7 ms·
> But if you say, start Microsoft and become a billionaire i'd say that it's fair to call that self-made success. Bill Gate’s family clearly contributed to his
by koolba 8y ago
> But if you say, start Microsoft and become a billionaire i'd say that it's fair to call that self-made success.
Bill Gate’s family clearly contributed to his and Microsoft’s success. His mother in particular had direct contact with the chairman of IBM which lead to a scrappy software company landing a life changing contract.
I’m not saying that to discount the rest of his achievements or effort either. The greatest among us not only have the drive, the intuition, and put in the work, but they also seize upon opportunities when they come knocking.
If it were not his mother and instead a friend’s mother or father that had similar contacts, I have no doubt that Bill Gates would have been just as successful. He would have found that nut and cracked it one way or another.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Maxwell_Gates https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Maxwell_Gates
- beaner 8y agoNot everyone, if put in Bill Gates' shoes, would have been able to take advantage of such an opportunity. Can you say that if you were there, you'd have done the same? And executed as well afterward, into a multi-billion dollar company?
- tux1968 8y agoThat's the wrong question. Would Bill Gates have been able to do what he did if he grew up poor, with poor nutrition and poor education? We all owe our success to good fortune and the prosperous society we find ourselves lucky enough to be a part of.
- darawk 8y agoMaybe, maybe not. But what's definitely true is he's exception with respect to his own peer group. Tons of kids had the advantages he had. Only one of them started Microsoft.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- TomMarius 8y agoThat is not true. If Bill Gates grew up like that, he would've been labeled a "self made success" even making $50k yearly. He is from a rich background and thus we have to compare him to his peers - and he definitely is successful and that success is self made compared to anyone from upper middle class - but that doesn't have to do anything with the fact that Bill Gates wouldn't have been able to do what he did if he didn't have rich background (is it even practically possible?).
- es7 8y agoMaybe he wouldn't have. Maybe someone like him with billions of dollars should start a foundation to try and help prevent poverty, malnutrition, lack-of-education and disease so more people can lead fulfilling lives.
- darawk 8y agoI totally agree. What I disagree with is the people that want to dismiss Gates success completely because his family had some money. Tens of thousands of kids have the same background that he did, but don't do anything half as incredible as starting Microsoft. While Gates should acknowledge the advantages he's had, I don't think it's unfair or unreasonable for him to feel pretty good about what he's accomplished.
- ForHackernews 8y ago> Tens of thousands of kids have the same background that he did Or alternatively: statistics suggests that out of a big sample of people, a few of them are going to strike it really rich.
- natalyarostova 8y agoThat statistical model holds if you assume that the pool Bill Gate's was in generally had the same properties, and his ambition of talent was non-extraordinary.
- rchaud 8y agoOr, many people with Gates' background (computer classes in high school in the 70s), did start tech companies, but failed. As the vast majority of new businesses do. The only way we'd ever hear those stories is if they made it rich later, at which point their failures become noteworthy as part of the narrative arc of their career.
- ForHackernews 8y agoYeah, and? Most businesses fail. I'm not sure what you're disputing here?
- danans 8y ago> What I disagree with is the people that want to dismiss Gates success completely because his family had some money. I don't know who you are talking to, but I've only heard his family's wealth discussed in the context of people discouraging young adults from attending or completing university, on the example of Gates. The point being that his family's wealth gave him exposure to technology and social networks that people of lesser means could only get through university.