For a bit of respite from the fame and adulation he faces daily in South Korea, and for a bit of fun, Lee once became a taxi driver for a few days.

CNN: Lee Byung-hun: Korea's leading man

Oddness overshadowed his real, hard-won achievements: world adulation for a black pop star, the birth of video celebrity, and millions of dollars given to black causes.

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These days Ghosn gets the sort of adulation in Japan normally reserved for rock stars and football players.

CNN: The True Story of Carlos Ghosn

The president himself enjoys the same sort of adulation - a recent survey gave him an 88% approval rating, the highest ever for a Philippine leader.

BBC: New Philippine leader Aquino sets out agenda