Fred Wang, 54
In 1986 he took over Wang Laboratories, the once powerful computer company his father, An, founded. A mere three years later, with the company failing, Dad pushed him out. (Wang Labs filed for bankruptcy in 1992.) The younger Wang still attributes the company's problems in part to his former employees, who he says refused to embrace the PC. "They simply didn't get it," he says. Today Wang lives quietly in Cambridge, Mass., spending most of his time mentoring and investing in young entrepreneurs.
 It can be a bumpy ride from fame to obscurity in business - from front-page news to trivia-quiz answer. From time to time Fortune tracks down a few of the biggest heroes and rogues of the recent past to see what they're up to and what they've learned. (more)  Triumph. Scandal. Redemption. Resolve. Here are the leaders who personify the promise - and peril - of the business world in 2006. (more) |
