Eight billionaires 'as rich as world's poorest half'

Scroll to see replies

"too frightened of losing the security of the monthly pay packet to branch out and take the risk of setting up a business. Giving them the freedom that entails, the satisfaction of achieving something tangible, and of course the financial rewards that go with it if it is successful."

So everyone should go out and try, coz one day they will magically succeed and get rich?

Reading your two's love story is too cute.

Reply 141

astutehirstute

Stick at it! From the little you have told me you seem to have the mindset of an entrepreneur rather than a corporate drone.

Even if you have to take a salary slave job, (I have done it myself) keep trying the different ideas. You only need one to work and you are off to the races. You can tell then enjoy telling them where to stick their job. And if you have to steal someone else's idea, have no compunction! It is not always he who has the best idea, but he who makes the most of that idea.

My big break wasn't due to a great idea, (although I did a lot of thinking about it) but the willingness to risk every bit of capital I had accumulated till then on something with no better chance of success than from a flip of a coin. It worked, I might have lost it all.

Like I did in New Orleans where it was impossible to get insurance before (because of termite infestation), and after Katrina I didn't qualify for Federal compensation because I was an "alien." The delightful term American bureaucrats call foreigners they have decided to shaft. :angry:

Whatever. That was my worst single loss, but there have been others, all painful. But I have never lost anything REALLY important, only money. Easy come, easy go. That is how you have to think about it. If you started getting upset by financial losses you would go crazy. Well you wouldn't be doing this sort of stuff in the first place, you would be working nine to five, taking orders and dealing with all the bull$hit of corporate politics.

For most people that is the best choice for them. Some sort of career working for someone else.

But not for all of us. You have to be able to jump off from the tightrope of the security of a paycheck at the end of every month, which pays the rent, and puts food on your table. It IS daunting to do it. But having done so, you never look back..

The key to working for yourself (IMO) is resilience, (the ability to bounce back from failure) and an abnormally high tolerance of risk. Otherwise it isn't that hard really.

Reply 142

yudothis

Learn something from you? Lol'd.

Lol'd even more at the part in bold. From what you have written, I have vastly more than you :wink:

But unlike you I don't think "oh goodie, I am such a great person, I worked so hard and took so many risks, others just need to do the same".

Reply 143

reciproversexclu

"It is not that they deserve these fortunes but that all of the alternative systems that have been tried, bring greater evils."

No they have not so please do not pretend they have,

"The point is that it's a story trotted out on a regular basis, in this case just before every world economic forum."

and still the poor starve and you eat on.

"What would you do to close the gap?" asked

Danny Dorito

and I've not noticed any answers, so here is my solution:

that rich man's tool, The Stock Market would have to go, along with all the fantasy Exchange Rates System.

All arms sales would cease and true participatory democracies/communes/tribes would be established worldwide.

Education would be improved/'adjusted' and the same to all citizens worldwide, no more Private ( paid for an individual) education.

That would be a bare start.

Reply 144

That'sGreat

They've earnt the money so they should keep it. Not their fault that countries have incompetent leaders or have no resources. Most of them donate their money anyway. Want to close the gap? Reach to their level, don't expect them to come down to yours.

Reply 145

astutehirstute

I think you will too!

And when you have made lots of money you will find it was never about that. It was a pleasant by product. It was about the process of getting there. How you achieved it.

Why do you think Gates is giving it all to good causes before he dies? He transformed the planet, and in the process made sums of money so vast they lost all meaning.

It was not about the money for me either. Once you get beyond a certain level of comfort money is neither a motivator nor satisfier.

Admittedly it makes people treat you differently. It affords respect and power, and sexual appeal.

But it also puts up barriers. People hate success in others, it makes them feel bad about themselves. They are jealous of and hate those richer than them.

As this thread amply demonstrates!

Good luck anyway! :smile: