Lamine Diack was the head of the world’s athletic body. Although he was known for being a champion long jumper, Coach of the Senegal national football team, mayor of Dakar, and much more, he was also known for being the King of Crime.

Being a leader takes initiative, it means standing up for what you know to be true. It means to stand by your faith. Being a leader does not involve secretive extortions. It does not involve giving in to bribes from other parties. Lamine Diack does not represent any of the qualities of a true leader. Lamine Diack has been convicted of extorting money from athletes and was accused of taking bribes in an Olympic hosting vote. Having people envisioning Diack as a leader is not settling to the public eye nor towards the younger generation looking up upon empowered leaders and or role models.

Fixer? Leader? Champion? These are all examples of what some people picture Lamine Diack as being, but how did his family see him? Though some treated Lamine like a criminal, his son, Papa Massata Diack did in fact feel the same. In 2015, according to https://apnews.com, “Papa Massata Diack complained that the trial in June was held without him, yet he had refused to attend the proceedings having fled to Senegal in 2015 as charges were prepared. Senegal declined to extradite him after an international arrest warrant. The 87-year-old Lamine Diack did attend the trial and testified. His son was tried in his absence. They both denied the charges.” As the saying goes, misery loves company. By Lamine Diack being the way he was and how he made a living, he brought that legacy/reputation upon his family’s life and future.

Since Diacks’ death, there have been secrets that have been kept in the dark but are now being brought into the light by his son, Papa Diack. According to https://www.theguardian.com/ it says, ‘Well, now my father can’t be punished one way or the other, and I’m safe in Senegal, I might as well just let rip.’ Whether it be to promote generational wealth or to extort those who have foolishly fallen into his web of lies, Lamine and Papa Diack have equally committed their share of crimes that have not yet been brought to justice and or uncovered, but since Lamine Diack passing, it gave Papa Diack the opportunity to throw his father under the bus for every allegation that was accused against both Diacks’.

How people think of you is important, especially when you are a leader. Diack misusing his authority and or power that was so-called awarded to him opened up a lot of doors that could not be easily closed. He knocked down friendships, partnerships, opportunities, and love that he could have possessed during his life on earth. But instead, chose the life of crime. Greed. What is greed? It is an intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food. Even though he did act upon a lot of his own selfish desires, he did experience a lot of successes while alive. People may make a lot of mistakes thinking that what they are proposing is with good intentions, but does in fact bring upon disaster and heartbreak. Lamine Diack. Do you think people admired him or despised him for what he represented and or did while alive?