1. Karl Rove, once George Bush's Svengali, ascended in part by helping Texas businessmen fight trial lawyers for control of that state's highest court.

2. Firstly by the theatre; secondly by what he called his Pygmalion, even his Svengali, complex.

3. Simon Cowell, the Britain's Got Talent judge and entertainment svengali, is in 25th place, with earnings of $75 million over the last 12 months.

4. The first is the role of Ichiro Ozawa , the Svengali - like figure who mischievously behind Mr Hatoyama.

5. 'I'm amazed, ' says Takonkiet Viravan, the 44-year-old Thai soap opera svengali who produced 'Battle of the Angels' and other shows now making it big on the small screen in China.

6. Even if he jettisons Mr Ozawa, the chances are that he will rely on the man's Svengali like influence from behind the scenes.

7. Might have been the other way around: Stalin acting as a Svengali on Lenin.