10 ideas from Jerry Weintraub's "When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead."

Weintraub helped chess player Bobby Fischer make a deal to turn his skills into a course.

Weintraub's success with Elvis came following a dream he had that he wrote down.

They will be gone some day (if not already)

Weintraub's book isn't the only influential figure who discusses involvement with politics. Others include Wasserman and Ovitz.

A Jewish religious figure (don't want to mistake what they were called) asked Weintraub for help. Weintraub gave a check for $10k. They rejected the check, said it's not about the money, then said they needed help to make $8MM.

Maybe a better lesson is, when you need a lot of money, it goes beyond just asking a few people for it. Or sometimes the problem is bigger than any single person can handle. (the story is much more tragic, worth reading to find out)

Weintraub was friends with the Bush family quite early. And they often helped each other a lot.

Weintraub would never go to important friends with frivolous problems.

Probably one of the more controversial ideas. Weintraub kept his marriage and after many decades fell in love with someone else. him and his wife accepted the situation and stayed together happily.

Weintraub was constantly upping his game by pushing new media opportunities. Doesn't have to necessarily be the next big technology, but pushing artist's to challenge themselves to do new media to them. Sinatra on television, Fischer on training courses, etc...

Weintraub left one of the top jobs in Hollywood early in his career to try something on his own. He probably would have become hugely successful either way.