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Not necessarily — I know several people who grew up in even more privileged households and never did anything useful with their lives.

• rezoner 9y ago
  Which is a story for the most of the priviliged children as they don't have too much motivation to excel in anything.
  • wklauss 9y ago
    Wealth is not as great a motivator as people think and motivation and ambition exist in a broad spectrum. Most people want more money, yes, and will work harder to get it. But in order to "excel" (like Gates did) requires a different kind of ambition. It's a very complex issue, especially because we tend to mix professional success with wealth and because growing in a wealthy family grant you certain expectations, education and networks of friends that steer you toward certain goals.
    • koolba 9y ago
      > Wealth is not as great a motivator as people think and motivation and ambition exist in a broad spectrum. On the contrary, it’s a demotivater. Hunger, both literal and figurative, is the greatest motivator. It’s not unheard of to find it in the affluent either, just not as common. One other thing I’ve noticed is that the figuratively hungry never seem to be satiated. I say that as a complement. It doesn’t matter how they started, they won’t rest on their laurels as there’s more to conquer. Combining that hunger with the resources and support network of a (relatively) affluent family is a surefire recipe for success.