# What is the value of Fuck you Money?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-value-of-fuck-you-money/365438
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [July 21, 2006, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-value-of-fuck-you-money/365438 "2006-07-21T03:06:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2006, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-value-of-fuck-you-money/365438/21 "2006-07-21T18:05:05Z")
> [@msmith537](#):
>
> The American said slowly, “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos…”
I’ll have to share this story with Hubby. He’s an “onward and upward” sort of guy, always thinking of ways to make things better. We have a friend I’ll call “Mike.” Mike has a landscaping business. He is the sole employee and works pretty much when he feels like it. He gets his clients through word-of-mouth and makes enough to support himself in the simple lifestyle he prefers.
Every time we go to visit him, Hubby can hardly contain himself from giving suggestions on how he could increase his business. Mike just recently put in a greenhouse in which he sells his excess stock. Last time we were there, Hubby chatted about how much Mike could make if he’d hire someone to staff the greenhouse while he did landscaping, and really, if he hired some other landscapers, he could triple the number of jobs he could do . . .
Mike just listens and smiles. He doesn’t want to own a big company, and he doesn’t want to be rich. He just wants to putter around working when he needs money and spending the rest of his time in whatever leisure activities suit him. Mike already has his Fuck You money, even though his sofa is the same one he had back in college.
Hubby frets for him. On the drive home, he started wondering about what Mike would do for retirement, or if he got sick, or if any number of bad things happened. Hubby has insurance plans out the wazoo and can tell you exactly how much money is in our investments, what interest rate he’s getting. He has three scenario plans: one for if the market is good, one for average returns, and one for what to do if the market goes south. He’s got everything planned out down to minor details. (I once teased him by asking when he had us scheduled to die.)
I’m extremely fortunate to have him, because I don’t have the fiscal sense that God gave a goat. My parents taught me a strong work ethic, but they were “comfortable” and I never got the life lessons in budgeting, saving and planning that most people get. Without Hubby, I’d blithely spend myself into bankruptcy and spend my elder years eating dog food.
---
### Author:  [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2006, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-value-of-fuck-you-money/365438/22 "2006-07-21T18:29:40Z")
> [@StuffLikeThatThere](#):
>
> Actually what **Cheesesteak** said was $5000 a _week_. (I can’t speak to what he meant, but that’s what he said. Cheesesteak, if you are female, I apologize in advance.) That would be $260,000 a year, which is a bit different.
You got it exactly right, even the gender. While $60k is great for some parts of the country, if that was my whole income, I’d be foreclosed on within the year, and I’d have to give up luxuries like heat.
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### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2006, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-value-of-fuck-you-money/365438/23 "2006-07-21T18:29:57Z")
> [@msmith537](#):
>
> This is a story we learned in business school just to keep things in perspective (try to ignore the obvious cultural stereotyping) :
>
> The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life, senor.”
>
> The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds you buy a bigger boat, and with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats.”
>
> “Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the consumers, eventually opening your own can factory. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise.”
>
> The Mexican fisherman asked, “But senor, how long will this all take?”
>
> To which the American replied, “15-20 years.”
>
> “But what then, senor?”
>
> The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO (Initial Public Offering) and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions.”
>
> “Millions, senor? Then what?”
>
> The American said slowly, “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos…”
But here’s the point- once the Fisherman get’s too old to go out and fish, he won;t have any money at all, thus he won;t be able to “would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos”
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### Author:  [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2006, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-value-of-fuck-you-money/365438/24 "2006-07-21T19:06:45Z")
> [@](#):
>
> That’s how much you need to cover all your bases and relax, because you’re gonna be just fine and everybody else can just fuck off.
Suppose we have an individual who wants to tell everybody to “fuck off”. It follows logically that this individual dislikes people. It follows logically that this individual dislikes himself or herself. A person who dislikes themself will never be able to relax, kick back, enjoy themself. They will never be “just fine”, they will never be happy, they will never be content. Consequently, this entire concept of “fuck you money” is invalid. The individual should instead figure out what their problem is, get that problem fixed, and learn to get along with their fellow members of the human race. Then they’ll be capable of relaxing, finding happiness, achieving inner peace, etc… regardless of how much money they have.
> [@](#):
>
> But here’s the point- once the Fisherman get’s too old to go out and fish, he won;t have any money at all, thus he won;t be able to “would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos”
Firstly, the fisherman may never get to old to go out and fish. Secondly, should he somehow be crippled by disease or injury, he’ll probably be able to rely on his children, other family members, or amigos for finanical support, and maintain a lifestyle fairly similar to what he was used to.
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### Author:  [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2006, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-value-of-fuck-you-money/365438/25 "2006-07-21T20:31:54Z")
> [@ITR champion](#):
>
> Suppose we have an individual who wants to tell everybody to “fuck off”. It follows logically that this individual dislikes people.
You’re missing the point. Just because you have the **ability** to say “fuck off” to anybody doesn’t mean that you will actually say “fuck off” to everybody. It means that you don’t have to put up with asshole bosses, or neighbours, etc. The goal is to be **able** to be rude to those that deserve it, because you don’t need anything from them.
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### Author:  [@5que](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5que)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2006, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-value-of-fuck-you-money/365438/26 "2006-07-21T20:32:19Z")
Me, I’m putting my $5000 a week into Lotto tickets.
Ha, ha! Fuck Y’all, everybody!
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### Author:  [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2006, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-value-of-fuck-you-money/365438/27 "2006-07-21T20:44:50Z")
> [@ITR champion](#):
>
> Suppose we have an individual who wants to tell everybody to “fuck off”. It follows logically that this individual dislikes people. It follows logically that this individual dislikes himself or herself. A person who dislikes themself will never be able to relax, kick back, enjoy themself.
I dislike people in general, but I like myself just fine. I’m pretty happy with life, actually.
---
### Author:  [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2006, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-value-of-fuck-you-money/365438/28 "2006-07-22T01:12:28Z")
> [@DrDeth](#):
>
> Do you currently earn 250K after taxes?
If I did, I could tell you to fuck off now, couldn’t I?
> [@](#):
>
> :dubious: Look, what “fuck you” money is= how much you need to live on, which hopefully is a little less than what you are earning now (there are always job related expeses you won’t have) after blowing a bit to pay off the Credit cards. Thus, you can tell your boss to 'fuck you" and just sit home in your jammies playing video games, sucking Mountain Dew.
Well, I suppose I could go into the woods and eat berries for free right now, but that’s hardly fucking anybody else.
> [@](#):
>
> 2% of $5,000,000.= $100,000 not $250,000.
Uummmmm. Huh. Wow. Ummm. Yeah. Ummm, congratulations, you pass the test by finding my ummm, deliberate mistake.
Yeah, that’s the ticket.
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### Author:  [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2006, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-value-of-fuck-you-money/365438/29 "2006-07-22T01:20:48Z")
> [@RedFury](#):
>
> Dunno. Varies a lot depending on the number of people butchered in oil-producing countries.
That’s so untrue. You make a higher rate of return butchering people in truly impoverished nations than you do in oil producing ones. Since the people are sick and poverty stricken and have no medicine, your costs are much lower and you make it up in volume.
It’s why the Pimco Third World Global Genocide Fund has consistently outperformed th S&P Global Oppression Index for 40 consecutive quarters.
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### Author:  [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2006, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-value-of-fuck-you-money/365438/30 "2006-07-22T01:26:23Z")
I saw the thread title, and knew right away that **Scylla** was reading _Cryptonomicon_. I’ve read the book twice now, and gotten a good laugh out of the “Fuck You Money” section both times.
I get a better laugh though out of the combination of the Van Eck Phreak/Gomer Bulstrood furniture fetish punchline in _Cryptonommicon_ and the knowledge that an uptight Puritan character in _The Baroque Cycle_ is the selfsame Gomer.
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### Author:  [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2006, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-value-of-fuck-you-money/365438/31 "2006-07-22T01:27:02Z")
> [@Rysto](#):
>
> You’re missing the point. Just because you have the **ability** to say “fuck off” to anybody doesn’t mean that you will actually say “fuck off” to everybody. It means that you don’t have to put up with asshole bosses, or neighbours, etc. The goal is to be **able** to be rude to those that deserve it, because you don’t need anything from them.
Damn Straight. “Fuck You Money” means you can tell all the scumbags to fuck off and set about cleaning up your soul. It means you can devote your life to whatever you want and whatever you value.
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### Author:  [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2006, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-value-of-fuck-you-money/365438/32 "2006-07-22T01:29:17Z")
Hmmm. Clearly I need to recalculate due to last night’s error. Under the same assumptions, I need what? $12,500,000?
Fuck me.
Time to rework some assumptions.
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### Author:  [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2006, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-value-of-fuck-you-money/365438/33 "2006-07-22T01:53:04Z")
Two reitered friends of mine, both of whom have a modest income, were talking. One said to the other:
“What would you do if you received a payment of septine zillion dollars as the result of a lottery ticket someone bought in your name.”
The second replied: “Exactly what I’m doing today, having lunch with you and hanging out for the afternoon!”
**It is not what or how much you have as it is how you use it and what you do with it.**
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### Author:  [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2006, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-value-of-fuck-you-money/365438/34 "2006-07-22T05:41:47Z")
> [@DrDeth](#):
>
> But here’s the point- once the Fisherman get’s too old to go out and fish, he won;t have any money at all, thus he won;t be able to “would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos”
Yeah but those years at the end of your life suck anyway.
I think the point is that people spend their entire lives working to make enough money to be free and end up enslaved to maintaining that lifestyle of “freedom”. It’s called “golden handcuffs”.
> [@Scylla](#):
>
> Originally Posted by DrDeth
> Do you currently earn 250K after taxes?
>
> If I did, I could tell you to fuck off now, couldn’t I?
Only if I wasn’t the one who was paying you 😉
The show Entourage has some great examples. Vince and Ari make tons of money as an actor and an agent respectively. It’s not “fuck you” money though because they have people they answer to - studio execs, ect, and people dependent on them. The more they get sucked into the lifestyle the more it becomes a necessity.
To have true “fuck you” money you can’t be dependent on anyone or anything for your income otherwise the only people you can tell to fuck off are little people.
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### Author:  [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2006, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-value-of-fuck-you-money/365438/35 "2006-07-22T14:31:55Z")
> [@msmith537](#):
>
> To have true “fuck you” money you can’t be dependent on anyone or anything for your income otherwise the only people you can tell to fuck off are little people.
Bingo. Dick Parsons pulls down about $12,000,000 a year as CEO of Time Warner, but there’s no way in hell that he could’ve told Carl Icahn to fuck off.
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### Author:  [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2006, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-value-of-fuck-you-money/365438/36 "2006-07-22T15:19:37Z")
You guys might as well be saying, Fuck you, please, if no one minds.
Tris
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### Author:  [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2006, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-value-of-fuck-you-money/365438/37 "2006-07-22T15:25:00Z")
> [@Triskadecamus](#):
>
> You guys might as well be saying, Fuck you, please, if no one minds.
>
> Tris
It’s just a whimsical term for financial independance, not a moral concept.
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### Author:  [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2006, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-value-of-fuck-you-money/365438/38 "2006-07-22T15:32:14Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#):
>
> Bingo. Dick Parsons pulls down about $12,000,000 a year as CEO of Time Warner, but there’s no way in hell that he could’ve told Carl Icahn to fuck off.
Well, by most people’s standards, he certainly could after working there for a year. If I made 12 mil in one year, I could make that last the rest of my life, no problem.
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### Author:  [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2006, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-value-of-fuck-you-money/365438/39 "2006-07-22T16:28:41Z")
A private bank in the UK - Coutts & Co - have estimated that £3m is required to live a “millionaire lifestyle”.
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4351880.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4351880.stm)
I’m not sure whether this counts as “fuck you” money, but it might be a good starting point.
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### Author:  [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2006, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-value-of-fuck-you-money/365438/40 "2006-07-22T19:54:39Z")
> [@Rysto](#):
>
> I can’t help but point out that in James Clavell’s _Noble House_, it’s said many times that “drop dead” money always costs more than it’s worth.
I don’t think so- I think it was more along the lines of drop dead money always costing more than you were willing to pay (not necessarily all in a monetary way…).
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