Bob and Bono: how to play world powers

THEY were born six years and 10 miles apart in a city depressed and repressed, with a chip on its shoulder and uncertainty in its soul.

They entered an industry built on hype, where image is everything, sincerity is an embarrassment and substance means little unless it is the kind that can be abused.

They achieved a level of success and wealth where they could create their own fantasy lifestyles, nurture their own delusions and never be bothered by the real world outside.