I loved David Copperfield since I was a kid. I remember that on the Italian television they broadcast his show every year, the night before Christmas. Even when the show was the same, I’d watch it over again.

One day he finally came to perform close to town, I wanted to go, but eventually had to give it a miss.

However, the true desires of your heart ultimately tend to manifest and so, fast forward ten years, there was a period of my time when I was a… regular in Las Vegas, so to speak. And the reason wasn’t gambling, so you know pretty much what’s left, and yes, it reads ‘partying’. It’s safe to say that David Copperfield wasn’t on my radar anymore at that time, my childhood’s desires had left room to other desires more consonant to a twenty-something lad, reveling in the nightlife of the Sin City.

But then there was this trip in winter time, when it rained for the whole week. Daytime game was non-existent, long gone were the summer days spent at Wet Republic, Rehab and other infamous pool parties in Nevada which had become second home to me.

As I was meandering aimlessly along the Strip, life orchestrated the perfect chance, when I saw an ad at a taxi stand reading that David Copperfield was performing at the MGM. I rushed to buy a ticket and the show became the highlight of my trip and possibly remains as the sweetest memory of Vegas, now that out of all the debauchery no more than a bland aftertaste is left.

I thought that by seeing him live, I could have figured some of his tricks, at least by making a hypothesis, I thought he’d give away a little more, when so close to the seat. Not only his tricks left me even more baffled and mesmerized in person than they did on television, but I was blown away by the way he performed on stage and the insane amount of work that goes into putting together a show like that.

Insane work ethic

But here comes the real shocker: I recently read that in 2018 alone, at the age of 62, David Copperfield has performed 670 shows. 

Now let’s start to put this insane figure in perspective.

Assuming the man never goes on holiday, that’s almost 13 shows per week. That’s twice a day, every single day, 7 days a week, all year-round. And this is only about performing on stage: we haven’t counted all the work required to prep the show, press interviews, managing his staff, buying equipment, dealing with managers, agents and all the duties he must attend to, if he wants to keep his empire going.

If we assume that he does go on holiday sometimes instead or even simply decides that Sundays are dedicated to family, girlfriend or rightfully resting his 62 year old body… well, then the man has to perform 3 shows per day, which is pretty much what he does.

To get an even more complete perspective, you must take into account that being on stage with spotlights pointing at you all the time, makes you sweat as if you were in a Turkish bath and that is already extremely tiring. Besides, speaking in front of a live audience, without the chance to just the scene if you ever make a mistake is an ever more exhausting task as any TV host can confirm.

But doing all of this, while you’re performing tricks which might fall apart at the slightest mistake or even escapism, with all the physical strain involved in getting out of a tank full of water while your entire body is all tied up in chains… well, that my friend requires an energy level that is simply out of this world. And Copperfield does it three times, back to back, in the same day, almost every day.

What about the sacrifices?

We have established how taxing and insanely demanding it is to keep doing what he does, from a physical, mental and energetic perspective.

But now, let’s think for a second about all the sacrifices he must do, to stay on track with this insane agenda.

For one, he can’t afford to hang around partying, drinking alcohol or indulging into any vice in particular, not only as a habit, but even for a single day, if not with exceptional rarity. In fact, take any day of the week for David and he’s probably just off from three grueling shows, with three more lined up on the next day. Going to the bar and getting tipsy with friends till 2AM is simply not an option. You only have time for dinner and sleep, if off-stage work doesn’t add to the mix.

Secondly, let’s talk about holidays. You’re a dude with an estimated net worth of 850 million US dollars, you could do a world in your private jet, booking only presidential suits wherever you go, while eating at Michelin-starred only restaurants every single meal, and do that not only once, but basically every day of your life until the day you die. And instead you can barely afford to take a trip to the nearby Los Angeles, because you’re stuck in Vegas the entire time, since you’ve committed to performing three shows per day at MGM, every week, like a madman.

Besides, you’ve been doing this for decades and, in order to keep yourself fit, you probably need to go to gym and take care of your mind and body scrupulously, so it’s safe to affirm that even the hours you’re off-stage revolve around your work and that your entire lifestyle must be designed uniquely to support this crazy endeavor of yours. Not much time for anything else is left.

So why does he do it?

Now put yourself in David’s shoes. You have close to a billion dollar, everybody on earth thinks you’re awesome, you’ve conquered everything you wanted out of life already, including the woman who was considered the most beautiful on earth at one point (Claudia Schiffer, with whom he had a highly publicized relationship in the 90s). What the hell makes you get out of bed and work yourself to death to perform 670 goddamn shows in one year?!?

There are only two satisfactory explanations:

David is so utterly neurotic, so far gone, so hopelessly and pathologically workaholic, so addicted to fame, money, or even to his doing, that he simply can’t stop and smell the roses, take a break, chill out, work less and enjoy life a bit more, for the years he has left to live..

Or…

David’s had everything in life, but his life is not about himself, it’s about others. He knows he has the privilege to communicate with the masses, touch their hearts, bring wonder and magic to their lives. Most importantly, he knows he has the skills and talents to do what he does, that few others could ever replace and he is fully devoted to honor these blessings and his calling. And with an extreme spirit of service, he decides to spill each drop of sweat, breath and calorie he’s left with till he dies, to bring magic to the world and inspire millions of kid, like the one who used to watch him on television in Italy, unable to even conceive that life can be so magical to bring him one day to a distant place like Las Vegas, fulfilling one of his childhood dreams.

And in the end, maybe that’s what lies behind the show, the lights, the surprise: it’s David’s true purpose. To reveal to all the magic of life, to make every kid believe in his dreams a little more, to trigger that part of our soul that deep down always believes in the impossible and knows how to turn it into reality.

And if that mission takes 670 shows a year, insane dedication and inexhaustible willpower, then be it.

Yes, I like to believe it’s that way. I like to believe that David is there also to show us all what it truly means – and what it truly takes – to live your life purpose.

Also published on Medium.