[2] In 1982, Ammar competed with magicians from 30 countries to win first prize ex aequo with Aurelio Pavito in Close-up Magic at Lausanne, Switzerland.
[3] During the 1980s he developed a close friendship with his mentor, Dai Vernon ("The Professor"), whose influence is apparent in Ammar's performances.
[citation needed] Ammar was the magic week finale on Late Night with David Letterman in 2010 and has made multiple appearances on The Tonight Show.
[citation needed] Ammar has performed on television in England, France, Canada, Japan, Sweden, Norway, Australia and Russia.
[5] The magazine published a list of "100 Things to Do Before You Die", and numbered 45 as "Learn a magic trick"—suggesting studying with the master, Michael Ammar.