# 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:** 3
**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, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/41 "2010-05-24T20:38:42Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > 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. But they do. Warren Buffet is a regular on online bridge, for example, if you know who you’re looking for. ---
**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, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/42 "2010-05-24T21:17:02Z")
Poorly phrased on my part. Should have been something more like, “wondering if financially successful people post on message boards like this one, and if they don’t, why not.” My main point still stands. ---
**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, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/43 "2010-05-24T21:43:34Z")
Well, there are financially succesful people who post here. I know this for a fact. Will that do? ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/44 "2010-05-24T21:52:29Z")
Try reading the OP. S/he specificly asks “how many”. Is there any particular reason why you are going pretty far out of your way to hijack the thread? ---
**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, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/45 "2010-05-24T21:53:53Z")
Have you noticed there’s a bloody poll attached to this thread, Mr. Deceiver? ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/46 "2010-05-24T22:01:44Z")
> [@Angry Lurker](#): > > Have you noticed there’s a bloody poll attached to this thread, Mr. Deceiver? Try answering it. ---
**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, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/47 "2010-05-24T22:02:21Z")
no idea what you’re getting at ---
**Author:** ![wisernow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@wisernow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wisernow)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/48 "2010-05-25T21:49:14Z")
> [@Angry Lurker](#): > > no idea what you’re getting at I am not sure why my poll has upset you, or some of the others, when in the op itself I said this - > [@](#): > > I know, I know that success is not always measured in terms of wealth and position of a person, but let that be. I know that philosophically speaking sucess and money have nothing to do with each other. I was, and still am, curious about the people who are considered successful in the “commercial” sense. As the poll indicates until now, we do have some people from the \>300K end who are posters on this board. But this number is small but becomes larger as the income group lowers. Is there a correlation then? As one of the posters said, one of the reasons is that the “successful” people have little time to do anything else. Quite possible. The other obvious reason, as also suggested by someone, is that as a percentage of the population, the number of people in the higher income group is smaller and that fact will reflect wherever there is a population. Some of the posters said that the rich and wealthy will not likely disclose the fact. But I thought they could do that as long as their identity is not known. And this poll, I assume, does not allow posters to see the usernames of those who have voted. ---
**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:** [May 26, 2010, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/49 "2010-05-26T07:33:18Z")
With four people in the house working (okay, so I’m on disability), we still qualify for option one. I personally am making maybe $7000 a year. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/50 "2010-05-26T11:20:13Z")
Also, nearly all students, High school, college, graduate levels though more likely to post on these boards (fitting the geeky factor), they’re also quite likely to depress the levels of “success” as they’re still working on their success factor and are likely not to be working as much while focusing on their education. ---
**Author:** ![sunstone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunstone/32/3372_2.png) [@sunstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunstone)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/51 "2010-05-27T01:24:06Z")
I have to jump in here and agree with Even Sven and others. There is a tendency to somehow equate “success” and income. So what do we do with folks who have followed their passions, become well known contributors in their field, add to human knowledge, comfort and improve the lot of their fellow man, raise fine children, and so forth? To base our degree of success on income alone certainly leaves out lots of amazing teachers, scientists, nurses, professional soldiers and so forth. By judging on income, I know several folks who are car salemen, lawyers, realtors and others who make a lot of money, but are they successful? Agreed that they have a lot of money, but as human beings they may not have contributed in the same way as others have. Or we can consider sports figures as some of the most successful people in the world… (Sunstone jumps off soapbox.) ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/52 "2010-05-27T12:56:40Z")
Can those on this board who are wealthy please send me their bank details as I need to get twelve million pounds out of a Nigerian bank but need a western B.A. to pay it into. You will of course get a fee of five million each for your assistance. ---
**Author:** ![LonesomePolecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/53 "2010-05-27T13:25:26Z")
Count me among the poor and wretched, lurking amid the hovels of the proletariat whilst plotting insurrection and revolution. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/54 "2010-05-27T13:50:54Z")
Both sets of my parents are millionaires. I make less than $50k a year. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/55 "2010-05-27T14:01:55Z")
> [@sunstone](#): > > I have to jump in here and agree with Even Sven and others. There is a tendency to somehow equate “success” and income. > > So what do we do with folks who have followed their passions, become well known contributors in their field, add to human knowledge, comfort and improve the lot of their fellow man, raise fine children, and so forth? To base our degree of success on income alone certainly leaves out lots of amazing teachers, scientists, nurses, professional soldiers and so forth. > > By judging on income, I know several folks who are car salemen, lawyers, realtors and others who make a lot of money, but are they successful? Agreed that they have a lot of money, but as human beings they may not have contributed in the same way as others have. > > Or we can consider sports figures as some of the most successful people in the world… > > (Sunstone jumps off soapbox.) Fine. Then I don’t want to hear people bitching about how poor they are. ---
**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 27, 2010, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/56 "2010-05-27T15:46:20Z")
> [@sunstone](#): > > I have to jump in here and agree with Even Sven and others. There is a tendency to somehow equate “success” and income. > > So what do we do with folks who have followed their passions, become well known contributors in their field, add to human knowledge, comfort and improve the lot of their fellow man, raise fine children, and so forth? To base our degree of success on income alone certainly leaves out lots of amazing teachers, scientists, nurses, professional soldiers and so forth. > > By judging on income, I know several folks who are car salemen, lawyers, realtors and others who make a lot of money, but are they successful? Agreed that they have a lot of money, but as human beings they may not have contributed in the same way as others have. > > Or we can consider sports figures as some of the most successful people in the world… > > (Sunstone jumps off soapbox.) Am I the \*only \*person who read the OP? The person is specifically wondering about whether or not a particular demographic is active on the internet, and that demographic happens to be financially successful people, as defined exclusively by income. Nowhere does he say that this is the only kind of success or even the best kind of success–he just wants to know if rich people post on message boards. Look, I’ll even quote it for you: > [@](#): > > 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? Jeeze. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/57 "2010-05-27T16:25:54Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Am I the \*only \*person who read the OP? Nah - I read it, too, and tried to respond: - In my experience hanging out with folks as described in the OP, the answer is NO - I know tons who shop on line or maybe have favorite info or game sites they frequent, but I don’t know many who 'fess up to participating on message boards, chat rooms, blogs, etc. - In my experience, high-income earners often (usually?) have intense jobs - the ones I am thinking of are I-Bankers, big ticket lawyers, Consulting Partners, high-end physicians, etc. - between their jobs, family, and other IRL obligations, they don’t have the time. - Finally, given the \*raison d’etre \*of the SDMB - to fight ignorance; well, income level doesn’t stand out as a criteria for one’s ability to fight ignorance, so references to income, relative richness, etc. stand out and get nailed. Look at **lindseybluth** ’s “ask the child of weath” thread from a few months ago. Bottom line, there isn’t much motivation to 'fess up when it comes across as sneak-bragging… How’d I do, **Shot From Guns**? ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/58 "2010-05-27T16:29:44Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Nah - I read it, too, and tried to respond: > > - In my experience hanging out with folks as described in the OP, the answer is NO - I know tons who shop on line or maybe have favorite info or game sites they frequent, but I don’t know many who 'fess up to participating on message boards, chat rooms, blogs, etc. > > - In my experience, high-income earners often (usually?) have intense jobs - the ones I am thinking of are I-Bankers, big ticket lawyers, Consulting Partners, high-end physicians, etc. - between their jobs, family, and other IRL obligations, they don’t have the time. > > - Finally, given the \*raison d’etre \*of the SDMB - to fight ignorance; well, income level doesn’t stand out as a criteria for one’s ability to fight ignorance, so references to income, relative richness, etc. stand out and get nailed. Look at **lindseybluth** ’s “ask the child of weath” thread from a few months ago. Bottom line, there isn’t much motivation to 'fess up when it comes across as sneak-bragging… > > How’d I do, **Shot From Guns**? Not bad, so in this case you were successful. But are you rich? Fess up. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/59 "2010-05-27T16:43:00Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > Not bad, so in this case you were successful. But are you rich? Fess up. 🙂 Og knows, I am hoping my job puts me on a path towards getting there, but for now? Not so much. 😉 ---
**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 27, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285/60 "2010-05-27T16:43:21Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > How’d I do, **Shot From Guns**? A+. Recommend. Would read again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rich-and-successful-people-here/540285.md?page=4)