Bezos mentioned this idea elsewhere, but I think he's using it as a framework to evaluate present decisions in absence of external pressures that typically clou

Bezos mentioned this idea elsewhere, but I think he's using it as a framework to evaluate present decisions in absence of external pressures that typically cloud judgement. When you think with a long enough time horizon, some of the external 'trappings' of success (money, prestige, status, pride, security, etc) seem to fall away. Before Amazon, he was a VP at DE Shaw. You can argue that if he stayed at his hedge fund job, he'd have enough money to buy all the material possessions he has now. I doubt he'd drive a different car, live in a different house, etc. Its easy to risk it all, when you have nothing to lose. But he had pretty much everything to lose. I think most people at that point would look around, realize they're richer than most of their friends, and stay at their jobs. If you think ahead to when you're on your deathbed, you're back at a point in your life where you have nothing to lose. You won't care about external pressures. You will have wished to have invested your time on matters that improved your quality of life with compounding interest. I'd like to believe that Jeff Bezos isn't just happier today for choosing to start Amazon- as he gets older, it will only make him that much more content.