4 ms·

How Much Sweat It Takes From Zero to Billionaire

12 points by babuskov 14y ago

coldtea 14y ago
A better question would be "how much blood on your hands" it takes. Huge money is never totally innocent -- even if you invented the drug that cures cancer.
- paulhauggis 14y ago
  It also created wealth and tax dollars, which fund many things that you use today.
  - coldtea 14y ago
    Yes. Same can be said for the heroin trade in some countries. Or the weapons industry.
    - lwhalen 14y ago
      One of those is legal, the other is not.
      - veb 14y ago
        Yes, but remember it's still used in the medical world. > When used in medicine it is typically used to treat severe pain, such as that resulting from a heart attack or a severe injury. The name "heroin" is only used when being discussed in its illegal form. When it is used in a medical environment, it is referred to as diamorphine. [1] [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroin
      - coldtea 14y ago
        Never cared about legal. I care about ethical. To invoke Godwin's law, killing Jews in Nazi Germany was also legal.
- obviouslygreen 14y ago
  While I'd agree that most people who end up with massive wealth do some harm on the way, suggesting it's totally unavoidable or has never been avoided is basically unprovable and, in any case, not a reasonable assumption. I'm on the same page with your cynicism, but sentiment like this should eschew absolutes.
- n3rdy 14y ago
  This is more fault of government and how they use tax money, not the people who created their own wealth.
- lake99 14y ago
  Wow! No trial needed. They are obviously guilty, right? If we forcefully take money from them, we are not robbing them, we are only punishing them, right, comrade?
  - coldtea 14y ago
    Yes, right. No trial needed. Huge money imbalances are always based upon exploitation. Actually the huge imbalance itself is based on exploitation and force. Just as a tip of the iceberg, land rights in current day US for example, have their basis on the takeover of Native American lands. Tons of fortunes in the South have their basis on profits made by slave work. From that, to the loyal employees who are laid off after 30 years of service whereas the owner has accumulated billions off of their work, to the politicians paid to pass a law that favor some multinational, it's a trail of blood, sweat and tears, alright. Of course one sleeps better if he things he made all his millions by hard work alone and never directly hurt anyone.
    - lake99 14y ago
      > Huge money imbalances are always based upon exploitation. Abracadabra, and there! It's now fact! > Actually the huge imbalance itself is based on exploitation and force. Hocus pocus! There's another fact! What Native American lands are you talking about exactly? While it's true that European settlers did usurp some land that was in use by the natives, I hope you don't believe that the natives had claim over the entire continent. If the Native Americans of today feel that they can bring up evidence of property usurped from their great-great-grandparents, they have every right to demand a return of what's theirs. But by no means do they have claim to the entire continent. Think of it this way: so far, only Americans have walked on the moon. Do you believe that the US has a valid case to claim dominion over the entire moon? > ... to the loyal employees who are laid off after 30 years of service ... I don't think of myself as a sacrificial lamb. I like the work I do. There's not a chance in hell I'll dedicate 30 years of my life to some company unless I have very real grounds of knowing (i.e. in writing) that there's something in it for me. It's like someone complaining, after having had a series of abusive spouses, that the next one turned out to be abusive too. Of course, one sleeps better after robbing the bourgeois if he comes up with magical facts to convince himself that the only way the bourgeois could have had that much money was by exploiting someone else.
lalos 14y ago
Good info-graphic but if you think about it how many people started in the same position and did not progress at all? This just proves that a billionaire can come from anywhere.
- n3rdy 14y ago
  Most people wont even risk ego, let alone capital, to achieve that kind of success.

12 points by babuskov 14y ago

A better question would be "how much blood on your hands" it takes. Huge money is never totally innocent -- even if you invented the drug that cures cancer.

paulhauggis 14y ago
It also created wealth and tax dollars, which fund many things that you use today.
- coldtea 14y ago
  Yes. Same can be said for the heroin trade in some countries. Or the weapons industry.
  - lwhalen 14y ago
    One of those is legal, the other is not.
    - veb 14y ago
      Yes, but remember it's still used in the medical world. > When used in medicine it is typically used to treat severe pain, such as that resulting from a heart attack or a severe injury. The name "heroin" is only used when being discussed in its illegal form. When it is used in a medical environment, it is referred to as diamorphine. [1] [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroin
    - coldtea 14y ago
      Never cared about legal. I care about ethical. To invoke Godwin's law, killing Jews in Nazi Germany was also legal.
obviouslygreen 14y ago
While I'd agree that most people who end up with massive wealth do some harm on the way, suggesting it's totally unavoidable or has never been avoided is basically unprovable and, in any case, not a reasonable assumption. I'm on the same page with your cynicism, but sentiment like this should eschew absolutes.
n3rdy 14y ago
This is more fault of government and how they use tax money, not the people who created their own wealth.
lake99 14y ago
Wow! No trial needed. They are obviously guilty, right? If we forcefully take money from them, we are not robbing them, we are only punishing them, right, comrade?
- coldtea 14y ago
  Yes, right. No trial needed. Huge money imbalances are always based upon exploitation. Actually the huge imbalance itself is based on exploitation and force. Just as a tip of the iceberg, land rights in current day US for example, have their basis on the takeover of Native American lands. Tons of fortunes in the South have their basis on profits made by slave work. From that, to the loyal employees who are laid off after 30 years of service whereas the owner has accumulated billions off of their work, to the politicians paid to pass a law that favor some multinational, it's a trail of blood, sweat and tears, alright. Of course one sleeps better if he things he made all his millions by hard work alone and never directly hurt anyone.
  - lake99 14y ago
    > Huge money imbalances are always based upon exploitation. Abracadabra, and there! It's now fact! > Actually the huge imbalance itself is based on exploitation and force. Hocus pocus! There's another fact! What Native American lands are you talking about exactly? While it's true that European settlers did usurp some land that was in use by the natives, I hope you don't believe that the natives had claim over the entire continent. If the Native Americans of today feel that they can bring up evidence of property usurped from their great-great-grandparents, they have every right to demand a return of what's theirs. But by no means do they have claim to the entire continent. Think of it this way: so far, only Americans have walked on the moon. Do you believe that the US has a valid case to claim dominion over the entire moon? > ... to the loyal employees who are laid off after 30 years of service ... I don't think of myself as a sacrificial lamb. I like the work I do. There's not a chance in hell I'll dedicate 30 years of my life to some company unless I have very real grounds of knowing (i.e. in writing) that there's something in it for me. It's like someone complaining, after having had a series of abusive spouses, that the next one turned out to be abusive too. Of course, one sleeps better after robbing the bourgeois if he comes up with magical facts to convince himself that the only way the bourgeois could have had that much money was by exploiting someone else.

lalos 14y ago

Good info-graphic but if you think about it how many people started in the same position and did not progress at all? This just proves that a billionaire can come from anywhere.

n3rdy 14y ago
Most people wont even risk ego, let alone capital, to achieve that kind of success.