# How many rich and successful people here? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 21, 2010, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285 "2010-05-21T18:27:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/21 "2010-05-23T00:47:44Z")
… ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/22 "2010-05-23T14:09:17Z")
I have been rich, poor and middle class. I have owned homes on the water and rented. I could have been a millionaires wife but I chose not to marry him. So God gave me a broad range of life experiences for which I am very grateful. In some societies you never get to leave your caste. I pick near poverty as my happiest way to live. I didn;t choose it I kind of cycled into it but I am happier today then when I was rich. I could be rich tomorrow but I don’t care for the lifestyle. I am more free the way I live today. I am also happier. I can’t be bought or sold and I am just what you see. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/23 "2010-05-23T14:18:08Z")
> [@wisernow](#): > > I am not sure how to put it, but I was wondering how many dopers are rich and highly successful people in their real lives. > > I know, I know that success is not always measured in terms of wealth and position of a person, but let that be. > > I might be wrong, but is seems that the rich and powerful do not subscribe to message boards in general. Do people like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Warren Buffet, CEOs of conglomerates and banks etc., or even people near the top of the corporate success ladder or climbing it fast, ever subscribe to online forums and message boards? > > I know many celebreties have their own blogs and twitter accounts, but that is not the same as participating on message boards. > > So what is the reason we don’t find these people on forums like this one. Is it that they do not have the time to participate or they do not find it interesting to post or read stuff off the boards or what? > > As a follow up of this question, I am going to try and set up a poll to figure out the profile of the dopers with the respect to the same question. > > I have not set up a poll before and therefore if I make a mess of it, I request the admins or mods to correct it. > > I also assume that the identity of the voters on this poll remains anonymous. Wealth isn’t income. Wealth is assets. Your poll asks about income, not wealth. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/24 "2010-05-23T14:19:21Z")
> [@wisernow](#): > > No. > > One may have ancestral wealth, or won a lottery, or something. That does not count. > > I am only trying to understand the profile of individuals who subscribe to message boards. > > And if the histogram indicates my assumption to be true, that the rich and successful are less likely to be found on message boards, then I would like to understand why so? Because they are spending their time being “rich and successful”? Really, it’s not that difficult to figure out. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/25 "2010-05-23T15:12:45Z")
Our income is somewhat low compared to our net worth. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/26 "2010-05-23T21:04:46Z")
I don’t earn any income. I am poor, but I have very few needs so I suppose I’m successful. Go me! ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/27 "2010-05-24T04:27:04Z")
Rich people are too busy posting over at [www.G4Owner.com](http://www.G4Owner.com) and [www.Hamptons.net](http://www.Hamptons.net). ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/28 "2010-05-24T04:49:03Z")
Even if very few rich people posted here, that wouldn’t prove a whole lot, considering there are very few rich people in the general population. **Sr. Olives** has several millionaires in his family, including one multi-billionaire. Every few months we visit the family and are exposed to levels of wealth I normally only see on television (They don’t post on internet message boards. They’re too busy making money, and talking about the money they have, and figuring out how to make more.) Just to cite an example of what we’re talking about here, his grandparents once took 30 of us on an all-expenses paid 17-day luxury cruise along the Mediterranean coast. By ‘‘all-expenses’’ I mean ALL – room service, daily multi-course gourmet meals, first-rate hotels–for 30 people. And they gave us all spending money. I think the moment I realized wealthy people live in an alternate universe is when we were on the private bus in Florence. The itinerary originally called for half a day in Florence and half a day in Pisa, but several adults demanded to stay in Florence to shop in the high-end stores. They all got in a massive argument about it. In reality world, the benefactors would have told everyone to STFU and stop acting like entitled jackasses, and everyone would do what they were fortunate enough to be allowed to do. In this bizarro world of the impossibly wealthy, though, the ultimate solution was just to pick up the phone, call in a second private bus to take those who wanted to go to Pisa to Pisa and let the others stay in Florence, and then have both buses meet back at the cruise ship. _Of course._ I grew up relatively poor, but have acquired an excellent education that has granted me a degree of upward mobility. Well, I am currently a graduate student, so, uh, upward mobility pending. I live in a 900 square foot one-bedroom apartment, drive an economy car, operate a handful of newfangled electronic gadgets, and am living what can best be a described as a solidly middle-class lifestyle. I don’t want anything more than this. If my standard of living never increases, I will not complain. I can eat out when I feel like it, take in a movie occasionally, and buy new clothes when they wear out. There isn’t any material thing I feel I’m lacking. We take care of the long-term stuff. Whenever his relatives shower us with gifts of money, we invest it. We are doing well in the retirement department, especially considering we are only 27. We both have Roth IRAs now, a major accomplishment of the 2009 income tax year. We have more saved for retirement than the average household 20 years older than us. If you ask me, our culture has a really twisted definition of ‘‘successful.’’ In a way I feel lucky – I’ve seen how the other side lives, and while I appreciate the advantages and privileges that come with having wealthy relatives, the reality is that I don’t envy them, not for a second. I have been able to learn from them the value of wealth for long-term financial security, while at the same time eschewing the warped value-system. It’s ideal. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/29 "2010-05-24T04:58:14Z")
I’m not rich, but I’d argue I’m enormously successful. I’ve been fortunate enough to do exactly what I want to do with my life, some of my most absurd childhood dreams have come true, and I love what I do. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/30 "2010-05-24T07:21:33Z")
If they do post I’m sure they do so anonymously because they want to contribute as individuals and not as their public persona. However I remember Jon Stewart once saying when he would give out his identity on teh intertubes people would just blow him off or not take him seriously. So I suppose even if you were famous person X, you’d have to do tons of effort to prove it and it wouldn’t be worth it. Also you can’t really define success strictly by wealth. Tons of wealthy and famous people are addicted to drugs because they want to escape reality. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/31 "2010-05-24T07:38:34Z")
Grew up poor, remain poor. I make around $20,000 per year usually. I’m very ‘unsuccessful’, no education, no career - I am doing exactly what I want to do though, which is shirk any sort of job-related responsiblity, and have lots of free time. Most of my time spent surfing the net is while I am at work. I’m pulling in about $10 an hour to read the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Sevastopol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Sevastopol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevastopol)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/32 "2010-05-24T12:12:30Z")
A close relative makes movie-star / elite athlete / rock star money, but with a skill that will not fade or go out of fashion. Does not actually own much, other than further income-generating assets but lives a very high-end lifestyle - monthly rent of one just one of several residences is $11,000. No message boards as such, but does closely follow theory and experimental data coming out of some leading universities. Reads interesting local blogs. Marathons/Ultra-marathons in exotic places take up the spare time and a coffee connoisseur. Travels to other countries most weekends. Really the only thing that still astounds is grown men and women “Oh my you’re [related to] X”. Tiresome after a couple of hearings. ---
**Author:** ![Shawn\_K\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Shawn\_K\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shawn_K_1)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/33 "2010-05-24T12:20:40Z")
I’ve got the “filthy, stinking” part covered, just have to get the “rich” part now 😛 ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/34 "2010-05-24T12:43:48Z")
I’m in the 0-50K “most undesirable batchelor” category. Oh, and I’ve got no savings, just in case you wondered. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Poster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Happy\_Poster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Poster)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/35 "2010-05-24T13:01:36Z")
Utterly bizzare to consider _income_ a primary measure of success. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/36 "2010-05-24T16:43:07Z")
> [@Angry Lurker](#): > > Utterly bizzare to consider _income_ a primary measure of success. It shouldn’t be the only measure, but it shouldn’t be completely ignored either. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/37 "2010-05-24T19:05:39Z")
Observations: - A lot of folks are uncomfortable volunteering salary info on line, along with other info that would make them more identifiable. I just don’t think there is an easy way to get this type of insight about message board users. - A lot of folks who make a ton of money are not geeky - the SDMB is simply not their cuppa tea. I spend time pretty regularly with high-end I-Bankers, consultants, lawyers, etc. - they are about as likely as any other non-typical-geek demographic group to have a geek in their midst (maybe a Quant I-banker is an exception - they can be hugely geeky). - In general, when I talk those types of high-end folks, most don’t have much of an online life. Sure they have a Facebook page but don’t spend much time on it, and they surf and shop on the web - but an active life on a message board? I rarely get a raised eyebrow when I bring it up. I can think of one guy - an I Banker - who hung out on Porsche m-boards (but only lurked) when he was trying to figure out what kind of Boxster to buy. Honestly, I think they already feel too busy with their IRL life to invest much time in an online life. If I didn’t post as a mental break in between project work and meetings, I don’t think I would have time either… ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/38 "2010-05-24T19:41:44Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > So I suppose even if you were famous person X, you’d have to do tons of effort to prove it and it wouldn’t be worth it. Not really. Just announce ahead of time that you’ll use some odd turn of phrase or reference in your next show, then do so. ETA: I’m really Oprah. Listen carefully for “litigious carbuncle” next week. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Poster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Happy\_Poster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Poster)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/39 "2010-05-24T19:43:44Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > It shouldn’t be the only measure, but it shouldn’t be completely ignored either. No, but to have it as the criterion of the poll is really rather silly. Edit: My peak earnings were in the late 90s and around 2005-07. Am I less successful now? No, I’m far more rounded. I’m probably as well rounded as I’ve ever been, and I’m striving to become a much better person every day, as I have come from a background of unbelievable extremes to trying to become more mature, far too late, but later is better than never 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/40 "2010-05-24T20:33:06Z")
> [@Angry Lurker](#): > > No, but to have it as the criterion of the poll is really rather silly. Not when the OP’s entire curiosity revolves around financial success, as this one clearly does. He’s not wondering why people with good lives don’t post on message boards; he’s wondering why fabulously rich people don’t do so. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285.md?page=3)