Nowadays there is hardly a decibel meter on the work floor, but it doesn’t make much of a difference. Hot-headed bobos have to be careful in 2023. How does Joop van den Ende do that?
Joop van den Ende is one of the few Dutch billionaires. He has so much money that the whole of Flevoland can go on holiday for a decade. But of course he also had to work hard for that. And where there is minced meat, there are chips. One problem: in 2023, hot-tempered owners are becoming less and less accepted.
Strict Joop
How does Joop deal with that? The 81-year-old media mogul has started producing again, namely at his daughter’s company, where he takes care of Simone Kleinsma. “What else should I do? I can’t do anything else!”, he says this weekend The Telegraph. “I am happy that Iris hired me for this. Unpaid, that is!”
When the newspaper asks whether he is not afraid of being seen as strict, something that is increasingly less accepted, he answers: “That is a good question that I would like to answer. Of course I am strict, but always for the benefit of the product. I want to have people around me who understand that and are committed to the full one hundred percent.”
RTL pickle
Joop is still screaming. “If I ever say something by raising my voice, I never mean it personally. It’s about bringing out the best in each other. My team understands that. Together you work on a beautiful production. Well, that sometimes involves words. But of course that should never make people sick!”
In that respect, he compares himself with Oos Kesbeke, the main character in the RTL soap De Augurkenkoning. “That is someone who is also so passionate. I recognize a lot in him. He shouts all sorts of things at his staff, but is always clear. He also does that to produce a good product.”
Great hate
Oos has passion, but is also good for his staff, says Joop. “And that’s how it is with us. People should never come to me with ‘you’re not allowed to say or do that’. I really hate that. I can always say and do what I want!”
And of course other people may think something about that too. Once, Joop really hurt his muse Simone terribly with his management style, namely when he meanly called her ‘too fat’.