Thaksin entered the police, but in fact his career from the start was in the twin fields of politics and business. His success arose from his ability to synergize the two. His first success came from an exclusive contract secured through personal connections. The legendary version of his business success stresses his persistence and his flare for risk taking. To these should be added his understanding that political regulation of business is the source of abnormal rates of profit. Since he secured a computer contract from his own department in the police, he has understood what works.