"If you want a friend, get a dog." The line is often attributed to Gordon Gekko, the character in Oliver Stone's "Wall Street." But Stone got it from Carl Icahn, a towering figure on Wall Street even at age 75. The New York Times reports that he is now pondering his legacy and the challenges of the immediate future.

Brows were raised when Keith Meister, his top gun, left the fold, taking Icahn's chief operating officer with him. People also took note when Icahn shuttered a hedge fund not too long afterwards, following a disastrous stretch in 2008.

All of that has people speculating about his son Brett Icahn, just 31, who may be poised to play a larger role in the firm and perhaps run it someday. He is steeped in the business. "As a child, Brett Icahn tagged along when his father scouted for real estate in Westchester County, N.Y. He later saw his father conduct corporate raids," notes the Times.

"The two often play chess, wagering thousands of dollars a game. Brett plays better. 'I can't figure out how he does it,' his father says, adding that a chess pro was coming over to coach him later that day. 'Don't tell Brett. I don't want him to know.' "

The younger Icahn went to Princeton and worked at Goldman Sachs before trying his hand at making movies for a few years before joining the firm. There is no formal succession deal between father and son, they say, but you can bet Brett has the inside track.

Here's a choice quote: "Corporate democracy is a myth, and cronyism on boards is rampant," says Brett Icahn. "That's why there's a lot of opportunity as an activist." Like father, like son?

For more:
- here's the profile

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