Building a rubbish pile is, it turns out, surprisingly high-tech.

ECONOMIST: A history of waste

While the business side was always frustrating, the awards and critical acclaim continued to pile on as did his stable of high-profile clients, who range from Danes, whom he first dressed for the Academy Awards when she was 15, to Celia Cruz, the iconic Cuban singer.

WSJ: Narciso Rodriguez's Life in Fashion

For example, Exxon has refused to splurge on over-priced assets despite the huge cash pile it has thanks to high oil prices (a discipline not exercised by its smaller American rivals Chevron and ConocoPhilips, which are now gobbling up, respectively, Unocal and Burlington Resources).

ECONOMIST: Oil