A Story About "Professional Asshole" Tucker Max: He Claims To Be A Great Boss

Tucker Max has just published Asshole Finish First, as shown above, which reports more of Max's tales of drunkenness, sex, and general obnoxiousness.  It is a sequel to his bestseller I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, which was made into a film that I did not see (but that got bad reviews).  When I first read Max's proud claim that he was a professional asshole, I did an incredulous post, as I was -- and remain -- amazed that anyone would be proud to be an asshole because, as I have said here before, if you an asshole and you finish first, your are still an asshole, and therefore a loser in my book.  

The odd thing about writing that post a couple years back was the reaction that I got from Tucker Max and a guy who worked for him.  I describe it in the new chapter in the paperback version of the The No Asshole Rule:

The weirdest email exchange I had about bosses was with Tucker Max and one of his subordinates.  Max is the author of the bestseller I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell.  His next book is called Assholes Finish First.  Max’s website says:

My name is Tucker Max, and I am an asshole.I get excessively drunk at inappropriate times, disregard social norms, indulge every whim, ignore the consequences of my actions, mock idiots and posers, sleep with more women than is safe or reasonable, and just generally act like a raging dickhead.

When I wrote on my blog that Max “appears to be a professional asshole,” he wrote me several friendly notes and explained that he really wasn’t an asshole as I define it. He further claimed “In five years, no more than ten, you are going to do a profile of me and declare that I am a model boss, a CEO that all bosses should base themselves on in some form or other.” The boss theme also came up when one his underlings wrote to say that Max has “been a mentor to me and I don't think ever violated that trust by being an asshole.”  So, even a guy who has made a ton of money being what I would call a professional asshole denies he is a certified asshole by the standards here -- and he has at least one very loyal follower who admires Max because he has never acted like an asshole boss!  

Pretty weird, huh?  Tucker, I am sorry, but I don't think I am ready yet to hold you up as a great human-being of any kind -- but I guess you have another seven years to prove me wrong!

Comments

[Iman Azol]

As "asshole" is an undefined negative epithet, it's all moot.

But if I have a crapton of money, whatever I define as happiness and a long life, I really don't care if you think I'm a loser. I would consider that to be a loser trying to deny his jealousy.

[Casey O'Looney]

Tucker Max isn't an asshole. He is a douchebag. He is the guy who thinks he is cool, but everyone else knows is just a poser, blowhard. I can't wait until he disappears.

Please Bob, don't ever, ever, ever highlight Tucker Max again. He doesn't deserve your attention.

[Patrick]

His name is Tucker Max, and he is not an asshole.He just gets excessively drunk at inappropriate times, disregards social norms, indulges every whim, ignores the consequences of my actions, mocks idiots and posers, sleeps with more women than is safe or reasonable, and just generally acts like a raging dickhead.
This is my personal opinion. People need real feel and do what they like to do without hurting others or bringing about inconveniences to others.

[sk]

I have a friend from when I was doing my MBA who was described as an asshole by most of the cohort. His actions sound like a milder version of Tucker. He presumes familiarity and makes remarks that are offensive to most. He will make lewd comments, especially after drinking a bit too much. He'll try to find and say the thing that will unsettle you the most.

Here's the thing. To a casual acquaintance, he is just be an asshole. If you pierce this persona, what you find is a rather loyal, emotionally fragile, sweetheart of a guy who will go out of his way to be nice to you.

My friend has abandonment issues that come from being given up as a child. He is so afraid that people will reject him, that he acts outrageously to make them reject him. He would rather purposefully and knowingly cause the rejection than have someone reject the real him.

So, I think there are assholes and then there are assholes. I can't abide the kind you've written about. But, my now lifelong friend is someone who I would say can be an asshole, but really isn't.

[Ryan Holiday]

Hi Bob, it was funny to see this article pop up. I forgot I even wrote in about it. I'd still stand by what I wrote then, and I imagine most of the young people Tucker groomed after me would agree. Then again, I went on to happily work for Robert Greene (48 Laws of Power) and Dov Charney (American Apparel) after I left my comment, so perhaps I have some weird ability to appreciate and learn from bosses people love to hate.

[Patricia]

Perhaps the word Tucker is looking for is "rake" or even "bounder". Regardless, he'd better get going if he's going to become the person that he now seems not to be: an exemplary man, i.e. a man worthy of being held up as a good example.

Better step on it, Tucker. You're burning daylight.

[Bret Simmons]

I think he is probably more of an dick than an asshole.

[M.]

I don't know Tucker Max, but I am familiar with his work. I will note that he indeed doesn't use the word as you define it. To him, and to many others, it is just the antithesis of the quintessential "Mr. Nice Guy," who at the end of the day, are more "assholish" than those who are more assertive.