Abracadabra! German executives turn to magic to up their game

PULLACH IM ISARTAL, Germany - Harold Voit takes out his wallet, extracts a wad of 50-euro bills and gazes at it calmly as the cash goes up in flames.

Slamming the billfold shut, Voit puts out the fire and opens it again to reveal the money intact and ready for spending. A room full of wide-eyed magic students erupts into applause.

Most of these apprentices of the dark arts are not budding cabaret or YouTube stars, however, but business executives and other professionals hoping to put a few new tricks up their sleeves.