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>>wealth allows you a greater degree of freedom to be isolated from the rest of humanity. Not just giving you the freedom to be isolated; it pretty much forces

by smtddr 13y ago

>>wealth allows you a greater degree of freedom to be isolated from the rest of humanity. Not just giving you the freedom to be isolated; it pretty much forces it. You almost cannot live among the middle class if you're rich. Imagine living in some middle-class area then suddenly you win the lotto; 674 Million dollars. It would take the strongest of will-powers to stay where you are and not move to some millionaire neighborhood; if only for safety-reasons. And you probably don't need your fulltime job anymore. And to learn how to maintain that money, you'll probably have to spend more time with people of the same financial level. Suddenly, most of your time is with the elite rich in your neighborhood & meetings & parties. Any friendships you had previously will probably fade away slowly, except the _closest_ friends you've known since you were a kid or something. You just won't have that much in common to talk about anymore. Dan will be joking about how he really wanted the white yacht, but his wife wanted the light-grey one while you sip coffee at a cafe in paris or something. Or... the most humble way you could maybe do it is... http://comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com/ http://comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com/ I like to think I'd be like Jerry if I'm rich, still mellow and can enjoy sitting down at a humble coffee-shop chattin' about life.

noonespecial 13y ago
Counterpoint: Warren Buffett
- smtddr 13y ago
  http://www.forbes.com/2003/09/18/cx_bs_0918home400.html http://www.forbes.com/2003/09/18/cx_bs_0918home400.html >>Some billionaires don’t even bother to flaunt their wealth. For instance, Berkshire Hathaway ‘s Warren Buffett–with a net worth of $36 billion–famously lives in the same home in Omaha, Nebr., that he bought in 1958 for $31,500. Although his home isn’t shabby, the Happy Hollow neighborhood where he lives isn’t even the ritziest in Omaha. I'm impressed!
Edmond 13y ago
I think it is fairly easy to live amongst middle-class folk regardless of how much money you have. It is a matter of knowing how to live rich (it takes skills:) )... I think you can easily find upper-middle class towns and neighborhoods where you can live amongst normal people without concern for your safety. It is even easier if you move to a big city where wealth doesn't isolate. Personally I have never gotten the appeal of rich people moving to exclusive areas, I think I would feel very boxed-in in such environments...but again I have never been rich :)
- danielweber 13y ago
  One of the common themes of "The Millionaire Next Door" was people with large amounts of wealth living in simple middle-class neighborhoods.
aestra 13y ago
>It would take the strongest of will-powers to stay where you are and not move to some millionaire neighborhood; if only for safety-reasons. Why would you need to live in a millionaire neighborhood for safety? It isn't like you'll be keeping wads of cash around. You can get alarms and such, and I'm sure that will be fine. I doubt you'll be a target anyhow, especially if you live in a modest house. >And to learn how to maintain that money, you'll probably have to spend more time with people of the same financial level Once again. Why? http://abcnews.go.com/Business/lottery-winners-spend-money/story?id=17937656&page=2 http://abcnews.go.com/Business/lottery-winners-spend-money/s... Mannix's ShopRite has been lucky once before. Six years ago, a group of 10 bakery employees split a $19 million ticket. Nine of them, says Mannix, decided to keep working and are still on the job. None went wacky or became a drunk or wound up in jail. Some, he says, "bought their dream house." Others salted away the money, to be used later to pay for college for their grandkids. Some paid off mortgages. A few took trips. "They didn't spend foolishly," says their boss. "They're hardworking, blue collar people. It's a great story with a great ending." I also saw a special about celebrity lives and some famous country singer lives among the common folks, she does her own laundry, cleaning, shopping, lives in a modest middle class house, etc. People are sometimes surprised to see her at Walmart. I know someone who lives in the same town as the guys from the TV show American Chopper. I don't know how wealthy they are, but they have a popular TV show and successful business at least so they must be pretty well off. She has seen them around doing shopping and such. EDIT: According to http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/paul-teutul-net-worth/ http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/paul-te... the older American Chopper guy has a net worth of $15 million.

by smtddr 13y ago

noonespecial 13y ago

Counterpoint: Warren Buffett

smtddr 13y ago
http://www.forbes.com/2003/09/18/cx_bs_0918home400.html http://www.forbes.com/2003/09/18/cx_bs_0918home400.html >>Some billionaires don’t even bother to flaunt their wealth. For instance, Berkshire Hathaway ‘s Warren Buffett–with a net worth of $36 billion–famously lives in the same home in Omaha, Nebr., that he bought in 1958 for $31,500. Although his home isn’t shabby, the Happy Hollow neighborhood where he lives isn’t even the ritziest in Omaha. I'm impressed!

Edmond 13y ago

I think it is fairly easy to live amongst middle-class folk regardless of how much money you have. It is a matter of knowing how to live rich (it takes skills:) )... I think you can easily find upper-middle class towns and neighborhoods where you can live amongst normal people without concern for your safety. It is even easier if you move to a big city where wealth doesn't isolate. Personally I have never gotten the appeal of rich people moving to exclusive areas, I think I would feel very boxed-in in such environments...but again I have never been rich :)

danielweber 13y ago
One of the common themes of "The Millionaire Next Door" was people with large amounts of wealth living in simple middle-class neighborhoods.

aestra 13y ago

>It would take the strongest of will-powers to stay where you are and not move to some millionaire neighborhood; if only for safety-reasons. Why would you need to live in a millionaire neighborhood for safety? It isn't like you'll be keeping wads of cash around. You can get alarms and such, and I'm sure that will be fine. I doubt you'll be a target anyhow, especially if you live in a modest house. >And to learn how to maintain that money, you'll probably have to spend more time with people of the same financial level Once again. Why? http://abcnews.go.com/Business/lottery-winners-spend-money/story?id=17937656&page=2 http://abcnews.go.com/Business/lottery-winners-spend-money/s... Mannix's ShopRite has been lucky once before. Six years ago, a group of 10 bakery employees split a $19 million ticket. Nine of them, says Mannix, decided to keep working and are still on the job. None went wacky or became a drunk or wound up in jail. Some, he says, "bought their dream house." Others salted away the money, to be used later to pay for college for their grandkids. Some paid off mortgages. A few took trips. "They didn't spend foolishly," says their boss. "They're hardworking, blue collar people. It's a great story with a great ending." I also saw a special about celebrity lives and some famous country singer lives among the common folks, she does her own laundry, cleaning, shopping, lives in a modest middle class house, etc. People are sometimes surprised to see her at Walmart. I know someone who lives in the same town as the guys from the TV show American Chopper. I don't know how wealthy they are, but they have a popular TV show and successful business at least so they must be pretty well off. She has seen them around doing shopping and such. EDIT: According to http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/paul-teutul-net-worth/ http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/paul-te... the older American Chopper guy has a net worth of $15 million.