"His worth has fallen to about $4 million from a peak of about $100 million."

[bwolinsky]

This whole article is economically inaccurate.

 

[Kicking]

Most rich people get there out of luck, at least partially, it's no wonder many lose much of what they have when a huge crash occurs like last year. Most of them are clueless about what to do with their money, they have to rely on their "advisors".

 

[makloda]

And most poor people are poor due to bad luck?

Is that how it works?

 

[BSAM]

Quote from makloda:

And most poor people are poor due to bad luck?

Is that how it works?

In a large number of cases, yes.

It is not a level playing field in the USA. Those born in South Central L.A., certain areas of Chicago, or inside the loop in Houston, (and many other areas), generally don't start off like many other, fortunate people in this country. So, I guess one would call this "bad luck".

Of course, many poor people are poor because of their own devices.

 

[TheROTrader]

For those areas....the people you're talking about are lazy, stupid, and criminals because of the choices they made......not bad luck

 

[BSAM]

Quote from TheROTrader:

For those areas....the people you're talking about are lazy, stupid, and criminals because of the choices they made......not bad luck

How about you? What was your upbringing/role models like when you were a youngster?

 

[Kicking]

Quote from TheROTrader:

For those areas....the people you're talking about are lazy, stupid, and criminals because of the choices they made......not bad luck

So because you were born in South Central you are lazy, stupid and criminal ? ! I didn't know one could be so idiotic !

 

[makloda]

Quote from BSAM:don't start off like many other, fortunate people in this country.

They start off like every other child in the country: either they have good, hard-working, loving parents or they don't.

The Grant Study focuses on this issue (http://www.amazon.com/Adaptation-Life-George-E-Vaillant/dp/0674004140) and followed individuals from graduating from Harvard college ("fortunate" by any conventional wisdom) from the early 1940s to their death. Surprisingly, a good portion of these "fortunate" men died as pychopaths, poor alcoholics or criminals. Some committed suicide. Other went to win academic prizes or became millionaires.

Vaillant calls "nest warmth during childhood" the single most important determinant for success and health during adulthood. It is completely independent of the parent's social status. Also, it exposes the futility of any government attempts of fixing social inequality on a federal level through transfer payments or God knows what socialist measures.

Saying that the McAfee guy was just lucky is completely ridiculous. Most likely, he was a hard-working guy with tons of entrepreneurial spirit. Tough to imagine how he could have built the company otherwise.

 

[BSAM]

Quote from makloda:

They start off like every other child in the country: either they have good, hard-working, loving parents or they don't......

May I assume you haven't known many people from the ghetto? Trust me, it ain't pretty for the parents and certainly not for the children. The mindset that comes out of these places usually isn't desirable. To some extent, we are a product of our environment.

 

[Millionaire]

Here is a silly story from the UK today.

16 year old wins $3 million on the lottery and blows it in 6 years on boob jobs amongs other things.. Actually suprised it took her that long to blow it all..

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=489991

Former teenage lottery millionaire Callie Rogers is said to be facing bankruptcy after blowing all of her £1.9m jackpot.

However, Miss Rogers, 22, who is living with her mother and has taken three cleaning jobs to make ends meet, claims she is glad to be poor.