4 ms·

Imagine arguing that somebody didn’t have financial backing because his dad sold plane and bought emerald mine for half of profit (in country then known for bla

by Ralfp 4y ago

Imagine arguing that somebody didn’t have financial backing because his dad sold plane and bought emerald mine for half of profit (in country then known for black worker exploitation) for $40.000, and is worth couple millions at best.

jlmorton 4y ago
This is how every discussion on Errol Musk's wealth goes. Someone makes an implication that they were fabulously wealthy, using abstract measures like emerald mines, or small planes as a substitute for a concrete measure of wealth. Someone points out the value of both those things was actually quite low. Then the goal posts shift to how much more money the Musk family had than the average family, which is true enough. But they were still decidedly middle class. They all had to work for a living. And in American terms, there are tens of millions of households with similar wealth. Upper middle class, to be sure, but nothing unusual. And the emerald mine, such as it was, is said to have been in Zambia, not South Africa.
- Ralfp 4y ago
  > Then the goal posts shift to how much more money the Musk family had than the average family, which is true enough. There's hardly a move of goalpost here. People merely argue that showing Elon as self-made "in parent's garage" is bullshit. He had family with capabilities to enable him to participate in ecoms bubble. > Zambia, not South Africa "You are wrong, that labour camp wasn't in USSR but in North Korea." I've haven't named the country BTW.
- NhanH 4y ago
  A million dollars in 1970-1980 is worth around 3 to 7 million dollars now. 3 millions in that period is worth at least 10 millions right now. And there is decidedly not tens of millions of households in the US with that networth, let alone a single person.
  - jlmorton 4y ago
    To be clear, his net worth is a couple million dollars today.
- mrtranscendence 4y ago
  As someone pointed out in another comment, "wealthy" does not mean "never having to work again". My life growing up would have been dramatically different if my parents had been worth even a low amount of millions, and the opportunities available to me would have been drastically higher.

by Ralfp 4y ago

jlmorton 4y ago

This is how every discussion on Errol Musk's wealth goes. Someone makes an implication that they were fabulously wealthy, using abstract measures like emerald mines, or small planes as a substitute for a concrete measure of wealth. Someone points out the value of both those things was actually quite low. Then the goal posts shift to how much more money the Musk family had than the average family, which is true enough. But they were still decidedly middle class. They all had to work for a living. And in American terms, there are tens of millions of households with similar wealth. Upper middle class, to be sure, but nothing unusual. And the emerald mine, such as it was, is said to have been in Zambia, not South Africa.

Ralfp 4y ago
> Then the goal posts shift to how much more money the Musk family had than the average family, which is true enough. There's hardly a move of goalpost here. People merely argue that showing Elon as self-made "in parent's garage" is bullshit. He had family with capabilities to enable him to participate in ecoms bubble. > Zambia, not South Africa "You are wrong, that labour camp wasn't in USSR but in North Korea." I've haven't named the country BTW.
NhanH 4y ago
A million dollars in 1970-1980 is worth around 3 to 7 million dollars now. 3 millions in that period is worth at least 10 millions right now. And there is decidedly not tens of millions of households in the US with that networth, let alone a single person.
- jlmorton 4y ago
  To be clear, his net worth is a couple million dollars today.
mrtranscendence 4y ago
As someone pointed out in another comment, "wealthy" does not mean "never having to work again". My life growing up would have been dramatically different if my parents had been worth even a low amount of millions, and the opportunities available to me would have been drastically higher.