Unlike the 1980s , when the economy 's leading figures often seemed to be people like Michael Milken and Boone Pickens , who were speculators in that classic populist sense of the word , the people who get the most attention and respect today are almost all businessmen who spend their time making things , not playing with other people 's Bill Gates , Michael Dell , or whoever .
The 80s leading businessmen were well trained intellectuals .