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Here's how I see it: If Oprah dies tomorrow society lives on and for the most part nothing changes. If all the sewer treatment plant workers die there is a sc

Here's how I see it: If Oprah dies tomorrow society lives on and for the most part nothing changes. If all the sewer treatment plant workers die there is a scramble to replace these invaluable workers to abate a national health crisis. Why does Oprah make more than these individuals? Is it because she provides "More value" ? If you believe she does.... then fine. If society, through implicit acceptance does...then fine. I don't, and I don't understand the logic. I believe I understand some of the psychology around it...but not the logic.

tqi 9y ago
http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/garbage-collector http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/garbage-collector "...predicts that employment in this industry will increase 7 percent, adding 9,400 new jobs by 2024... Median Salary $33,800" If we assume median salary ~ average salary, then $33,800* (9,400/.07) = $4.5bn. Oprah net worth is estimated at around $3bn.
- wturner 9y ago
  @tqi So when you get down to the numbers and the prevalent value assumptions we all have, Oprah Winfrey (one person) provides more value to the country than 2/3's of the nations garbage collection workers. Even though that is apparently what the numbers say, I can't help but believe it is divorced from reality in terms of practical day-to-day life. In other words, if the average person was forced to choose to either "get rid of" Oprah Winfrey or 2/3's of the countries garbage collection workers, which one would the average person pick? *edited You could easily replace Oprah with some other person. I am simply using her as an example because she is wealthy, popular and her creative output isn't easily quantifiable the way someone like Bill Gates might be.
  - ethereumnomad 9y ago
    All of this time, I guess, people have just mistaken Oprah's value and you have finally figured it out. Go tell them! Then they can reallocate their money towards more garbage workers! While you are at it make sure to let these fools know to sell all their diamonds and trade them for water. After all, water is necessary for life and diamonds are useless. They simply don't understand that the water has more value! How lucky we are to have you, the ultimate judge of value, to run around and tell everyone how goods and services and peoples time should be allocated. To put this another way, you are a fucking moron.
    - wturner 9y ago
      I am not telling people what they should or should not value. *edited
      - deleted 9y ago
        [deleted]
    - dang 9y ago
      No one is allowed to post like this to HN, so we've banned this account. Please don't create accounts to break HN's guidelines with.
charlesdm 9y ago
She delivers less (absolute) value per person, but because of the way the business model works, she can reach more people. If I build a local website and sell access to it for $10 in, say, Monaco (population: approx. 38,000 people) then I'll be making less money in comparison to the same situation but where the entire US is the market for said website. The sewer treatment plant workers don't matter to me, unless I'm living in the town where this stuff is going down. If I'm not however, those workers have zero value to me.
deleted 9y ago
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tqi 9y ago

http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/garbage-collector http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/garbage-collector "...predicts that employment in this industry will increase 7 percent, adding 9,400 new jobs by 2024... Median Salary $33,800" If we assume median salary ~ average salary, then $33,800* (9,400/.07) = $4.5bn. Oprah net worth is estimated at around $3bn.

wturner 9y ago
@tqi So when you get down to the numbers and the prevalent value assumptions we all have, Oprah Winfrey (one person) provides more value to the country than 2/3's of the nations garbage collection workers. Even though that is apparently what the numbers say, I can't help but believe it is divorced from reality in terms of practical day-to-day life. In other words, if the average person was forced to choose to either "get rid of" Oprah Winfrey or 2/3's of the countries garbage collection workers, which one would the average person pick? *edited You could easily replace Oprah with some other person. I am simply using her as an example because she is wealthy, popular and her creative output isn't easily quantifiable the way someone like Bill Gates might be.
- ethereumnomad 9y ago
  All of this time, I guess, people have just mistaken Oprah's value and you have finally figured it out. Go tell them! Then they can reallocate their money towards more garbage workers! While you are at it make sure to let these fools know to sell all their diamonds and trade them for water. After all, water is necessary for life and diamonds are useless. They simply don't understand that the water has more value! How lucky we are to have you, the ultimate judge of value, to run around and tell everyone how goods and services and peoples time should be allocated. To put this another way, you are a fucking moron.
  - wturner 9y ago
    I am not telling people what they should or should not value. *edited
    - deleted 9y ago
      [deleted]
  - dang 9y ago
    No one is allowed to post like this to HN, so we've banned this account. Please don't create accounts to break HN's guidelines with.

charlesdm 9y ago

She delivers less (absolute) value per person, but because of the way the business model works, she can reach more people. If I build a local website and sell access to it for $10 in, say, Monaco (population: approx. 38,000 people) then I'll be making less money in comparison to the same situation but where the entire US is the market for said website. The sewer treatment plant workers don't matter to me, unless I'm living in the town where this stuff is going down. If I'm not however, those workers have zero value to me.

deleted 9y ago

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