Which Chief Executives Have the Most Fun?

Over the years I’ve talked to hundreds of CEOs of companies large and small. I always make a mental note as to who seems happy in their job, by which I mean: Who is having the most fun?

First and obviously, it’s more fun to be profitable than unprofitable. At the next level, CEOs of growing companies are generally happier — less bored — than those of stagnant companies. In my observation, Founder/CEOs have measurably more fun than hired guns. Michael Dell of Dell has a better time of it, day to day, than Meg Whitman of HP. Larry Ellison of Oracle always seems to be having a blast. I doubt that Steve Ballmer of Microsoft enjoys one-tenth as many blissful days as Ellison.