Mo Money, Mo Problems for Rocky Aoki
Featured in this week's New York magazine is the family troubles of Rocky Aoki, the founder of the Benihana faux-Japanese restaurant chain.
On the surface, it's a typical immigrant-makes-good-in-America story. But the more you learn about Rocky, the more he makes Trump look like the very model of a modern modest tycoon. We learn, among other things, that Aoki has worn his hair in a Jheri curl since the 60s so people could tell him apart, claims to have invented green tea ice cream, and lost a wrestling scholarship after injuring two students. And he's obsessed with money -"'But money not everything,' he says, winking behind his shades. 'Just 99 percent'"- beyond the threshold of tackiness.
But at the center of the story is his legal battle with four of his six children, whom he is suing to regain control of his restaurant empire. The two children he's not suing? Blue States Lose favorite Steve Aoki and model/sort-of-actress Devon Aoki.
He says he loves Devon.. more than any other child because she's loyal and perhaps the only one who shares his drive. "All I ever want is to make money," Rocky says. "When I wake up, I think about how to make money in my brain. Devon's the same way." Even as a child, Devon loved money so much she would leave bills strewn all over her room, like toys—"$100, $200, $300! Hundreds of dollars. On her bedside! On the floor! In the bathroom! I say to her, 'You don't think money is important!' And she say, 'I want to see my money, Daddy. I want to see it when I'm in my bed, when I'm in the bathroom, everywhere—I want to see it always.'"
Perhaps complete, utter family dysfunction is a small price to pay.
By the way, the quotes from Rocky should be read in thick, pronounced Engrish.
