This idea that you need the threat of abject poverty to motivate people to greatness is not supported by any empirical evidence. Look no further than the US' m

This idea that you need the threat of abject poverty to motivate people to greatness is not supported by any empirical evidence. Look no further than the US' most successful companies: Bill Gates, Sergey Brin & Larry Page, and all the other success stories start from positions of relative wealth, and almost absolute economic safety. Bill Gates came from rich parents, and all these founders attended elite universities before starting their companies (Harvard and Stanford, respectively). They had what can only be described as a robust safety net to fall back on if their endeavours failed.