and I confront God, zombies, and most important - the fleeting idea of legacy. It's a powerful lesson on how the world will remember us. 

At 83, Larry King is as sharp and charming as ever. I could see why it's nearly impossible not to marry the guy. At Larry's age, I'd be in Florida, thanking erectile dysfunction for a merciful rest. Larry is starting new ventures. He's the star and 20% owner of Ora.TV, a digital media startup funded by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim. (The man who will someday fund my media empire...or adopt me.)

For the Love of...

You'd think by now Larry could spend his days wandering into random mansions, raiding their fridge, and napping poolside. So why the hell is he still working? What drives him?

A lot has to do with his rough childhood. At the age of nine his father suddenly passed away. Larry, his mom, and brother moved to an attic apartment in Brooklyn and lived off welfare. It's a helping hand Larry couldn't be more grateful for - or angry at those who denigrate it.

Even though he lost interest in school after his dad's passing, Larry never doubted what he wanted to be – a broadcaster. He'd even go to radio stations and pretend he worked there...as I do now at Tesla. (Note: Elon is much stronger than he looks. I'll be back, mi amor!)

Larry's insatiable lust to broadcast any genre at any station – sports, talk, local TV - opened a series of doors. It eventually made Larry the man Clintons, Bushes, Trumps and Putins could curl up with. (Hear the full life story on the bonus episode of The McFuture.)

Digging a little deeper, I realized Larry's lust isn't just for broadcasting, but for life itself. And I guarantee Larry loves life way more than you or I ever will. How do I know? Larry plans to be cryogenically frozen when he dies. In a way, he's making the ultimate bet on the future – that there is one. For him...and for us.

"I love living. If I die, who's gonna win the world series? Who's gonna be the next president? It's gonna drive me nuts," Larry explained.

His decision is rooted in one simple belief: This. Is. It.

"I don't believe in an afterlife. I'm not religious. I'm probably an atheist. All atheists say they're agnostic. It's a copout. I'm an atheist. I don't believe in a God and if there is a God, he's a failure."

Larry's not entirely without other-worldly beliefs. I asked about all the shows he did about aliens. "It's pompous to think that we're the only living things," he replied. "What mystifies me about UFO's is why don't they land in NYC? They land in a suburb of Castro, Wyoming."

He spoke with the ease and freedom of a man unconcerned about offending bosses or making rent. Though that might not be completely true...

Larry confessed, "My one thing against doing [cryogenics] is it takes some of the money I would have given to the family away. It costs about $250,000 plus upkeep every year."

Besides his passion for life and broadcasting, I finally understood what keeps Larry going: the high cost of refrigeration.

And it's not like Larry's family didn't try talking him out of it.

"My wife said to me, you won't know anybody. I said, I'll make new friends. I'm adaptable."

Projecting my fear onto Larry, I wondered, "Aren't you worried you'll wake up in Idiocracy with president Northwest (Kim & Kanye's son) presiding over a world of virtual zombies?" Larry deadpanned, "If I woke up in that situation, I'd interview zombies. 'How did it come to this?'.

It was pretty clear Larry wasn't banking on being remembered in some distant future. He plans to BE THERE!

Legacy

So what does Larry think of his legacy – and legacy, in general?

In The Economics of Happiness, I came to terms with my legacy: "I will not be remembered. Probably, neither will you. How do I know that? Steve Jobs will not be remembered. Go ahead and name the inventors of the 8-track, the Walkman, air conditioning, and flatscreen TV’s." Yes, they’ll be on Wikipedia, but no one under 10 today knows or cares about Steve Jobs...or more upsetting, Steve Faktor. 

Larry felt the same.

"William Shatner said to me, We're all gonna be forgotten... You hope you leave a legacy. I hope I've entertained and informed people, but Shatner said, in today's world – eat 'em up, spit them out, forget it. Shatner made me depressed over that."

OK... By now, I'm pretty sure I was bumming Larry out. I had time to ask about one last legacy - before he choked me out with his suspenders. 

"I think Ted [Turner] was the greatest broadcasting figure in the second half of the 20th century. (Sarnoff was the first.) Ted had an absence of ego, always told the truth, put confidence in the people who worked for him, and was loyal to the core. I never worked for anyone better...Ted was an off-the-wall creative genius."

Shortly after birthing the idea for a 24-hour news network, Ted brought Larry to CNN and made him a global household name. So it's understandable why Larry felt guilty being inducted into the Emmys Hall of Fame five years before Ted. "He should have been the first person from cable TV to be inducted." (Full story on The McFuture.)

Larry King Now.

Larry is still living the dream - my dream - of working with one brilliant billionaire, Ted Turner, then moving on to an even richer one, Carlos Slim. I fear only Larry or Melania could pull this off...

After a career of firsts – first national radio talk show, first worldwide TV talk show, and first Emmy for a cable host, the Larry singularity is upon us. At Ora.TV, Larry's new show already has three Emmy nominations, but Larry couldn't care less about the technology behind it. 

"I still do what I've always done but the means of transmission is different... I know nothing technical. I don't know how it all works. I don't know where the internet is." I would have laughed harder if I hadn't just spent an hour researching podcast audio compression. (Seriously, I need a production intern! Call me.)

Larry is freer than ever at Ora. "I own 20% of the company. I don't have any suits that I have to deal with... " The only thing he misses about CNN is being live.

Words of Wisdom

I couldn't let Larry go without asking for his advice for the next generation- or anyone starting in media today? Ahem.

"You can't make people like you, so be yourself. If you can be that way, you don't have to remember anything. It just works in life, but in broadcasting, it really works." He added, "There's still room for anyone to make it. Don't be afraid to be yourself."

I have to admit, this seemed somewhat simplistic, at first. But I suppose the biggest truths often are.

We discussed who lived life that way – Joan Rivers, Johnny Carson, Ross Perot, Obama. One person he wasn't so sure about is President-Elect Donald J. Trump.

"I know Donald a long time. The Donald I knew was always pro-choice, always favored a single-payer system, endorsed Hillary Clinton when she ran for the Senate. So I don't know if that's the real Donald I'm seeing now."

Larry's Real Legacy

When I finally got to Larry's one hope for the future, he didn't hesitate for a second. "I'd like to see both of my kids in the Major Leagues."

Maybe legacy really is that simple – and attainable by all. Few of us will build companies, technologies, or physical structures that last generations. By next week, no one will remember our podcasts, iPads or PowerPoints. Historians won't debate our big decisions – Venti or Grande... And decades from now, children won't dress up like us. OK, maybe Lady Gaga or Cher. But we bought our crap at The Gap.

The one legacy that's inalienable is our power to birth and teach future generations. To pass along our wisdom. To set them up to succeed. Maybe we could leave them a few fish in the ocean - or one of those big, white, hairy, growly things – I mean polar bears, not Alec Baldwin.

And when we do all that, Larry will be right there with us. He might be slightly cold to the touch, but as warm and lovable as ever on the inside. Just don't tell the zombies.

Check out Larry's show at Ora.TV. And listen to the full episode and bonus conversation on The McFuture podcast. Don't forget to subscribe as I explore The McFuture with the world's top thinkers, innovators, and cultural icons.

---

Bio: Steve Faktor is CEO of IdeaFaktory growth & innovation consultancy and host of The McFuture Podcast, a provocative, funny exploration of a future stuffed with Kardashians but starved for meaning...and vision. Steve is a popular keynote speaker, LinkedIn Influencer, and regularly featured in Forbes, Harvard Business Review, NPR, Wall Street Journal, among others. Steve is the former head of the American Express Chairman’s Innovation Fund, senior executive at Citi and MasterCard, and Andersen consultant. You can follow him via email newsletter, LinkedIn, Facebook & Twitter.