orld's 8 Richest Men Have Wealth Equal to Half the Population

[CV355]

The drive to build and improve would outweigh the need for fancy stuff. That's the Hollywood infection I was referring to earlier (also applies to dirty-rich Saudi princes).

With a billion dollars, I'd have a near limitless budget for designing and building my own creations. Why? Why not? I'd be creating instead of buying.

I don't subscribe to hedonism.

 

[jaxbusa]

Perhaps this is naivety, but does anyone stop to consider that being that wealthy must be an awful lot like playing a video game with cheats enabled?

I mean, what's the challenge at that point? Who can buy a larger yacht?

Don't get me wrong- give me $1B and I'd have a field day, but at what point does life get stale?

This is what comes to mind:

 

[DHG1078]

There are a few things I imagine you're missing. You've built and industrial empire and are worth billions and you want to quit working. How is that conversation with the thousands of employees you have going to go?

"Hey everyone, I hope you had a great weekend. So listen, I've decided to quit working so I'd like everyone to go home. I'm sorry, you won't get a paycheck tomorrow so good luck making your mortgage payments and putting food on your table."

As a business owner there is a massive amount of stress involved because you are responsible for people's livelihood. It's something most people will never have to do so they don't grasp the weight it bears.

Also. I'm willing to bet having 7 days off a week gets old really fast. Everyone says they could do it but the massive number of people that can't stay retired is proof that it's not as easy as we'd like to think. For Joe Schmoe slob that's easy to do but people that make a billion dollars have insane work ethics and would go nuts without something to do. My wife constantly asks me to sit down and relax but I can't do it...I find pleasure in working a zillion hours a week then coming home and busting my ass. Whether it be cleaning, remodeling, tinkering on projects, cooking, etc I'd go nuts without something to do. I'd be willing to bet that billionaires are the same way.

Well you would obviously sell the business, or hire people to run it completely for you, and merely collect a smaller paycheck for being the owner, assuming its a private business.

 

[capnkirk52]

This doesn't even include any of the Rothschild or Rockefeller family.

 

[oldmodman]

We have all seen TV shows about the Uber Wealthy and their mansions, yachts, and incredible collections of wine, art, automobiles, and aircraft.
But I never hear about the one thing that I would sure as hell be spending some of my money on.

Pussy.

What does the billionaire bang?
Supermodels?
Or something so far above a Supermodel that we peons have never even heard of such an amazing creature. Let alone downloaded her picture.
I guess none of them are talking.

 

[Buckwheat 1]

We have all seen TV shows about the Uber Wealthy and their mansions, yachts, and incredible collections of wine, art, automobiles, and aircraft.
But I never hear about the one thing that I would sure as hell be spending some of my money on.

Pussy.

What does the billionaire bang?
Supermodels?
Or something so far above a Supermodel that we peons have never even heard of such an amazing creature. Let alone downloaded her picture.
I guess none of them are talking.

We pay them to stay, They pay them to go. I guess I do need more money.

 

[ON D BIT]

This doesn't even include any of the Rothschild or Rockefeller family.

Rothschilds owned/financed John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company, Edward R. Harriman’s Railroad Empire, and Andrew Carnegie’s Steel Empire in the late 1800's.

Is that like owning Facebook google and Microsoft all at the same time?

 

[Blown 89]

Well you would obviously sell the business, or hire people to run it completely for you, and merely collect a smaller paycheck for being the owner, assuming its a private business.

I'd imagine selling a business that profitable would be damn near impossible so you'd be faced with walking away which is easier said than done. I read recently that Bill Gates still plays a somewhat active role in some Microsoft projects. The article (I don't remember where I read it) made it sound like he's far busier than most people are before retirement.

 

[CV355]

Rothschilds owned/financed John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company, Edward R. Harriman’s Railroad Empire, and Andrew Carnegie’s Steel Empire in the late 1800's.

Is that like owning Facebook google and Microsoft all at the same time?

Their estimated net worth is in the trillions.

 

[2000gt4.6]

There are a few things I imagine you're missing. You've built and industrial empire and are worth billions and you want to quit working. How is that conversation with the thousands of employees you have going to go?

"Hey everyone, I hope you had a great weekend. So listen, I've decided to quit working so I'd like everyone to go home. I'm sorry, you won't get a paycheck tomorrow so good luck making your mortgage payments and putting food on your table."

As a business owner there is a massive amount of stress involved because you are responsible for people's livelihood. It's something most people will never have to do so they don't grasp the weight it bears.

Also. I'm willing to bet having 7 days off a week gets old really fast. Everyone says they could do it but the massive number of people that can't stay retired is proof that it's not as easy as we'd like to think. For Joe Schmoe slob that's easy to do but people that make a billion dollars have insane work ethics and would go nuts without something to do. My wife constantly asks me to sit down and relax but I can't do it...I find pleasure in working a zillion hours a week then coming home and busting my ass. Whether it be cleaning, remodeling, tinkering on projects, cooking, etc I'd go nuts without something to do. I'd be willing to bet that billionaires are the same way.

If that is the case, it's more proof that these ultra rich people are doing tons of good and not the evil problem the media makes them out to be.

But the scenario was someone dumps 1B free of charge into your account. I might setup a race shop and play around but I wouldn't be working hard another day in my life.

 

[CV355]

We see the effects of that scenario on a smaller scale every day.

Has anyone worked for a boss who had absolutely zero concept of reality?
I know I sure have.

That's what happens. The need for money is a competitive market, and to stay competitive you need to have value. To have value, you need to be able to create positive results, which requires understanding what you're doing.

When the need for money to survive is removed, you usually get this bubble of ignorance (like in Hollywood). They don't care- why would they?

On the other side of the pendulum swing, you get those who still have a drive- some for moralistic reasons, some for pure evil (like that soggy-eyed rat bastard Soros who proclaims himself as a philanthropist)

 

[Double"O"]

I am perfectly happy being a multi thousandaire.

Lucky bastard...I'm a multihundredaire my wife on the other hand has a few grand to her name...

 

[DHG1078]

I'd imagine selling a business that profitable would be damn near impossible so you'd be faced with walking away which is easier said than done. I read recently that Bill Gates still plays a somewhat active role in some Microsoft projects. The article (I don't remember where I read it) made it sound like he's far busier than most people are before retirement.

I disagree. Selling a proven, profitable business wouldn't be a problem. I mean, you have a "small" pool of potential buyers, but everyone would be clamoring to buy a low risk investment.

Buying a business for 10's of billions of dollars is nothing for some of these people/corporations. Hell, Ford was going to spend 1.6 billion on one plant. They also used their logo to get a 30 billion dollar loan or something, too. And Ford isn't even the most profitable company by a long shot.

 

[capnkirk52]

Rothschilds owned/financed John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company, Edward R. Harriman’s Railroad Empire, and Andrew Carnegie’s Steel Empire in the late 1800's.

Is that like owning Facebook google and Microsoft all at the same time?

Yup. They are the ones pulling the strings on everything in the world.

 

[Blown 89]

I disagree. Selling a proven, profitable business wouldn't be a problem. I mean, you have a "small" pool of potential buyers, but everyone would be clamoring to buy a low risk investment.

Buying a business for 10's of billions of dollars is nothing for some of these people/corporations. Hell, Ford was going to spend 1.6 billion on one plant. They also used their logo to get a 30 billion dollar loan or something, too. And Ford isn't even the most profitable company by a long shot.

Selling a profitable business of any sort isn't an easy task. There's considerable risk involved when replacing the visionary that got it to that spot in the first place, especially if that company was struggling before they acquired it. Microsoft struggled after Bill Gates stepped down. Even Apple nose dived after Steve Jobs was ousted. The idea that a company that big is on autopilot isn't based in any sort of reality. Turning and burning businesses on my level isn't an easy task and it only gets harder the more and more a company is worth.

 

[DHG1078]

Selling a profitable business of any sort isn't an easy task. There's considerable risk involved when replacing the visionary that got it to that spot in the first place, especially if that company was struggling before they acquired it. Microsoft struggled after Bill Gates stepped down. Even Apple nose dived after Steve Jobs was ousted. The idea that a company that big is on autopilot isn't based in any sort of reality. Turning and burning businesses on my level isn't an easy task and it only gets harder the more and more a company is worth.

It depends on the business and industry. Some subcontractors don't have to innovate at the level companies like apple and microsoft does.

Yes, they do have to keep up with technology to an extent, but you would be surprised what 70's/80's technology can do, even in the aerospace industry.

Lots of subcontractors out there don't really design parts, they just manufacture them whether its casting, forging, machining, etc. The main equipment doesn't change too often, either.

 

[DHG1078]

Its not always in the headlines but the larger companies, especially tech companies, are constantly buying smaller upcoming companies with great ideas.

Precision castparts isn't in the news much, but it had been growing a lot in recent years, and buying up lots of businesses. It was rising up through the fortune 500 list fairly quickly. They were just bought out a couple years ago at the tune of 37 billion dollars. Casting and Forging companies, while constantly improving, don't rely on huge innovation year over year.

I actually know of a couple companies, and work for a company that has pretty much coasted for the last 20 or so years. Completely rely on legacy programs and contacts. Its a miracle I convinced them to buy me a new $10k software package. They refuse to update any equipment, even when its broken. Just a couple reasons I want out, but the point being lots of companies can "coast" for a while without fear of failing. Not that its the best business practice.

 

[DHG1078]

God dam Amphenol Corporation, as crappy of a company as they are, is so deeply rooted into manufacturer specs as sole source, they have guaranteed business for life.

Talking to others in industry, one described it best that it would "take an act of congress" to be able to go with any other supplier.

Don't even need to mention them by name, when you complain about a sole source supplier everyone know who you are talking about.

 

[Blown 89]

Every business needs to innovate and stay fluid....even subcontractors. Innovation isn't about technology either, it's about predicting business strategies. Right now we are seeing a shift in business where the old way of conducting business isn't slowly fading away, it's rapidly vanishing. Things as simple as how to communicate with and maintain clients has drastically changed in as little as the past 5 years. It's catching a lot of old world companies of guard and they are dropping like flies.

I'm willing to bet that your company isn't coasting like you think it is. Most employees have no idea what goes on in their boss' office. Innovating isn't always about spending $10k on software, sometimes it's as easy as workflow, advertising, or how they communicate with clients. If you company really has coasted they are rare.

You mentioned Amphenol.....a quick search has shown that they've undergone drastic changes over the years. Just in the past 10 years they've ventured into the mobile phone marketplace and made 6 major acquisitions. Judging by their profile they are the very definition of a fluid company.

 

[DHG1078]

Every business needs to innovate and stay fluid....even subcontractors. Innovation isn't about technology either, it's about predicting business strategies. Right now we are seeing a shift in business where the old way of conducting business isn't slowly fading away, it's rapidly vanishing. Things as simple as how to communicate with and maintain clients has drastically changed in as little as the past 5 years. It's catching a lot of old world companies of guard and they are dropping like flies.

I'm willing to bet that your company isn't coasting like you think it is. Most employees have no idea what goes on in their boss' office. Innovating isn't always about spending $10k on software, sometimes it's as easy as workflow, advertising, or how they communicate with clients. If you company really has coasted they are rare.

You mentioned Amphenol.....a quick search has shown that they've undergone drastic changes over the years. Just in the past 10 years they've ventured into the mobile phone marketplace and made 6 major acquisitions. Judging by their profile they are the very definition of a fluid company.

We have no marketing team. No sales team. Nothing of the sort. The president relys on her contacts and a few parts we are sole source for. We are a very small, niche manufacturer. I believe she reaches out to people via e-mail and phone calls to see if we can get new quotes or anyone needs more parts, but thats it. We don't use social media in any fashion.

Try dealing with amphenol. They have expanded, but not because people who have to work with them like it. Especially since they moved some production to mexico.