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Bezos was also incredibly successful in another domain before starting Amazon - he was the youngest senior VP at DE Shaw. So maybe it wasn't just luck.

thechao 4y ago
When you're talking "self made billionaire" I think you're picking from a select enough group that "very lucky a few times" is still within reason.
AlgorithmicTime 4y ago
scottLobster 4y ago
Plenty of hard-working Senior VPs at hedge funds never become billionaires. Hedge funds themselves tend to rely on a good deal of luck plus skilled marketing. If Bezos had been working at DE Shaw during an economic downturn, would he have had the same future? Was it "just" luck? Of course not. But I'd argue luck is the primary difference between being in the top 1% vs being in the top 0.001%
- geodel 4y ago
  Indeed. I'd guess extreme hard work is a given for at least thousand times more people than number of billionaires in the world. So great luck or series of great lucks is one thing that would set billionaires apart.
thatoneguy 4y ago
The $245,000 loan from his parents in 1995 to help start Amazon begs to differ.
- random314 4y ago
  I don't think DE Shaw VP would need a 250K loan from his working class parents.
- googlryas 4y ago
  That was a first round of funding, the same terms as other non-family members got. It wasn't a gift or anything like that, and it is why Jeff's parents are now billionaires.
spiderice 4y ago
Nobody said anything about it being "just luck". It's a combination of both luck and skill. It's like a pro golfer getting a hole in one. Obviously there skill contributed a lot, but the fact that they're still rare means a fair amount of luck is involved. There could be 1,000 people just as talented as Bezos, but if they aren't in the right place at the right time they just simply aren't going to accumulate over 100 billion dollars
Tronno 4y ago
Everything is just luck. Genetics, upbringing, and environment all strongly influence skill and success. With different luck he could have been the youngest gang leader in the hood.
- googlryas 4y ago
  It's luck that you weren't born a lettuce I guess, but that is certainly an expansive view of luck.

thechao 4y ago

When you're talking "self made billionaire" I think you're picking from a select enough group that "very lucky a few times" is still within reason.

AlgorithmicTime 4y ago

scottLobster 4y ago

Plenty of hard-working Senior VPs at hedge funds never become billionaires. Hedge funds themselves tend to rely on a good deal of luck plus skilled marketing. If Bezos had been working at DE Shaw during an economic downturn, would he have had the same future? Was it "just" luck? Of course not. But I'd argue luck is the primary difference between being in the top 1% vs being in the top 0.001%

geodel 4y ago
Indeed. I'd guess extreme hard work is a given for at least thousand times more people than number of billionaires in the world. So great luck or series of great lucks is one thing that would set billionaires apart.

thatoneguy 4y ago

The $245,000 loan from his parents in 1995 to help start Amazon begs to differ.

random314 4y ago
I don't think DE Shaw VP would need a 250K loan from his working class parents.
googlryas 4y ago
That was a first round of funding, the same terms as other non-family members got. It wasn't a gift or anything like that, and it is why Jeff's parents are now billionaires.

spiderice 4y ago

Nobody said anything about it being "just luck". It's a combination of both luck and skill. It's like a pro golfer getting a hole in one. Obviously there skill contributed a lot, but the fact that they're still rare means a fair amount of luck is involved. There could be 1,000 people just as talented as Bezos, but if they aren't in the right place at the right time they just simply aren't going to accumulate over 100 billion dollars

Tronno 4y ago

Everything is just luck. Genetics, upbringing, and environment all strongly influence skill and success. With different luck he could have been the youngest gang leader in the hood.

googlryas 4y ago
It's luck that you weren't born a lettuce I guess, but that is certainly an expansive view of luck.