Inside Magic

Steve Cohen

Monday’s
Forbes Magazine will profile Steve Cohen and his unique ability to
perform “lots of neat tricks” “like how to get hired by people with
deep pockets.”

Sure, but once you’re hired by bazillionaires, how do you
entertain them? Mr. Cohen has a routine called “Instant ROI” (that’s
rich-person language for “Instant Return On Investment”).

On a recent night at the Waldorf Towers Hotel in Manhattan Steve
Cohen was casting a spell over the room. Primped up in a tux and
horn-rim glasses, Cohen, 34, sidled up to a few people and asked if
they’d lend him some one-dollar bills. After teasing the guys and
flirting with the girls, he crumpled up the bills in his fists and,
when he opened his hands, out came a few hundreds.

Mr. Cohen is doing more than rubbing elbows with the richest in the
world — which in itself would get us tossed in to jail where we’d like
be rubbing different things with poorer folk — he’s becoming rich as
well.

Forbes points out, “Cohen made $1 million last year turning tricks
like this at the homes and corporate events of America’s richest
people. He’s been flown in private jets all around the country, from
Aspen to Cape Cod, playing at the homes of Forbes 400 members Martha
Stewart (where he made three spools of thread pop out of a loaf of
bread), New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Reebok founder Paul
Fireman (where he miraculously pulled some freshly torn-up $20
bills–intact–from the toe of a sneaker). His fee: $10,000 to $25,000.”

His roll in the tub of big bucks came in 2001 when he convinced the
folks at the Waldorf to give him a suite to perform in every Friday
night. The shows created word of mouth among the well-off who frequent
the grandiose hotel, and Cohen’s career began to flourish. People still
pay $55 each to see him perform weekly at the Waldorf. “Event planners
come and immediately book me for their corporate entertainment,” he
says. He spends one week per month on the road.

Here’s a strange end of the story, however. Forbes reports Mr. Cohen
is putting together a new show that highlights some of the custom
tricks he has performed privately for the ultra rich and powerful.

For whom would this show be performed? Not the rich, super-rich, or
the ultra rich. They already see it. Would it be for other magicians?
Like a lecture? No, the article says he won’t be giving away the
secrets.

Would it be like a taste of what you could see if you were
super-rich? Sort of like when we go to Costco and make a lunch of the
free food and drink samples? We chew our pizza-puffs and sip our new
Tropical Berry-Berry Punch dreaming of the day we could afford such
food stuffs for our very own toaster-oven.

Maybe that’s what the new show would be like.

Maybe not.

Mr. Cohen has written a book as well. It was published this year by
Collins – a major house – and according to Amazon’s rankings is doing
very well. …
Continue reading Magician Steve Cohen Performs for Rich and Gets Rich Too