Why do billionaires keep working?

go read atlas shrugged.

that is the reason they are rich, because they live to work, not work to live

Although I agree with you that's probably the reason that you and I will never be billionaires.

I think that it's the challenge of building something great. Look at the original big time business men in this country like Rockefeller and Carnegie. Both of them worked tirelessly to attain huge incomes just to give most of it away. They could have just taken it easy and attained the same standard of living that they would have had after giving away all that cash. They worked hard not just to amass personal wealth, but to build an empire and a legacy.

Many people try to get rich so that they can retire in their 30s and play golf. These people usually don't get rich. People who do get rich like that are increadibly driven. You can't make yourself work 16 hour weeks if you aren't. I guess to them, goals like increasing stock value are a little like taking a few seconds off the 5k PR would be to me.

maybe they really enjoy it?

also, maybe they don't want to see their hard multibillion dollar work and companies in other's possibly irresponsible and business ruining hands.

Working to them is running to you. The same urge to work overtakes them as it does when we want to run.

Yeah, good insight into a bunch of pricks who think that they're superior to others. And after reading it, be sure to recycle it - good compost material.

TPaine wrote:

go read atlas shrugged.

"Money is a report card"

Its not about the money. Most have given most of it away via trusts, etc.

Its the same as running....its about WINNING.

i actually am worth over $10.3 million. i do think it will be tough to reach a billion however

they are silly people. billionaires, who just work and don't even take care of themselves. what's the point of being a billionaire if you are fat and out of shape and have no free time?

[quoteIts the same as running....its about WINNING.[/quote]

guys in their 30s. who or what do they think they are going to win? they are not going to win aging. that's for sure.

It takes a lot of effort to work a 16 hour week :)

Why does Bekele keep running?

Bashing Forums wrote:

It takes a lot of effort to work a 16 hour week :)

hah, I think the OP said 16 hour day....

Rockefeller and Carnegie were leading robber barons. They overpowered, cajoled and threatened smaller firms, crushed everyone.

JDR Sr. was in the right place and the right time (oil). Cripes, the Rockefellers had national guards shoot down the family members of striking miners out West once upon a time. Ludlow, perhaps?

They had no consciences until they got older...only JP Morgan, old Joe Kennedy and perhaps Gates today were equals.

Puh-leeeeze...

Why do the thousand-aires keep working?

intelligencia wrote:

Working to them is running to you. The same urge to work overtakes them as it does when we want to run.

I think this is pretty much true. The difference between the billionaires and say, a person like yourself or myself, is that we just think it would be nice to have a billion dollars, whereas financial success is the thing they strive towards with every waking breath and thought.

If you thought about money and investments the way you thought about your 5k PRs, you'd probably be making a killing. Maybe not a billion dollars, but you would probably be very well off. It's a matter of where your motivations lie. I'll probably never be a millionaire because it's not that important to me to be a successful, dominant businessman. I think it would be nice to be rich, but that's not enough motivation to make it happen.

Whaaaaaaaaat? wrote:

Rockefeller and Carnegie were leading robber barons. They overpowered, cajoled and threatened smaller firms, crushed everyone.

JDR Sr. was in the right place and the right time (oil). Cripes, the Rockefellers had national guards shoot down the family members of striking miners out West once upon a time. Ludlow, perhaps?

They had no consciences until they got older...only JP Morgan, old Joe Kennedy and perhaps Gates today were equals.

Puh-leeeeze...

I don't see how this is relivant to what I posted. My point was that they worked just as hard as the Google guys and didn't use the money to improve their lives substatially. Whether or not they were nice guys doesn't have anything to do with it.