1998: Elon Musk on his early Silicon Valley days, future of the internet

In an interview with "CBS Sunday Morning" correspondent Rita Braver recorded in 1998, then-27-year-old tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, who was chief engineer and co-founder of Zip2, talked about his startup, and his predictions about the future of the internet.
#ElonMusk #startups #siliconvalley
"CBS Sunday Morning" features stories on the arts, music, nature, entertainment, sports, history, science and Americana, and highlights unique human accomplishments and achievements. Check local listings for CBS Sunday Morning broadcast times.
Subscribe to the "CBS Sunday Morning" KZbin channel: bit.ly/20gXwJT
Get more of "CBS Sunday Morning": cbsn.ws/1PlMmAz
Follow "CBS Sunday Morning" on Instagram: bit.ly/23XunIh
Like "CBS Sunday Morning" on Facebook: bit.ly/3sRgLPG
Follow "CBS Sunday Morning" on Twitter: bit.ly/1RquoQb
Subscribe to our newsletter: cbsn.ws/1RqHw7T
Download the CBS News app: cbsn.ws/1Xb1WC8
Try Paramount+ free: bit.ly/2OiW1kZ
For video licensing inquiries, contact: [e-mail]

[@RichardsWorld]

26 years later Elon has more hair. What a genius he is.

[@mauriziopetta2019]

🤣

[@Amir-yc6hc]

😂

[@brandongordon2521]

Best hair transplant I've ever seen lol

[@yearight1205]

And the great one came and spoke to Elon Musk Great One: "One day, you will achieve something no other man will." Elon Musk: "I'll get mankind to Mars?" Great One: "Haha!! No... hahaha.... better! You'll be among the rare few who's hair has a Return of the King moment."

[@Gulag00]

Getting a hair transplants from Turkey saved my life

[@Logan_Basiliere]

the fact his prediction was almost exactly spot on is crazy

[@Tico513]

It's obviously shady

[@LoveBeliefTruth]

​@@Tico513 you think every intelligent person who can logically predict what is going to happen is "shady"? 😂😂😂

[@Tico513]

@@LoveBeliefTruth who cares

[@kylebewley7790]

@@Tico513clown 😅

[@aaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyy]

It was 1998, not the 80s. Even then, for many people, the Internet already was not just a part of life, but a place of work. He gave an obvious answer to a rather banal question.

[@mcsquared361]

"We were able to get cheap internet by drilling holes in the floor and connecting to the server directly" 😂💀

[@pipapoo]

I think he was a bit disappointed that she didn't really get it or find it as funny as he did haha

[@donkeefe6222]

I love it I use to get cable relatively cheaply by splicing the line to my apartment!

[@omokemorara8656]

​@pipapoo the interviewer was too dumb to get the humor.

[@shimondauber8984]

Liar & full of air.

[@peterjermey7235]

Why are we letting this career con artist (and illegal immigrant!) run the country?

[@richardhambel648]

Glad to see the most successful African American achieve his dreams!!!

[@proman5975]

better than Michael Jackson?

[@RiverOvKnives90]

​@@proman5975He wasn't from Africa

[@SadhguruSir]

😂😂😂

[@goldencoast8896]

African. Dude is not African.

[@TheFirstGoomba]

It's mind boggling that most people born after 2000 can't even understand a simple joke.

[@glanced9684]

His hairline got inspired by his success and moved progressively forward along with him.

[@bandarksa409]

Hair transplantation.. Nothing more.

[@OC.TINYYY]

​@@bandarksa409/whoooooosh

[@Dresew-v9s]

ill take that as a compliment

[@SpecializedRider1986]

Exactly. ​@@bandarksa409

[@SpecializedRider1986]

What a weird response ​@@OC.TINYYY

[@PedroMiguel-if3ll]

Hair implants did really revolutionise the world!

[@stevenalaniz7168]

He was not even thirty yet and already losing his hair. 😅

[@LRM5195]

Men should go back to just rocking the receding and balding hairlines tbh. It’s human 🤷🏻

[@ArranVid]

@@stevenalaniz7168 That's quite common. I know a friend who was already balding in his twenties.

[@ArranVid]

@@LRM5195 Yeah

[@stevenalaniz7168]

@ArranVid It's quite uncommon I see a lot of people in their twenties still having their hair.

[@daniel_960_]

Smart guy, I'm sure he will be going places

[@RocketCarpenter]

Hahaha

[@krizzly1910]

Remilio

[@daniel_960_]

@@krizzly1910 Remilio 🤍

[@Aethelbeorn]

Gwaduated from gwifting cowage.

[@toldfable]

Yeah like maybe even Mars

[@AIFILMHUB]

Elon musk in 1998- I might do something good in my future ELON MUSK IN 2028- MARS IS BETTER THAN I THOUGHT

[@yankeevictor9055]

This guy seems smart. He is gonna go far!

[@GaryGeezer-l2s]

What a hilarious and original comment

[@almas3427]

He actually doesn’t sound smart at all. He just looks awkward. This is proof he is just a front person.

[@OC.TINYYY]

​@@almas3427says the guy with 20 bucks to his name.

[@Emily-fo2xo]

Dude. He is $240 billion now. Earned $3 an hour. You jealous?

[@franciscobutte]

npc comment

[@tommasomasaracchio3788]

Incredible how he knew exactly what the internet was even back then, it’s astonishing, may that be because he read so much ? I wish I could have access to such brilliancy

[@orhanmekic9292]

You have, he is predicting self driving cars, android robots doing all the work, with help of AI, and much more, in near future. The only thing he usually is wrong on is timing..

[@HoaSyNguoiAo1889]

he is a software engineer

[@jamescarr5796]

lol

[@Washboard-l2j]

Pretty much everyone who used the internet in the mid-'90s understood that it would revolutionize huge swaths of American society. Elon's gift was building businesses around this understanding.

[@TWMAD]

@@HoaSyNguoiAo1889 no he's not. you ppl are amazing. musk studied economics as an undergrad & barely passed. He is not an engineer. he never fixed or designed anything.

[@AliAlKhafaji1]

He spoke fluently, but now he can do that, but he chooses his words carefully

[@QuanPookie]

He stutters

[@Anonymous-vd5yd]

he saw the future 25 years ago, he sees the future for 2100 now

[@shawnhinton6075]

I've met people that work on tech they describe about half the employees to be some kind of psychic.

[@mashemong]

​@@shawnhinton6075😅😅😅😅😅😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@Tony27654]

@@shawnhinton6075psykers from Warhammer are real?

[@exe9341]

​@@Tony27654what a 40k reference

[@rudischoors3874]

Nailed it!

[@savvygood]

He looks so baby faced! 😊

[@markoridjimiloradovic8817]

Man, that calm focus even back then..

[@mhess427]

Right. He hardly blinked at all which indicates to me that his thoughts are so clear and focused.

[@Apjooz]

And getting better with age, just like Trump.

[@rankedpush2227]

Damn that eye contact tho

[@vetiverose128]

Fr. And ngl, it was kinda creepy.

[@Savingdea]

It’s a sign of confidence that he can hold eye contact for just the right length of time- with small undertones of male dominance. This man had ambition and drive. When you look into his eyes they can take you places- his eyes are taking you somewhere- he is a main influencer. A born leader. No overt arrogance or negativity. This man could sell you a dream!

[@user-je6us3gl5x]

He looks high 🤷‍♂️

[@Gulag00]

@@Savingdeamale dominance? Why you gotta make it seem creepy

[@efrenUtube]

Must be natural in South Africa, it is natural in Latin America. Not having eye contact is what is weird in some places.

[@Crisnet]

I had no money... But my daddy is a emerald mine owner! "I had no money..." Yeah, right!

[@sx1031]

U sound like a hater bud Not only ppl dont like haters, the haters generally hate themselves, thats why they hate other ppl ( ppl doing well ) for free Not only ppl dont like haters but generally speaking, haters dont go too far.. its a simple mechanic in life that I would to get more into detail… Anyways I think u have to do some soul search Peace

[@Crisnet]

@sx1031 I'm not a hater, in fact I admire Elon Musk but I am no naif either. Stop preaching the "poor guy" image, when everybody know that such thing never happened. His daddy help him with 200k. It is a fact, but he likes emphasize the "hero with no money speech".

[@leprechaun3677]

@@sx1031 how is he hating? It’s a fact that Elon was born to a wealthy family. Every time he says he had no money; it’s laughable because he always had money to fall back on.

[@Crisnet]

@@leprechaun3677 Exactly! That's my point! Elon Musk is a genius but he never faced poverty. He should stop lying.

[@Mar-cpt]

Some father said, "son, my money is NOT your money. So get your own." 😂😂😂

[@chesstictacs3107]

His speech was much clearer back then. What happened?

[@millenialmusings8451]

Lot of plastic surgeries. His jawline is redone to give more angle. He had protruding upper teeth that's now fix. His hairline is fixed. This is what the rich do

[@chesstictacs3107]

@@millenialmusings8451 what do those things have anything do with the speech? What I’m saying he stutters more and it’s hard to listen to his pronouncement of words.

[@millenialmusings8451]

@@chesstictacs3107 maybe the surgeries got botched

[@chesstictacs3107]

@@millenialmusings8451 again, what does it have to do with stuttering?

[@Recanon]

It's an affectation. If you think you ever see the genuine Musk whenever he's somewhere on stage selling or promoting something then you'd be wrong. He's leaning into his "autistic genius" shtick that he cultivated these past years. He gradually started doing it more and more. Most, if not all, super rich/famous only let you see what they want you to see. It's all an act. Bezos does it, as does Gates, Musk. Everyone.

[@TheEcox84]

Please keep playing this video. The hair must be documented.

[@yvonneplant9434]

He looks anorexic.

[@no1nestandsalone387]

Yes 😂

[@hoonhwang4778]

For an old guy been doing basically same things even before 1998, simply amazing that time can bring these brilliant people. Guess american dream is still alive and strong. Don't give up young people.🎉🎉🎉

[@johnroekoek12345]

His eyes keeps on moving sideways. And no stuttering.

[@YTnotes]

No stutter? There's a bunch of stuttering in this short clip.

[@kazmir5429]

its almost like a medical symptom, Nystagmus. to me its very nerve racking. almost like he's processing a lot of information, or having a seizure..

[@Mrcaffinebean]

He stutters in every sentence. You need your hearing checked.

[@BlueCollarDude101]

There he is! My favorite African American!!!

[@orhanmekic9292]

She: When will we have all of this? Elon: Next year 😅

[@johntran7021]

I was hooked when Internet first came out AOL .... stay up all night on AOL but didn't know who the Creator until now

[@bobobobee9708]

Don’t forget, his “no money” is extraordinarily different to your “no money”.

[@Cryptojunkie247]

Indeed I wish I could start a business with no money......hilarious

[@ThomasJacobz]

His family is poor compared to African business tycoons and American billionaires. They also have tens of thousands of children. How many of them become multi-billionaires?

[@Deeptunester]

@@ThomasJacobz Doesn't change the fact that "No money" in Elon's mind at this moment is actually "No money to my name" and not "No money and I couldn't get any more at the moment even if I wanted to" which is what most people mean when they say they're broke or have no money.

[@ThomasJacobz]

His family is rich compared to an average Joe. but not that rich. You can find teenagers with richer parents than Elon in every college in America. Nearly every rich kid I have ever met doesn't have big ambitions and talents like him. Most of them are spoiled brats. At least Elon never inherited it. Coz His parents are still alive.

[@gimpygardner3377]

​@@Cryptojunkie247 I started my electrical business with some basic hand tools and an old truck that I already owned.

[@chavictan]

Wisdom cannot be bought by money,always remember that.

[@Savingdea]

His eyes display hoardes of enthusiasm, drive and ambition at this young age. He is most certainly made to be a leader. He is confident and assertive- he does not give much else away. He holds eye contact and his gaze is deep- he is a dreamer- his eyes are so deep set, he is a deep, deep thinker. His eyes seem to take you to the place he is thinking of. He had a passion for what he was saying- his smiles and facial expressions. He is very focused and I feel he has the confidence and ability to influence. He is most certainly and was most certainly set to be a great leader and influencer. He was also quite handsome and attractive to the eye, so can hold attention of others.

[@Lennie6357]

Was right there with you but You lost me at handsome 😂😂

[@notmarealnameboi]

What?

[@georgemontgomery1892]

How come he speaks better then? He seems to stumble his words a lot since 2016. At least the first time I seen anything about Elon Musk.

[@96praveen]

ABSOLUTE LEGEND

[@supermario7739]

Truly a visionary. America is lucky to have him.

[@henryrogers6539]

Y’all wanna zoom in a little closer?

[@scoots0077]

I was working for a newspaper back in 1998. Which one of us did well in life. 😂

[@JONESSTI01]

To be honest, im glad he made it.

[@Lemingtona-x5g]

made what

[@JONESSTI01]

@@Lemingtona-x5g life.

[@Lemingtona-x5g]

@@JONESSTI01 AI life?

[@JONESSTI01]

@@Lemingtona-x5g no made it in life, as the saying goes. He's gone far.

[@Lemingtona-x5g]

@@JONESSTI01 AI gonna take over jobs

[@carloslionel1653]

Hopefully, this young man will succeed at some point in the future, lots of potential.

[@Orange666-pac]

did he 🤔

[@Lightn0x]

Wait if he had no income source how was he able to afford an office in Silicon Valley?

[@clickbaitpolice1750]

Daddies money or money he made in college but it’s most likely the latter.

[@timmybarns3917]

He got 27k from his dad.

[@YoosufMuneer]

They raised investment from VCs

[@parvdize3968]

his family are rich

[@tysonerwin607]

Chuck Norris once said: money doesn’t grow on trees, money grows on Elon

[@helicalactual]

I would have heard of you in 4 more years when I was in entrepreneurship class in 2002 in high schools. That was the moment I was aware there was someone out there with the same concerns about life I had. You could say, we were “like minded” even before we made it big respectively.

[@vacuumunit]

Such a great African-American

[@LazyEyePolitics]

I just noticed, his genius is marketing. He always has a computer on behind him, like he just coded a program.

[@justinsampler5506]

Lol you know that ymca song be hittin for Elon

[@kperry1969]

Not even an American yet he is one of the brightest patriots that we have. Awesome.

[@ReD-xy5mr]

I respect this man so much.

[@BrandonG444]

Ask him to give you 100k and see what he happens🤡

[@derekosgood3230]

​@@BrandonG444Lol I don't get it. What does that have to do with anything?

[@BrandonG444]

@@derekosgood3230 because this guy Red says he has respect for him but I guarantee you if he was really struggling and needed money for him and his family Elon Musk wouldn’t give it to him. Elon is worth over 200 billion dollars, 100k is $10 dollars to him and he still wouldn’t give someone 100k if they were in need.

[@jimmyr9468]

BOT!

[@scottthomasen8978]

I think it is kind to see how society has become more accepting to all. Not long ago severe autism would have been put down. I love that we have become more accepting

[@jasonejones77]

The reason people don't like Elon Musk is because he has common sense and they don't want people thinking.

[@JB-pl1iu]

Okay tubby.

[@WeOnlyEatSoup]

They also hate people who represent hard work and wealth. Because they lack both.

[@omokemorara8656]

He looked older then than now. What a treasure! The US is too lucky.

[@duartelucas5746]

“I had no money… so I called dad and he gave me 40K.”

[@gaycha6589]

£40k is like dad giving you £250k today. just off to call my parents…..

[@mikeldicampbell1042]

That's false.

[@duartelucas5746]

@ ok, how much was it?

[@mikeldicampbell1042]

@@duartelucas5746 none.

[@levihornqvist9191]

some people want to be independent from parents, actually most do at some times, i myself has been living without food and furniture, never once did i think to call my siblings, one was high paid engineer, this tells more about you, you are the one calling your parents for help, as the sayin goes, you know others how you know your self

[@HealthyNutrition-y]

Intelligence is compression of information.This is one of the most useful videos I believe I have ever watched on KZbin. "I absolutely love this channel! The content is always top-notch, informative, and crafted with such care. Every video offers valuable insights and presents topics in a clear and engaging way. You can really see the effort and dedication put into every detail, consistently delivering useful and interesting information. Thank you for creating such an amazing space to learn and be inspired. Keep up the fantastic work!

[@scolaskull7060]

Poor kids come here and comment Daddy and mom funded him to give selves peace. This man took the courage. His parents weren't the richest in the world. He became the richest in the world cause he made sacrifices. Sometimes people have rich parents that only start to believe in them when they leave and make their own path. Everything is not about rich parents. The will you can see it in his eyes; always been there

[@AIFILMHUB]

Exactly elon musk is a brilliant guy and even if his parents give him a bit of money and supported him that’s not wrong or different do u guys think if ur parents give u all u ask for u can achieve only 1% of what elon did

[@Lemingtona-x5g]

his father was very wealthy

[@mo4humanity]

Not really poor upbringing. Mom and dad are both very wealthy.

[@theelite1x721987]

Dude...his parents were incredibly wealthy at the time. Sure. Not the "richest in the world" but they were worth millions upon millions of dollars. They bank rolled anything and everything he wanted to get started. With support like that, it's impossible to fail.

[@hydeparkist]

@@theelite1x721987 Impossible to fail? So all rich people get even richer children?

[@dominiquebourjaccollier6788]

He always been soft spoken !

[@jjulezz5709]

god he’s so fine

[@IknowMore-u8p]

Whatever happened to this young man? I hope he got a good job he seems smart.

[@Brad-pc3bi]

No money whatsoever? Buddy forgot to mention his EXTREMELY rich and connected family hooked him up big time.

[@Chicago2329]

He’s voice didn’t change at all.

[@stustanski3912]

Elon is my favorite African American ever!! Thank you supporting President Trump you are truly amazing!

[@Inmate533]

Elon Musk, a true American hero!

[@JB-pl1iu]

Delusional

[@superso]

he always plays up how he had no money but fails to mention his wealthy parents who injected 10grand here and there when necessary

[@paskowitz]

Just a humble, small family emerald mine...

[@stsk1061]

Maybe he really didn't? I mean, he left home at 17 against his father's wishes?

[@paskowitz]

@@stsk1061 that's right! Bank accounts stop working when you leave home s/

[@stsk1061]

@@paskowitz Maybe his father didn't give him anything? I don't know what bank accounts have to do with anything...

[@gregj831]

So he sort of identifies then with these OUT OF TOUCH Corporate Media Progressives who want to destroy him?

[@starsiren9592]

I really miss those old CRT monitors and vintage computers. I wish they would still make them today for people that are into retro stuff.

[@levihornqvist9191]

they were more easy on the eyes and gave less headaches when i had 75hz update on sreen

[@starsiren9592]

@@levihornqvist9191 I think that's because CRTs had no delay or input lag like with modern displays, so the motion was butterly smooth. A modern display would need to be at least 1000hz to feel as smooth as a 75hz CRT did, but that would require a monster of a GPU. It was a superior technology that people did away with because they wanted thin flat screens.

[@ZENIGMATV]

You needed a huge office though cause they were so bulky.

[@starsiren9592]

@@ZENIGMATV It used to be very common to have them sit on top of the PC case, which a lot were made to lay flat. That'd save quite a bit of space. They were bulky but screens are much wider now. My monitor is 32 inches and takes up most of my desk space, lol.

[@terryrollins1973]

The king of Comedy Central 🤣 😂

[@rickhammond2473]

When Tesla becomes an 8 trillion dollar company 2029 people will asked themselves how did that happen I cannot believe that I did not listen to him and buy the stock I could've been worth millions.I have been locked in since 2019.

[@italobarbiot]

At the young age he computed in such precise lines.

[@michaltrivium]

Alien pretending to be regular human 😂

[@sorenp1332]

What a visionary! I remember someone asked a similar question from Bill gates and he was no where as this clear about the future of the internet. Elon is an absolute genius

[@Dsc870]

A genius!!!

[@scarletspider1240]

Two predictions and 27 years later…Paul Krugman is still working as a failed financial adviser who’s never right about anything…and Musk is one of the richest men in the world.

[@howardmueller1535]

The living legend 💯

[@AuntJoey]

When he said "graduate studies or go and start this company" he was in the U.S. on a student visa. Meaning he was an illegal immigrant starting a company.

[@leatherottweiler3574]

If he was on a visa than he was not a illegal alien

[@deandalton8482]

His hairline is the greatest comeback since Jesus Christ

[@konsumer]

"i had no money what soever.......but my mom had 100 Billion" -The Truth

[@srblond]

“I had no money” lolololol. Dudes family was worth 100’s of millions

[@levihornqvist9191]

source? his DAD maybe had money, most parents dont give away money, they RAISE them

[@srblond]

Um any source on the internet about the family’s wealth from mining. Easy to take risks when you have a huge landing pad in case the business fails

[@mul7777]

Back in 95 I owned a HVAC company and we serviced the offices that housed the Prodigy servers in Palo Alto. Wonder if that's the one he hacked into?

[@beachdorie]

Not only did he work illegally and start a company illegally, he admitted to stealing the internet by drilling a hole in the floor so that he could tap into the internet start up/provider company on the floor below him. Furthermore, places zoned for business are usually not permitted to also be residences but I doubt he looked into it nor would he have cared. What a hypocrite! Loser too!

[@hydeparkist]

Ditching some rules to achieve huge goals isn't considered 'looser' behavior by me. A hypocrite would say that everyone doing this is bad. Did he ever say something like that?

[@GeorgeFloydTheHero]

Crybaby Harris voter 😂

[@2Fast83]

He has always been a visionary

[@thediner8929]

Elon, please….

[@GameplayRunner]

How far the internet has come.. Who would have thought that 1 year ago

[@Yian.]

I had so much respect for Elon Musk before I saw this. I like him more after seeing this video.

[@RO-ox3hc]

I started with none-thing and now 26years later I'm worth $300 + billion dollars and don't have to steal internet anymore. I got more hair now and my teeth fixed. Life is good!

[@handlebarmustache]

What's really interesting is that Princess Diana died just a year and a half prior to this. It's interesting because I don't care about that either.

[@WeOnlyEatSoup]

Haha this comment was good

[@aFreakingAmerican]

I usually totally ignore anything African Americans have to say...but in Elon's case I will make an exception.

[@k.i.i.3699]

I think it’s hilarious how Elon admitted to stealing Internet service and the lady didn’t even bat an eye😂

[@transmutationdotse]

Reminds me very much of my son 💝

[@hanslick3375]

Doesn't look creepy like gates, rather very happy and friendly and SANE

[@robcaseyire]

I like that the interviewer doesnt even ask him more about stealing internet from downstairs company with a wired connection! Maybe she didn't know what he meant

[@moonshot5050]

Sooooo, Elon was an illegal immigrant!

[@ebubejamesoriehi2921]

He wasn't lying!

[@Dave-mk9st]

I thought he was born super rich?

[@goofygoob420]

He was, his dad owned an emerald mine in south Africa during the apartheid, so even as a baby he was born rich and privileged

[@RishabhJain-om2nv]

Rich yess, not super rich. Some of his interviews of early days of PayPal and tesla are superr cool and motivating tbh

[@Warbay57]

@@goofygoob420 This is literally a lie though.

[@goofygoob420]

@@Warbay57 wut no his dad confirmed it

[@stsk1061]

@@goofygoob420 Ahh yes, his dad is obviously the most trustworthy person here.

[@ViralAwakening]

Wow he was spot on

[@middleagedjabroni]

Cant wait for tesla homes 🏡

[@chrisnotpratt1903]

He'll start making you pay to unlock your own front door

[@victors.]

Wow, he nailed the internet prediction.

[@Uutbusters]

His hairline grew with his wealth

[@alopey_]

Still on in his 'state of mind'

[@coachgerard889]

What Billions of bucks can do for your looks

[@mlssoccer96]

He has gone far , so far since that interview.

[@timothy5977]

Haters 👆👇

[@elitified8427]

you weren't wrong

[@tdestroyer4780]

Most of the comments like him. EPIC FAIL!!!!

[@timothy5977]

@tdestroyer4780 not NINE months ago, they were not!

[@bilalaldabagh]

What was his company on the beginning?

[@josephtafur]

This Guy ownes Twitter Wow

[@sissy-_-fnyc]

Yay he does! And you are taxpayers funded, you slime!

[@elitified8427]

at least he can spell

[@Trade_With_Chill]

Where can I find the full video

[@helloryantanaka]

Love Elon.

[@MikeD7734]

He Steven Seagalled that "Doo" 😂🤘

[@H725-0]

he invented nothing, literally a rich guy that chilled around

[@mikemas91]

Well that was terrifyingly accurate

[@nick_--_777]

Another billionaire with a made up "I started off with no money" origin story.

[@cliffm8846]

How do you know it was made up? Give us the receipts (not the Mainstream Media lies and manufactured stories) of what really happened. Thank you!

[@charlesowens-smith3349]

Yes but that smile he has all the way through is because he knows he's going to become rich at some point