It is Friday evening, and television viewers all over France are rushing to finish up the dinner dishes. It is almost time for Ambition, a popular new program starring Financial Wizard Bernard Tapie, 44. Sporting a dark blue suit and his trademark red tie, the lively Parisian preaches hard work and street smarts as the roots of success. "Create companies and earn big money through entrepreneurship," he counsels his enthusiastic audience. "Dare to think big!"
Stirring theme music then blares, and on walks Fabienne Vernon, 18, one of the "junior entrepreneurs" chosen to receive advice from Tapie and a panel of...