The key to getting rich and staying rich is figuring out how to risk other people's money. If you want to buy millions of lottery tickets, or launch a startup,

The key to getting rich and staying rich is figuring out how to risk other people's money. If you want to buy millions of lottery tickets, or launch a startup, or start a poker career, or anything really, it's far better to do it without risking your own security. Let other people invest in your venture for a reasonable return if you succeed, but also make sure you some non-trivial amount of equity for yourself so you make a killing if it's wildly successful. This is how most VC backed unicorns have worked. The early investors made a lot, but the founders who mostly only risked their time, energy, and opportunity-costed salary made far, far, far better returns.