Petraeus Scandal Reveals 4-Star Generals' Swanky Lives

Huge mansions, private jets, drivers and security guards and gardeners and aides and chefs, presidential-size police convoys: These are the perks that come along with being a four-star general. The David Petraeus scandal shines a light on the swanky lifestyle he and other top military leaders enjoy—including benefits that, the Washington Post reports, are more luxurious than those granted to anyone in the government other than the president himself.

Some are wondering if those benefits ultimately led Petraeus to behave so badly. "There is something about a sense of entitlement and of having great power that skews people’s judgment," says former defense secretary Robert Gates. Adds one expert and author of a historical book on American commanders, "Being a four-star commander in a combat theater is like being a combination of Bill Gates and Jay-Z." But many in the military disagree, saying the tough life Petraeus led while fighting two wars is more likely to blame for his infidelity. (More David Petraeus stories.)