4 Ways High Profile Men Ruin Their Careers

High profile men with powerful careers often appear as though they are on top of the world. They have lots of money and influence. No one (seemingly) can hurt them regardless of their behavior. Yet, the truth is that even they can fall off the mountaintop if they make certain mistakes. Below are four common ones that have ruined the careers of many well-known men.

Cheating
One way high profile men often ruin their careers is through infidelity. There's something about power and money that make an otherwise boring, unattractive dude sexy. A good example of this is Eliot Spitzer. This hard-nosed New York governor was known for getting the bad guy. The only problem was that the public had no idea he was one of them. While he was pointing the finger at other ruthless New York leaders, he was running up tabs using campaign funds at a resident brothel. In 2008, he finally got busted. In front of the media and with his wife at side, he had to confess and then resign. Today, this wayward politician is gearing up to host a round table discussion program on CNN. Hopefully, his scandal will give him high ratings and a real job again.

Being Outed
Although being gay isn't a crime, those who speak out against it can look heinous when caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Just ask popular evangelical pastor Ted Haggard. He was the head of a large ministry in Colorado called New Life Church and he preached against same-sex marriage and relationships. In 2006, he was even featured in the documentary Jesus Camp. From all appearances, he appeared to be a strict conservative. Unfortunately, during the same year, masseur Mike Jones exposed him. He said Haggard paid him for three years to have sex. Consequently, this news led to this man of the cloth fall from grace and served as an example of another way high profile men ruin their careers. Now, after going through counseling, Pastor Ted Haggard says his attraction toward men has disappeared. Yet, the public doesn't appear to be buying his declaration. He has been unable to reclaim his leadership role over a ministry he built up to 14,000 members. Instead, he holds prayer meetings at his home.

Abusing Drugs
Unfortunately, the abuse of prescription and illegal drugs is a typical way high profile men ruin their careers. There are countless celebrities, professional athletes and politicians whose life's work have been spoiled (or interrupted) because of an addiction. The list is long. However, for the purposes of this read, we'll focus on one - Gary Dourdan. Remember him? He's the actor who played Warrick Brown on the popular TV show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. From 2000 to 2008, he helped grow a fan base for this show until his departure. His exit from the show was reported to be over a dispute regarding the renewing of his contract. However, two weeks after being freed from his obligation, he was arrested on alleged possession of cocaine, heroin, Ecstasy, miscellaneous prescription drugs and paraphernalia. His media buddies really didn't speak out, but clearly, Dourdan's ability to keep his job was affected by his extra-curricular activities. Today, this actor has virtually fallen off the scene. His addiction appears to be taking up his time and ending his fame.

Appearing Racist
Americans are funny. Although we know race is still an issue in our country, we don't like this fact thrown in our face, especially by famous people in the media. So, a final way high profile men ruin their careers is by appearing racist. CNN host Rick Sanchez recently proved this to be true. On September 30, he spoke frankly during an interview on radio show Stand Up With Pete Dominick about Jewish people. He felt they really weren't minorities and suggested that many of the people at his job were of this nationality. Unfortunately, his words backfired on him. Just one day later, he lost his job. Apparently, bringing up race and speaking against a group that you say you work largely with isn't a good move. Of course, currently, Sanchez is unemployed, but is willing to come back to his old post. Some how, the idea of CNN asking him to return at this point sounds like a fairy tale. He'd do best to start dusting off his old resume.

These four situations can destroy the careers of men that seem invincible. They prove that everyone has a weakness and if exposed it can completely change a person's life.