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Once was speaker before a few hundred recent grads and asked if they wanted to be a billionaire. Only a few raised there hands. My theory is most people want m

Once was speaker before a few hundred recent grads and asked if they wanted to be a billionaire. Only a few raised there hands. My theory is most people want more stuff, few really want to be billionaires, or even just part of the 1%.

croon 10y ago
> My theory is most people want more stuff, few really want more enough money to be a billionaire, or even just part of the 1%. Or it's unreasonable to expect to be able to, and few people dream about stuff they know can never happen. To avoid disappointment.
- jhbadger 10y ago
  Or they know that even if they could they would have to step on a lot of people's toes and compromise many of their own principles to do it. That's kind of the problem of rising in any hierarchy -- you basically have to become the sort of person you'd likely dislike to do it.
Inconel 10y ago
I don't really want more stuff, and I could comfortably live off of ~$20k per year here in LA, but I would love to be a billionaire. On second thought, I do actually want more stuff too, I'd love to have my own welding/machining workshop.
- jacquesm 10y ago
  > I'd love to have my own welding/machining workshop. Given your username that's redundant :) Being a billionaire also has downsides, it will be much harder to tell people that genuinely like you from people that are just trying to get into your good graces because they are after your money.
  - Inconel 10y ago
    >Given your username that's redundant :) Indeed, there are so many projects I want to work on outside of my real job. I'm sure it would have many downsides as well, although if I could attain a high level of wealth and remain relatively anonymous it could be the best of both worlds. I do think fame would be very hard to deal with, especially for someone with my personality.
    - saycheese 10y ago
      Being anonymous in real life is very hard to do.
Lordarminius 10y ago
Becoming rich may have to do with intelligence, education, timing, location, relationships, effort etc. Many of these factors can be hacked. To become a billionaire, luck plays a disproportionate role.
Tepix 10y ago
Being a billionaire usually means that you will fear kidnappings and other crime against your family for the rest of your rich life. Earning more than 200k per year will not make you any happier (see http://www.cnbc.com/2015/12/14/money-can-buy-happiness-but-only-to-a-point.html http://www.cnbc.com/2015/12/14/money-can-buy-happiness-but-o... ).
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- Lordarminius 10y ago
  I'm curious. Is kidnapping a real fear for rich people in the West?

croon 10y ago

> My theory is most people want more stuff, few really want more enough money to be a billionaire, or even just part of the 1%. Or it's unreasonable to expect to be able to, and few people dream about stuff they know can never happen. To avoid disappointment.

jhbadger 10y ago
Or they know that even if they could they would have to step on a lot of people's toes and compromise many of their own principles to do it. That's kind of the problem of rising in any hierarchy -- you basically have to become the sort of person you'd likely dislike to do it.

Inconel 10y ago

I don't really want more stuff, and I could comfortably live off of ~$20k per year here in LA, but I would love to be a billionaire. On second thought, I do actually want more stuff too, I'd love to have my own welding/machining workshop.

jacquesm 10y ago
> I'd love to have my own welding/machining workshop. Given your username that's redundant :) Being a billionaire also has downsides, it will be much harder to tell people that genuinely like you from people that are just trying to get into your good graces because they are after your money.
- Inconel 10y ago
  >Given your username that's redundant :) Indeed, there are so many projects I want to work on outside of my real job. I'm sure it would have many downsides as well, although if I could attain a high level of wealth and remain relatively anonymous it could be the best of both worlds. I do think fame would be very hard to deal with, especially for someone with my personality.
  - saycheese 10y ago
    Being anonymous in real life is very hard to do.

Lordarminius 10y ago

Becoming rich may have to do with intelligence, education, timing, location, relationships, effort etc. Many of these factors can be hacked. To become a billionaire, luck plays a disproportionate role.

Tepix 10y ago

Being a billionaire usually means that you will fear kidnappings and other crime against your family for the rest of your rich life. Earning more than 200k per year will not make you any happier (see http://www.cnbc.com/2015/12/14/money-can-buy-happiness-but-only-to-a-point.html http://www.cnbc.com/2015/12/14/money-can-buy-happiness-but-o... ).

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
Lordarminius 10y ago
I'm curious. Is kidnapping a real fear for rich people in the West?