# Ask me what it's like to be rich **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 6, 2010, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-me-what-its-like-to-be-rich/527908 "2010-02-06T04:52:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Interconnected\_Series\_of\_Tubes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/13edae/32.png) [@Interconnected\_Series\_of\_Tubes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interconnected_Series_of_Tubes)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-me-what-its-like-to-be-rich/527908/21 "2010-02-06T06:20:41Z")
Why are all the rest of you being such enormous thread-shitting assholes? This isn’t the pit, go grind your political axe somewhere else. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-me-what-its-like-to-be-rich/527908/22 "2010-02-06T06:23:08Z")
What percentage of your regular income goes to: -Living expenses, including rent/mortgage on primary residence, -Leisure expenses, -Investment And what do you invest in? ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-me-what-its-like-to-be-rich/527908/23 "2010-02-06T06:25:54Z")
Are you aware that Obama does not consider you the “boogey man”, and merely wants to return taxation for your bracket back to where it was a few years ago? ---
**Author:** ![Pray\_for\_peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pray\_for\_peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pray_for_peace)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-me-what-its-like-to-be-rich/527908/24 "2010-02-06T06:31:56Z")
Does your license plate say LIVN LRG? ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-me-what-its-like-to-be-rich/527908/25 "2010-02-06T06:33:26Z")
Where do you find the cognitive dissonance to believe an income of substantially more than $250k a year is “not really rich”? $250k/year marks the top 1.5% of households in the U.S. (and of course “households” implies combined incomes, so there are far fewer individuals making even that much), which happens to be one of the richest countries on Earth. What do you think _is_ rich? ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-me-what-its-like-to-be-rich/527908/26 "2010-02-06T06:40:11Z")
Is the purpose of this thread to goad people into saying that you must hate poor people so that you can have some ammunition for your [Thread in Great Debates?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=550972) ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-me-what-its-like-to-be-rich/527908/27 "2010-02-06T06:50:54Z")
> [@Interconnected\_Series\_of\_Tubes](#): > > Why are all the rest of you being such enormous thread-shitting assholes? > > This isn’t the pit, go grind your political axe somewhere else. Dude, come on. If I start a thread about how incredibly good looking I am and ask for inquiries on what being incredibly good looking is like, I’m going to get at a bare minimum some mild amount of shit over it. Besides, Rand Rover’s more than capable of taking care of himself. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-me-what-its-like-to-be-rich/527908/28 "2010-02-06T06:51:24Z")
Do you feel you have gotten to where you are entirely by hard work, or was any luck involved? Given a median salary of about $32,000/year in the United States, do you think you work 8 times harder than the average person? Given a median income of about $7,000/year for the world, do you think you work 35 times harder than the average person in the world? Did good fortune play any role in your success? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-me-what-its-like-to-be-rich/527908/29 "2010-02-06T06:56:40Z")
If you are in a room with someone who is so rich that they don’t have to tell strangers on a message board just how rich they are, do you feel that you suddenly have a really small dick? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-me-what-its-like-to-be-rich/527908/30 "2010-02-06T07:06:23Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > Dude, come on. If I start a thread about how incredibly good looking I am and ask for inquiries on what being incredibly good looking is like, I’m going to get at a bare minimum some mild amount of shit over it. Besides, Rand Rover’s more than capable of taking care of himself. Is this merely counterpoint to the “Ask me what it’s like to be poor” thread? What would a poor person have to do to get you to invest in them? ---
**Author:** ![torie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@torie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/torie)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-me-what-its-like-to-be-rich/527908/31 "2010-02-06T07:19:38Z")
Are you aware of how incredibly hilarious this thread is? Are you glad your thread gave me the biggest laugh of the night? Do you sleep in beds made of 50 or 100 dollar bills? Will you put me in your will? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-me-what-its-like-to-be-rich/527908/32 "2010-02-06T07:25:31Z")
> [@torie](#): > > Will you put me in your will? No. ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-me-what-its-like-to-be-rich/527908/33 "2010-02-06T07:26:12Z")
Since you seem to be a tax attorney, how do you feel about earning a (fantastic) living while not actually producing anything? eg your job is just there to move paper around… and if a very simplified tax structure were enacted, overall productivity would increase because people like you would be able to produce something of real value. ---
**Author:** ![Remarkable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@Remarkable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Remarkable)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-me-what-its-like-to-be-rich/527908/34 "2010-02-06T07:52:32Z")
Aaahh… the sweet sounds of silver spoons clattering into the drawer (well, I reckon the maid _has_ been told to do it quietly, but it is hard to find good help…) I hazard a guess that Rand Rover drives a fuck off big SUV (leased, to be upgraded every other year) I’ll guess another… Rand Rover (as posted earlier) didn’t have to do the hard work to get to the point he’s at. I also guess the thread " Ask me what it’s like to be a general worker/shit-kicker for an average wage, like most of the people just getting by" just isn’t divisive enough to rate any mention. It shits me to tears that the egotism needed for the OP actually gets as far as a thread regarding the ‘rest of us’ asking how nice it is, and whats involved, in being really disgustingly rich. I know this isn’t The Pit, but really?? Asshole. I like my oysters when I pick the bastards off the rocks myself. That is all. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-me-what-its-like-to-be-rich/527908/35 "2010-02-06T13:49:11Z")
> [@Fat\_Chance](#): > > How much do you rip off your clients by charging them insane amounts of money, when you clearly must not work all that hard since you spend so many hours of your day on the dope trolling and arguing how great it would be if America was a barren Mad Max world of no government, and trying to make us mentally ill liberals believe that the nicest thing we as humans can do for poor people is to treat them like humans, instead of pets, and let them die in the gutter rather then give a helping hand cause they’d never learn to work hard and succeed if we help them at all? Do not call someone a troll outside the Pit. Thanks, twicks, MPSIMS moderator ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-me-what-its-like-to-be-rich/527908/36 "2010-02-06T13:54:18Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Do you worry about losing your money, or going broke? No. > [@Tarwater](#): > > What is the coolest thing you’ve bought? Hmm . . . I don’t know. I’m a rather boring guy, so whatever the answer is to this would disappoint you. > [@GuanoLad](#): > > What on earth do you spend it on? I can’t imagine what I’d do if I had that much money. Probably the same stuff you spend your money on, I just spend more on each category. For example, I think the mortgage (with taxes etc.) is around $4000 per month. > [@pravnik](#): > > How is rich babby formed? How rich girl get pragnent? Both involve a rich penis. > [@Fat\_Chance](#): > > How much do you rip off your clients by charging them insane amounts of money, when you clearly must not work all that hard since you spend so many hours of your day on the dope trolling and arguing how great it would be if America was a barren Mad Max world of no government, and trying to make us mentally ill liberals believe that the nicest thing we as humans can do for poor people is to treat them like humans, instead of pets, and let them die in the gutter rather then give a helping hand cause they’d never learn to work hard and succeed if we help them at all? None. I post during little 5 minute breaks throughout the day. Really, I’m such a genius that each gem that I post is a first draft and sounds brilliant without the need to obsessively revise or something. > [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > What’s it like to be in Obama’s crosshairs? Sucks, buddy. > [@samclem](#): > > How do you sleep at night? Super. Do you think I shouldn’t? > [@salinqmind](#): > > Do you live in a McMansion, or is that too tacky? If you do drugs, do you have an arrangement where you have them delivered to you by a clean-cut frat boy? > > Oops, forgot - do you have a bleached blond trophy wife with fake tits? My house was bit around 1900. The only drugs I take are available at the CVS. Wife is short and brunette with brownish-olivish skin. > [@Enderw24](#): > > Would you give up all your money to live in a world with no government? Of course not. > [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Ooooo! Ooooo! Were you born to a poor family, middle class family or a rich family? Did ya pull yersulf up by yer bootstraps? Or, like W, were you born on third base and act you hit a triple? After you die, will the worms prefer the taste of your flesh to that of a more common man? Do you pull your pants on two legs at a time, or have someone to do it for you? > > Have you ever tried a case? Had a case published? Which ones? > > How many secretaries were you required to screw before they made you partner? Born to a single mom in the middle of nowhere, probably on the lower side of middle class (we had enough food to eat, but back to school shopping was at Target, and we didn’t go on vacations or do anything really). Bootstraps. Worms aren’t picky. One leg at a time. I don’t try cases. I had an article published when in law school, and it’s been cited several times. > [@Cardinal](#): > > What’s it like to make Republicans look like total tools? I’m sure I wouldn’t know. > [@Chimera](#): > > Will you be tasty in a nice red wine sauce when (if) we finally eat the rich? Honestly my flesh would prbably go best in a bourbon sauce. > [@friedo](#): > > What percentage of your regular income goes to: > > -Living expenses, including rent/mortgage on primary residence, > -Leisure expenses, > -Investment > > And what do you invest in? I really don’t know on the percentages–my wife handles the money (until it gets invested, which is when I handle it). All of my investments are in exchange traded equity index funds, some US and some int’l. > [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Are you aware that Obama does not consider you the “boogey man”, and merely wants to return taxation for your bracket back to where it was a few years ago? I disagree. > [@Rigamarole](#): > > Where do you find the cognitive dissonance to believe an income of substantially more than $250k a year is “not really rich”? $250k/year marks the top 1.5% of households in the U.S. (and of course “households” implies combined incomes, so there are far fewer individuals making even that much), which happens to be one of the richest countries on Earth. What do you think _is_ rich? Yeah, I was using the Cosby Show definition of “rich”–ie., I work for my money. > [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Is the purpose of this thread to goad people into saying that you must hate poor people so that you can have some ammunition for your [Thread in Great Debates?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=550972) No, the don’t need goading. > [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Do you feel you have gotten to where you are entirely by hard work, or was any luck involved? > > Given a median salary of about $32,000/year in the United States, do you think you work 8 times harder than the average person? > > Given a median income of about $7,000/year for the world, do you think you work 35 times harder than the average person in the world? > > Did good fortune play any role in your success? I suppose some luck was involved. If I had been hit on the head as a child and rendered unsmart, I wouldn’t be where I am now. But other than that, I do think it’s basically entirely because of my hard work. I think I work more than 8 times as hard as the average person. My job involves making judgments on very complicated issues and doing a lot of really hard sit there and think your ass off brain work. I see the secretaries in my office doing maybe 10 hours of actual work a week, and they aren’t exercising their judgment on complicated issues or anything. > [@Desert\_Nomad](#): > > Since you seem to be a tax attorney, how do you feel about earning a (fantastic) living while not actually producing anything? > > eg your job is just there to move paper around… and if a very simplified tax structure were enacted, overall productivity would increase because people like you would be able to produce something of real value. Not sure what you mean buddy–I produce advice for my clients, that’s someting. ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-me-what-its-like-to-be-rich/527908/37 "2010-02-06T13:55:15Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > How do you sleep at night? I would guess 1000 thread count silk sheets. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-me-what-its-like-to-be-rich/527908/38 "2010-02-06T13:56:35Z")
> [@Remarkable](#): > > I know this isn’t The Pit, but really?? Asshole. Since you knew you weren’t in the Pit but went ahead anyway, I trust the warning I’m issuing for personal insults isn’t a surprise. If you need to call him an asshole, take it to the Pit. twickster, MPSIMS moderator ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-me-what-its-like-to-be-rich/527908/39 "2010-02-06T14:11:28Z")
I think I’ll wait for the OP’s “Ask me what it’s like to be smug” thread, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-me-what-its-like-to-be-rich/527908/40 "2010-02-06T14:16:40Z")
I’ll play. Do you have any kids? If so, do you feel your lifestyle is significantly impacted by kids? Do you give to charity? What percentage of your income? What percentage of your income do you save vs. spend? Do you employ “help” - someone to mow your lawn and/or clean your home? Terms? What are your luxury indulgences? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-me-what-its-like-to-be-rich/527908.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-me-what-its-like-to-be-rich/527908.md?page=3)