The Myth Of The "Self-Made" Billionaire

[@cocogoat1029]

Growing up rich doesn't just give you money but also gives you connections to people in high places. I grew up around some of those rich people, they got away with a lot of trouble by knowing the right people.

[@yousandro1999]

i´m curious about how was your experience about growing up around rich people (supposing you were/are not rich) did just the fact of knowing some rich people and growing up with them helped you in your life? like getting a nicer job for example? i´m curious if anyone could start to work to or close to millionaire people (and eventually turn into friends) would get any benefits of it and eventually get a little more wealthier

[@Exspazament]

@@yousandro1999 I'm poor as fuck and i was when I was a kid. I had rich friends all the way until middle school when their opinions of my social class became a thing. As of writing this I have zero wealthy friends and haven't since elementary school.

[@yousandro1999]

@@Exspazament oh okay got it, i thought you had rich friends till later ages (at least university)

[@nikibronson133]

It does give you money like what…

[@eulyer3722]

Clown

[@ottosaxo]

It always makes me smile when I hear stories about annoyed young VIPs who "finally want to step out of their parents' shadows". Without their parents' connections there wouldn't even have been a shadow to them.

[@alfred0621]

Everytime I hear something like this, I always want to say to them, hey man try being us. Your dad gives you money to start a business, my dad asks me for money. We're not the same. 😂

[@owamuhmza]

Have you heard of Prince Harry???

[@Beanbean1313]

Without those parental shadows, they would fail even quicker than us.

[@interestsavvy6813]

That's what. They earn those money by duping the laborers and well connected networking

[@interestsavvy6813]

Isn't networking worth something? Be it parents or influential person

[@vinny9500]

Friendly reminder that it used to be possible for a single income to support a family with multiple children, a new car, and a mortgage. Now families can barely do that with dual incomes.

[@exemida]

Ha barely. How about cant. We can afford rent and if lucky food enough to last till the next paycheck. We cant afford children. A car. A mortgage. Man im getting depressed thinking about it. Even with two people.

[@Nuvizzle]

My favorite example of this is the fact that over its 30 year run, the titular family on The Simpsons went from an average working class family to upper middle class borderline wealthy with no actual changes in their material conditions.

[@didiermontagnier6114]

My parents saved for years for a new dishwasher. People nowadays think they can just run out to get a major item anytime they want. Our standard of living has increased immensely in the last few decades. Just take a look at the supercomputer you have at your disposal.

[@exemida]

@@didiermontagnier6114 You mean the factory made one that I bought because CPUs cost like 3400 dollars? Or the car that you need to put a mortgage on just to purchase. How about the health costs that are the equivalent of 4 whole houses depending on how serious it is. That your health insurance costing you practically half a paycheck wont cover.

[@Quetzocotol]

@@didiermontagnier6114 Technology will always be improving our quality of life regardless of the organization of our economy. We have access to some nice technologies, but rent and mortgage are taking a larger and larger percentage of our monthly income, lots of people facing eviction and homelessness because of inflated property values. Back in the day we had unions and labor protections and well-paying jobs, nowadays it's thankless low-paying service work and gig jobs as far as the eye can see. We could have good protections for the poor AND good technology at the same time, ya know.

[@aldogama999]

All he had was a dream, his intelligence....and an emerald mine

[@TinaGaelalu]

😂

[@tyronesoares3268]

I'm not sure about intelligence, I would replace that with luck.

[@shadrachemmanuel1720]

Facts .​@@tyronesoares3268

[@Athens2021]

​@@tyronesoares3268 Not luck. Family connection and emerald mine ensured his trajectory.

[@Dany-rx7rs]

​@@tyronesoares3268 It's intelligence. His an INTJ personality type (type of introvert)

[@mickeyg7219]

The "self-made" part is a ever moving goalpost. You don't have to be a heir of a billionaire, you only need to be a heir of a millionaire to become a billionaire. Anyone that had ever live through poverty before knew that it's expensive being poor, it's far easier to turn a hundred thousand dollars into billions than a hundred dollars into billions. Also, a business owner with a rich parent have a safety net if they went bankrupted, and they can try again quickly, while a small business owner from a poor background will lose everything if they went bankrupted.

[@Sinaeb]

Which is why Socialism is the capitalism for the society.

[@johncarlollavor2146]

@@Sinaeb wait what?

[@Sinaeb]

@Jean Sanchez Society Social Socialism Capitalism Capital Rich people (as they own the "capital" idk how to explain it correctly)

[@styx8975]

@Jean Sanchez I think he means in the sense that the right wing tries to paint capitalism as the ‘fair’ system but in reality socialism is?

[@Nuvizzle]

Plus, there are a lot of wealthy people in this country, and their kids are always getting handouts to try to start businesses that almost without exception fail miserably. But they have the luxury of being able to try it, and try it again, and keep failing without consequences. If you throw enough darts at a dart board you're bound to hit a bullseye eventually - but working class people go into the game with no darts at all and have to bargain and scrape and pray to even get a single shot with no guarantee of ever having another try.

[@SpoopySquid]

"If wealth was the inevitable result of hard work and enterprise, every woman in Africa would be a millionaire." - George Monbiot

[@derPetunientopf]

Great Quote, i will try to remember it.

[@BarrySlisk]

First of all you have to live in a country with capitalism and respect for private property. I don't think most countries in Africa lives up to this. Secondly. Hard work and enterprise is not a guarantee for success but is usually a prerequisite. But there are other factors involved. I would not suggest laziness if you want to become rich.

[@derPetunientopf]

@@BarrySlisk By far the most important factor is luck. Talent is one form of luck, being at the right place at the right time, being born at the best place with somewhat wealthy parents, knowing the right people, not getting to sick etc. Btw. capitalism is not absolut neccessary. There are also a number of billionaires in countries with not so free markets. But yes being smart and hardworking helps but with that alone you get maximum a place in the middle class. The world is full of hardworking people.

[@bsherman8236]

Loyal friends is all you need in most cases, arrogant people think they can do everything alone.

[@mickeyg7219]

@@BarrySlisk That's ignoring the Cold War history. Every countries in Africa are capitalists, and during the time when one of them managed to elect a socialist government, which resulted in increasing health and educational outcome for a brief period until it was overthrown quickly by the west or US-backed military.

[@Dtoons]

I saw an ad a few days ago, where they talk about why it’s GOOD that the rich don’t pay much in taxes, and how the wealth they save can be reinvested and lead to innovation. It sounded like bull crap, and I hope you cover it someday

[@tennesseeheckler3014]

All you need do, is look up the epipen fiasco, and how the company squashed a more affordable option, then started to sell their epipens only in 2 packs so they could drive up their profit margins. The only "innovation" megacorps create, are ways to make more money for themselves.

[@Nuvizzle]

This video already kinda debunks that idea when it talks about corporate welfare, particularly in the pharma industry. Research and innovation is almost exclusively funded by the government, and then credited to private companies who secure the rights to turn the results of that research into a profitable product. The research itself isn't profitable - you always risk the possibility that you don't come up with anything you can sell, and if you're a company, scientific knowledge as a means in itself without profit in the equation is less than useless. Companies won't take that risk, they won't make an investment that might be fruitless. Without public funding the rate of scientific discovery and innovation would be close to zero. People like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos in particular never discovered or "invented" anything. They had an idea to take something that already existed and put it on the internet. Lots of people had that idea, they just happened to be the ones that had the financial backing to do it.

[@rl751]

“It’s GOOD that the rich don’t pay much in taxes!” -likely a paid-for talk piece funded by one of these tax-evading, white-collar wimps.

[@florida12341000]

thats the neoliberal bullshit dream.

[@Sub3d]

i saw the same ad

[@cdk2968]

You don't get rich through hard work, ambition and entrepreneurial spirit alone - it also takes greed, ruthlessness, self-interest and a complete subordination of ethical values to material gain.

[@lewisburton1852]

my view is that hard work, ambition and entrepreneurial spirit alone can certainly make you rich! those that go for utter wold domination does take the extra elements mentioned.

[@marcime174]

You also need someone to give you the money to get started. Some people can get loans but most can't. If your parents can, think of the advantages

[@derekmaullo2865]

​@marcime174 The world will never change by having poverty be the lowest income socialization and the rich just living their lives happily ever after behind a mob. It's disgusting this place

[@-Miguelzim-]

​@@lewisburton1852 Maybe a million or three, but nothing more than that

[@riteshjadhav1382]

So true

[@Lillith.]

I believe it was Arnold Schwarzenegger who said that no one is self-made. There are many people along the way that helped you in one way or another.

[@thedecafe1]

Yes 👍 he did also!

[@kkknotcool]

That's such a stupid thing to say. The vast majority of "help" successful people get was paid for by something. You stay late after work so your boss can teach you some new software so you can do it instead of him tomorrow. win win scenario for both people. (you get free education and he gets a more valuable employee) You hire someone to work at your warehouse and they take the job because it's the best they can get right now. win win scenario for both people.(you get a worker at a price which allows for a profit on their labor and they get the best income they can find) If you paid for something then they didn't help you so much as you helped yourself via them.

[@Parry.Hotter]

@@kkknotcool yeah... but as the video says, almost every (if not all) of those payments are actually lower than it should.

[@kkknotcool]

@@Parry.Hotter Who says it's too low? Definitely not the buyer or seller, because they keep wanting to exchange things. Neither the seller or buyer is obligated to buy or sell, and therefore they can't be paying too low.

[@Lillith.]

@@kkknotcool if everyone actually got paid their worth they would get paid a lot more. See video, day of fair wages by the owner.

[@londonspade5896]

I used to work for a French aristocrat, yes they still exist. Based on the number of properties she nonchalantly mentioned she owned around the world, their size and location, private jet hire for children and their friends, 90% of her life being on 'holiday' etc, my colleagues and I estimated at least 100 million in wealth. Never worked a day in her life, if we ever tried to get a raise or something beneficial she'd revert to the same story about how she was an intern in a hospital, and it was so difficult, so we shouldn't complain. Meeting this person really opened my eyes to the myth of 'self made' billionaires and how we're all in this together. Life is impossibly unfair.

[@rspvarun]

We are peeps stuck in the maze. These people own the maze.

[@Ozzyorcborne1]

Sounds like the world wouldn't weep if this woman and her kids went down in a plane crash. Lets hope that happens.

[@MLouah-gp9ef]

Ouin ouin 😫

[@tzm_tvp_rbe5808]

"That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government..." - Thomas Jefferson #DirectDemocracy #GiftEconomy No permission necessary.

[@kojokoranteng9100]

Very true life is unfair ...but you gotta take what is handed to you. The best way is to gain favor in the eyes of men that opens doors for you

[@dantetre]

In Hungarian we have a sarcastic expression about these self-made millionaires: "Just don't ask about the first one million!" Means that if you would look how they become rich, you would found hypocrisy, corruption and shady deals.

[@beatleneil]

Brilliant

[@ripHalo0002]

"A small load of a million dollars"

[@a.16.g]

"Means that if you would look how they become rich, you would found hypocrisy, corruption and shady deals." Alright Fuck you many many millionaires are honest people. Perhaps not in your corrupt nation.

[@Psychedelic-Warrior]

You mean Dictator Orbans relatives xD

[@a.16.g]

@Jing Bot 18 million millionaires in the USA… go figure out yourself.

[@SuperToogreat]

Current day Pharaohs and we’re just building their pyramids with 30 min lunch breaks and 8-12 hour days sigh 😔

[@PrincessOrionThe8th]

Pyramid builders actually got a better deal than most of us. They were skilled laborers who recieved food, housing, and medical care in exchange for their work.

[@Eric-ej3oy]

@@PrincessOrionThe8th you dont receive that.

[@Eric-ej3oy]

Ppl feared the pharoah as God.

[@PrincessOrionThe8th]

@@Eric-ej3oy What's a god to a shareholder? They're the current gods of this world.

[@Deeplycloseted435]

I mean, who doesn’t have parents with a spare $300K laying around to invest in your business?

[@RhianKristen]

@@___________2204 It may not be considered rich by your standards, but it's certainly not living off of $50 a week for a family of four with a baby is it? Whether or not it was something they had "spare", it was something they had access to. That family of four is lucky if they have access to government payments or affordable healthcare.

[@nopenope1186]

@@___________2204 most people with 300k only don’t have it in a liquid way or have the ability to invest it

[@a.16.g]

Of course parents have, there are 18.6 MILLION millionaires in the US. The US is not a dystopia with a couple of zillionaires and rest slaves. There's serious wealth out there and lots of people holding it. Yes our current system has problems specially in the healthcare industry, but let us be clear: the healthcare industry is a complete cartel which uses regulations and uncompetitive behaviour to extract ‘rents’. Just like you can point out “that’s not real communism” when failures of communism come up, anyone will tell you that conspiring to create the free market unfree is not real capitalism.

[@nopenope1186]

@@a.16.g in medieval Europe 5/100 or so of people were nobles or knights.

[@wrestler375]

@@a.16.g Do you live in the real world?? Have you ever had friends? This kind of advantage is unimaginable for most Americans. Yes, a lot of people have a lot of money. But when you look at wealth distribution and the average American, America is fucked.

[@Tatiana_Palii]

"The most hard-working person on a collective farm was a horse, but she never became the head of the farm". - a Soviet saying :)

[@TheTeodorsoldierabvb]

@@jasperzanovich2504 It wasn't dervied from Animal Farm. Animal Farm was not published in the USSR as far as I know. People's livelihoods don't begin and end with the work of western authors.

[@TheTeodorsoldierabvb]

@@jasperzanovich2504 No need to be super ignorant either, but you are.

[@AntonioHorhes]

waaaaiit a minute - but there were zero billionaires in Soviet Union! so it didn`t help?!

[@TheTeodorsoldierabvb]

@@AntonioHorhes It references the party leadership you dork :D

[@AntonioHorhes]

@@TheTeodorsoldierabvb May I ask how far do you actually know? As far as to hear a word or two about illegally spread self-published books may be?

[@bnw1994]

I can assure you that most people know there are no self-made billionaires. They just believe that they too can become a billionaire, they don't want everyone to be equal, they want to be special and have it all themselves.

[@diogenebladi4469]

That's also exactly why the lottery keeps going on... Sad

[@SaifAli-jn6dv]

No person is self made, you always NEED to get help from someone no matter what

[@peltimies2469]

I mean yeah somebody physically needs to make you, but thats about it.

[@Chrome-uc3fw]

Individualism is against human nature

[@peltimies2469]

@Steven Hamner yeah humans were designed to work in groups of about 30.

[@peltimies2469]

@@blank6604 oh so you're saying that a baby left alone on The wilderness is not a person? How bigoted.

[@peltimies2469]

@@blank6604 wtf babies arent self aware??? Btw My original comments were both jokes

[@_f_6957]

As an employee of an Amazon owned company, I cant tell you how infuriating it is to argue with brain washed coworkers that says "Bezos only takes a salary of $81k per year". Oh yea, thats exactly why he was able to buy a yacht for his yacht.

[@jordanwashington1854]

I hope that you show at least one of them this video!

[@realtissaye]

LMAO 81K A YEAR

[@witts6862]

He may have a salary of 81k a year, but as far as i know the breadth of CEO income comes from bonuses that are much larger than the salary. Bonuses are also exempt from income tax.

[@opus53waldstein70]

The point is why he bought a yacht?? He will not use it that much!! Unless... if it is a strategy for tax deduction 🤔🤔🤔🤔 Now I understand why he is becoming even richer!!

[@Limbaugh_]

And his wealth in stock

[@7daysinSunnyJune]

I am a part time Uber driver. The other day I picked up someone that has seen their share of hard times. He was a veteran that lost most of his teeth to past problems with drugs. It was nice to see that he is currently doing better, working and living in subsidized housing. He was mostly bashing our current president (Biden) and glorifying Trump, because "he is a self made man, and I can respect that". I don't know how, even amongst the most needed, battled and bruised of us, there are still people who worship these guys.

[@sanguin3]

He just respects those people, what's wrong about that? It is not like he sold his own children to buy an exclusive Trump body pillow or something.

[@chrish2277]

Self made based on the $1M his daddy gave him.... and got him out of a scrape every time he messed up.

[@adeyinkacharles6795]

@@chrish2277 turning a million to a billion isn't easy Stop pretending these guys do nothing. Not everyone who had a million eventually turned it into a billion. Give them credit for their work

[@Kaisar9000]

@@adeyinkacharles6795 Yeah being exploitative you mean, i credit them for that.

[@slowanddeliberate6893]

How many times has Trump filed for bankruptcy? We know Trump is a fraudster...

[@TrusePkay]

"No billionaire ever became a billionaire by ethical means" How true is this

[@Wimikk]

This kind of myth can only exist in a hyper-individualistic culture.

[@dcmarvelcomicfans9458]

Yep

[@nofurtherwest3474]

@@el5880 is this a channel for socialists?

[@ciwpemghaoxmvhtywod39284]

@@nofurtherwest3474 yes

[@nofurtherwest3474]

@@ciwpemghaoxmvhtywod39284 interesting thanks. not a place for me, but in the name of free speech have at it. There are clear holes in many of the videos' arguments. try to see them

[@ciwpemghaoxmvhtywod39284]

@@nofurtherwest3474 Hey I am also a free speech abslolutist !!!🥰

[@Raqdolll]

It's weird how billionaires get to a point where they have literally anything money can buy and the wealth grows so much they can never spend it, yet they need more money regardless of the wellbeing of the people around them

[@ArcticWolfOfficial]

Yah its crazy how these companies claw for more and more but they literally dont need it because they already have enough

[@dio.2115]

Greed

[@andraddya8447]

@Zaydan Naufal Its literally their money

[@andraddya8447]

@Zaydan Naufal There are billonaries who do that, but there is nothing better than own will, because you want to do something good

[@EngelsBeard]

@Zaydan Naufal Well thats fitting for a brecht quote "Rich man and poor man Stood there and looked at each other. And the poor man said pale: If I were not poor, you would not be rich." Sounds better in german tho Reicher Mann und armer Mann Standen da und sahn sich an. Und der Arme sagte bleich: Wär ich nicht arm, wärst du nicht reich

[@kylegonewild]

Buying your way onto the board of directors of already existing companies, buying companies out from under their founders, and reaping the profits of other people's ideas is definitely a "self-made" kind of thing to do. Totally.

[@ethanwmonster9075]

Isn't that bribing with extra steps?

[@junli6065]

The founders and original patent holders still got some money from the purchase though.

[@lm_b5080]

also known as the Machiavelli playbook

[@armada70]

Self made was supposed to mean bring born into wealth or not. Now it's being used in completely different contexts.

[@icyx9268]

@@ethanwmonster9075 andc orruption and lucj

[@curtishollerback1517]

personally I am not asking for free work; I am asking for what I worked for.

[@ViraL_FootprinT.ex.e]

My wife, who is *obsessed* with Rihanna, had a job interview for her company. Something she's dreamed about since Fenty brand first dropped. Come to find out that the pay for the position she wanted is criminally low. So... *that* was the end of that.

[@RedScareClair]

That's another exploitative thing. You should accept less pay for the privilege of working at company A. And because people will accept the job, they get away with it.

[@Rodrasroom]

Worship and alligance to a face (in this case Rihanna) will blind so many in giving up their money and accepting less than what they are worth. I’m glad your wife didn’t take the job!

[@clickbaitpolice1750]

I like how people hate billionaires exploiting their workers as if people can do anything about it lol…

[@Whoswhos12]

@@clickbaitpolice1750 the fact that they have billions but still pay their employees a misery sigh

[@clickbaitpolice1750]

@@Whoswhos12 don’t work there then lol.

[@codacreator6162]

Medical and pharmaceutical research and development used to be done largely on university campuses. Privatizing to for-profit status of a number of formerly government-run services is a huge part of the skyrocketing costs of education, healthcare, and housing, among many others.

[@broodypie2216]

Secondary like button ↓

[@person-yu8cu]

Yes because with private ownership the owners will increase prices to increase their profits, with no concern or accountability to workers. We need to establish worker-led housing collectives.

[@Piketom1]

That research is still done on university campuses and receives significant public funding.

[@jw2862]

@@person-yu8cu Only when there isn’t competition

[@mruncletheredge]

@@Piketom1 Problem is that the research is done with public funding but the profits are kept private...

[@MrClickity]

"I started with nothing. Of course, I'm using my current billions as the basis of comparison so the $150,000 I actually started with counts as 'nothing' to me." -Billionaires

[@mikkelrw]

"A small loan of a million dollars"

[@YonyGut1MakesMetalCovers]

My favourite one is: "I had $5 in my pocket, and... [insert cliché phrase "I became billionare in 2 years" here]"

[@SharienGaming]

@@YonyGut1MakesMetalCovers he must have forgotten the millions in his bank account - weird the things they forget right?

[@YonyGut1MakesMetalCovers]

@@SharienGaming How convenient. They're full of BS.

[@SharienGaming]

@@YonyGut1MakesMetalCovers exactly! no one gets rich on their own... its always exploitation... its like the lottery... for one person to get rich... millions have to lose

[@LuisFlores-mc2tc]

Billionaires wouldn't be Billionaires without the system set in place for them to prosper.

[@j.frankparnell6195]

Billionaires don't even live off of their money. They use their assets as collateral to get massive loans at low interest rates. Since the loans are liabilities they don't have to pay taxes on it. Meanwhile their assets appreciate in value that they are not taxed on, because they are not selling.

[@rudolfbullach2071]

So they are making money out thin air?

[@andresleon2293]

Well, there's not too much to choose over money, just health and love, and money gives you a big access to health, and freedom to express love, money is only bad when you use it wrong, so yeah

[@GenieBeats]

Thanks for the tip! I’ll keep this in mind

[@PeGaSus230]

Unfortunately, most people…including many politicians…since they don’t understand the tax codes and loopholes are aware of that strategy. However, many are being made aware and want to pass laws that tax assets and appreciation of said assets…but that’s tricky when price points and values, especially in stocks, etc, are constantly changing. Plus, the masses of Americans are constantly tricked by the wealthy to defend this status quo…because someday they will inherit this system.

[@cemetry]

@@PeGaSus230 If they start taxing assets and appreciation of those assets then the middle/working class will be the first one to cry.

[@TurtleChad1]

America where everyone is taught they're a pending billionaire.

[@irfanzaki9397]

#Lawan?

[@ItsOgre]

You just need to grind, bro. Just need to work on your mindset, now buy my book and subscribe to my patreon.

[@bradley8575]

Well to be fair the Rich are getting Richer in every First World Developed Country

[@bradley8575]

@Zaydan Naufal even social Democratic like Sweden and the Netherlands Have high Wealth Inequality in Fact The Netherlands and Sweden havve actually worse inequality then the US According to the world Popualtion Index by wealth Inequality 1.Netherlands 2.Russia 3.Sweden 4. USA 5.Brazil

[@wh2960]

@@bradley8575 sweden is actually pretty right wing. Look up the sweden democrats.

[@ripHalo0002]

You are always 3 bad months away from being homeless. You are never 3 good months away from being a billionaire.

[@bigfan2452]

Yep, this is totally true.

[@TheBeatlesShow]

I love your profile picture, nice Mazda RX-7

[@fredv7349]

Just take the pandemic, many people became homeless. Ironically housing has increased during a pandemic.

[@therearenoshortcuts9868]

3 lottery tickets away ;)

[@thevisitor135]

@@therearenoshortcuts9868 The vast majority of humans will never win a single lottery jackpot in their entire lifespan. It's a vast fraud scheme to trap working class people in a Ponzi network.

[@lavoisier16]

Thanks

[@pacman3556]

A billionaire that is trying to convince you that you can pull yourself up by the boot straps and become a billionaire just like them if you just work hard and put in hundred hour weeks is not really convincing you that you can be a billionaire but grooming you to exploit your labour.

[@andresleon2293]

And that's why most of people are still poor, they keep believing in a fair world that doesn't exist, I will try to be a millionaire, I don't have to have slaves, only workers, and I'll do it cuz I want to give me and my family the possibility to enjoy the life outside slavery, if I were to complain I would not achieve anything, and if I fail, the worst would be to stay as I am right now, so what do I have to lose?

[@thatdumbass9856]

​@@andresleon2293 complaining is fun, tho. You can whine and bitch while still working towards something. It's called multitasking

[@andresleon2293]

@@thatdumbass9856 :D yeah

[@themusicman669]

@@thatdumbass9856 Complaining isn’t fun. It’s just annoying and nonproductive lol

[@thatdumbass9856]

@@themusicman669 go away

[@chrystallix]

Just have to ad, that Bezos had more than just 300K in starting funds. He actually had around 1 million from other investors. HIs parents put in the most, but multiple other people invested about 50,000 each and got ol' Jeff to about a million in starting capital for his business. So his headstart was even bigger than it initially looks! Edit: 8 months in and people still replying. Let me clarify at least one point here, because it wasn't worded the best. If some nobody who had never set foot on wall street got a bunch of wall street guys to give him 700K that would be impressive. Unfortunately for you, Jeff was a wall street bro, that's where he worked before leaving to start Amazon. He didn't convince anyone, he even told his wall street pals "Yeah there's like a 70% chance it just completely fails". They gave him that money because he was one of their wall street pals, that extra money was a result of privilege, of being from an era where college was hugely cheaper, and if his business failed, he could just go back to wall street no problem.

[@BarrySlisk]

You are still self made if you can convince investors to invest in your idea. You came up with the idea and business plan. You convinced investors to believe in you. So you made it happen.

[@chrystallix]

@@BarrySlisk the reason people invested in him was because he was already vice president of a hedge fund at the time. He had the advantage, luck and opportunity to know these people. He was literally already among these crowds thanks to the advantages he had in life. That's another part of the story he doesn't seem to like mentioning much in favor of McDonald's, when he literally worked at a high position in a hedge fund. Not hard to get the funding when you've already been one of their people for years.

[@BarrySlisk]

@@chrystallix Still...Some people become rich even if from a poor background. One example is a Dane (recently deceased) who created the "Jysk" store chain from scratch starting with one store. He became I think the richest man in Denmark or at least very close. Lars Larsen was his name. This is how he starts his autobiography: "It's now 25 years since I had the "crazy" idea of starting up a chain of bedding shops - based on the concept of giving customers a good offer. Many people thought this was a bit naive. Especially when you hardly had a penny to your name.​

[@camero4134]

I read somewhere that Amazon has ties to CIA, and Jeff Bezos' ex-wife was a CIA agent.

[@alimc1867]

Especially considering that that today is probably about more than 2 million

[@Cubby9999]

I studied these guys and I know for sure most of these guys are already richer than all of us when they were born. They have access to high quality education, inheritance, powerful mentors (i.e. parents who are connected to influential people, etc.)

[@asherujudo7383]

Even Jay Z?

[@krankenwagen8075]

@@asherujudo7383 somebody invested in Jay Z

[@AustinMCraigDoesNeatStuff]

Wasn’t Bezos the son of a single mother, a (literal) absentee circus clown father, and then his mom married a Cuban refugee? What fortune did he come from again? Wasn’t Musk estranged from his father? Regardless: aren’t they *all* geniuses?

[@asherujudo7383]

@@krankenwagen8075 Self made doesn't mean that you invented the concept of money. It just means your parents or rich uncle or anyone else didn't hand it to you. You just went out into the world, learned a skill or took a crazy risk and you made it to where you are. Jay Z is my favorite rapper so I know quite a bit about his life. He started from the Marcy Housing projects. Do you know what that means? He was broke-broke. Dude was so broke, when he was a kid, he went to his teacher's house and was impressed by things like her ice maker. Like, that thing in the fridge that you turn and it pours ice cubes into a container or a glass. That blew him away. You'll be surprised how many rich people started from nothing.

[@Leaptab]

Look at Taylor Swift or Arianna Grande, shit is a joke

[@jackbates7467]

There's another factor you didn't mention luck, having an entrepreneurial idea is only helpful if you have it at the right time, they talk about Bezos, Musk and Gates as working hard, but what about the hard working entrepreneurs that completely fail because they didn't luck into a game changing idea at the right time, didn't find investors, etc.

[@pocarisweet8336]

Just IMO Luck is a factor but its a weak one. It's most likely the right connection usually through family that allowed them to realize thier vision. Try not to use luck if your trying to explain this to anyone cause it can become a flaw on the argument, since luck = opportunity + preparation and that's something a "self-made" billionaire will claim.

[@Nuvizzle]

Some of it is luck, but most of it is simply another part of the privilege that comes with having family wealth or connections that allow you to fund ideas that someone probably had before you did but couldn't act on it because they didn't have the money. People with wealth have the luxury of taking risks on businesses that might fail, after all. Working class people would rather secure a future for their families rather than risk financial ruin on a business idea even if it's a good one.

[@AkibanaZero]

@@pocarisweet8336 I guess what you're trying to say is that to certain people luck is a weak argument. That in itself is the issue. Being born in the right family, building connections with the right people...all of that is pure luck. Sure some people have been able to build connections through their charm or by just knowing what the other person wants and making it happen for them but again I don't see where luck isn't a big part of that too.

[@TheFinalChapters]

@@pocarisweet8336 No, luck is a strong factor. The difference is this is like a lottery most people never get to play.

[@saintoflastresorts2272]

Luck is easier when you can fail up or multiple times. Luck is easier when family wealth nets you connections to almost 5 billions dollars of tax payer money.

[@equilibrium4918]

Thank you!

[@189Blake]

Billionaires: Government giving money for free is bad for the society Also billionaires: Taking free money from people's taxes

[@geoengr3]

That's basically the Trump manifesto right there.

[@Crawling-Chaos-2024]

@@geoengr3 , actually, that has been a bipartisan gimmick for decades since ronald reagan supported trickle economics.

[@immigrantgaming420epic]

this makes literally no sense but whatever

[@Redactedlllllllllllll]

@@immigrantgaming420epic guess you've never heard of subsidies?

[@softpiglet]

@@immigrantgaming420epic Amazon paid 0% in taxes last year, while its employees pay into Social Security, Medicare, and other state and federal taxes. Amazon makes extensive use of U.S. roads, bridges, tunnels, and other infrastructure, yet pays nothing to help maintain them. Meanwhile, its warehouse worker boast injury rates many times the industry standard, and the average taxpayer foots the bill. Walmart employees rely on food stamps and Medicaid because they are paid so little-- essentially, everyone but Wal Mart footing the bill. Corporations pay significantly less than ordinary people do, and all of OUR money goes back into subsidizing their exploitation.

[@nathanfielure4305]

Love the copium in those who still believe anyone can be billionaires.

[@alexandria.c]

And the only defence they can muster up is "yOu'rE jUst JeAlouS!" 💀 fucking mindblowing.

[@jam5533]

Yeah, I rather not have the amount of money equate to some country's GDP in the world..

[@camero4134]

And will they spend a part of that much money to solve an actual world problem, like sanitary problems in India and Africa?

[@logic_eternal5646]

@@camero4134 who really gives a shit lmao. Humanity isn’t built on compassion my guy, and if you open up Pandora’s box to help as many people as you can, you won’t stay rich.

[@camero4134]

@@logic_eternal5646 This doesn't mean you can't do what is true. Rather be a poor person that (at least tried to) solve actual problems in life than a rich person that won't be respected when the paper is gone.

[@bdchatfi]

"Lift yourself up by your bootstraps" a joke that was taken seriously.

[@jymbo1969]

It's surprising how few people realize that it was a sarcastic way of saying it is impossible to get ahead by simply working harder.

[@Tinky1rs]

@@jymbo1969 hilarious but unsettling.

[@seand.g423]

Don't forget "human decency"...

[@anuragmukherjee6694]

How tf did people never realise that 'pulling oneself by the bootstrap' is physically impossible?

[@suzukirider9030]

Not really said by any billionaire I've heard of, but somehow attributed to "them" here.

[@DtRockstar1]

It would be interesting to do a brain scan on every billionaire to find out how many of them are sociopaths.

[@jangamecuber]

given we've seen that wealthy people are on average less empathetic, it would be probably much higher than the general average

[@jayno3029]

Psychopaths you mean. There are key differences between sociopathic and psychopathic behavior.

[@stargazerAPRL]

@@jangamecuberyep, rich people are evil

[@TwattyWankers]

Psychopaths actually

[@TheEdward39]

And also… even if the parents don’t ‘fund’ the kids’ ventures financially; just the sheer fact that they grew up rich, around rich (and maybe even famous) people helps a tremendous amount. You wouldn’t believe how much financial culture sticks to a kid. There’s the famous story about Elon how he and Kimball cold called investors to get funds for their company - well obviously knowing how to talk to rich people, what they’re like and such is in huge part responsible for them being able to even successfully ask for a meeting over lunch.

[@thedarkdivinity7525]

If you dont have the charisma, intellect, highly motivated personality traits to get things done and not being neurotic when things goes wrong, AND without a good idea; try to understand why you are not rich. Instead filled with jealousy and unable to admit how lacking you are in all of these categories. Look at youtubers as an example, got a good marketable idea and the means to execute it? IMPLEMENT IT, if it's popular it will sells. You sound like some nobody with nothing special and filled with envy.

[@joemck74]

Very true. The education they get, the contacts they make, and the implication that their family name gives them legitimacy and financial stability, makes it a million times easier for these kids to get capital, start a business, FAIL, try again, FAIL AGAIN, and keep going til they get a working business model. Middle-class kids might get one chance if they're lucky. Poor kids obviously NEVER get a chance outside of sport/crime/music.

[@zacharydavis3379]

they literally know who to call.. your everyday working class people can’t cold call a random millionaire that’s a friend of a friend

[@thedarkdivinity7525]

@@zacharydavis3379 Your everyday working class are usually the masses that think they have a good idea, but it just a low IQ scam or doomed to fail. Those with actual talent and is marketable have no trouble gathering support or expanding their business. Tired of seeing people like you guys, got nothing and think the factor that's holding you back is help. All you want is free handouts to live on.

[@secrets.295]

I don't understand what is the big deal with it? U are making it as if being born to a rich parent is such a big sin. If the kid ends up being a loser and not follow up to their parents success, everybody will say what a spoil brat loser u r. If you work hard and had success of your own people will say, u only get success because of your parents. Nothing they do will ever amount to anything. So what are they supposed to do? People should stop feeling jealous over other people especially people u dont even know.

[@ReaXTutorials]

"Separate an individual from society, and give him an island or a continent to possess, and he cannot acquire personal property. He cannot be rich. So inseparably are the means connected with the end, in all cases, that where the former do not exist the latter cannot be obtained. All accumulation, therefore, of personal property, beyond what a man's own hands produce, is derived to him by living in society; and he owes on every principle of justice, of gratitude, and of civilization, a part of that accumulation back again to society from whence the whole came" Thomas Paine - Agrarian Justice

[@professorgrimm4602]

Shhhh, don't tell the Americans that Paine was a socialist.

[@johannageisel5390]

So true! If you give a single, isolated human an entire continent to rule over, that human will most likely acquire a heap of "died of tetanus".

[@a.16.g]

I have said it elsewhere, but here’s the deal: 1. US Billionaire wealth amounts to around $4.6 trillion dollars, which even if you take all of it, won’t run the US government for even a year, with all the new post-covid spending measures. 2. This is assuming that wealth is liquidable, which it’s not. Much of that is in stocks, which are already super pumped at the moment and you might know you can’t possibly just sell them all and expect full value if you know basic economics. 3. And doing so will destroy the few industries in which the US is still leader in, and that will cause way more damage. The Chinese who work twice as hard as y'all for a fifth the pay will eat y'all. 4. Much more in restoring the middle class can be achieved by stopping globalization and illegal immigration. Because honestly, if you remember the times of the 50s and 60s, the US middle class prospered UNDER CAPITALISM just because of no external economic pressures and a condition in which all the labour for goods and services consumed in the USA was IN THE USA. ie. not unlimited labour in the third world situation as it exists now. Hopefully, you see my point.

[@johannageisel5390]

@@a.16.g Wow, you're so delusional.

[@a.16.g]

But some people contribute more.

[@pythonjava6228]

The $78 per hour paycheck was all the money brought in. Not just profits. But even accounting for expenses and overhead it would be much higher than an ordinary paycheck

[@galacticbob1]

That was my first thought as well. As a former restaurant manager, I can say generally that approximately 10-15% of a restaurant's income goes towards rent/utilities, equipment, maintenance, etc.; 25-30% COGS (cost of goods sold) for the food product. At the end of the day, the employees would still have taken home around $45 an hour, far more than the $7-9 (or $2.15 plus tips!) they would likely normally earn in wages.

[@Richard.Sanchez]

In this case it was 4th of July, and "the community came out in droves to order pizza." Definitely not indicative of a normal day at a pizzeria. On slow days the pizzeria may even lose money. Many mom and pop pizza restaurants fail due to lack of profits.

[@wallywallendo]

@@Richard.Sanchez it wasn’t on the 4th of July but it was the day after and the owner did announce it on social media.

[@scifirealism5943]

@@galacticbob1 $45/hr? Vs the $7.25 they were probably making? That's criminal.

[@scifirealism5943]

@@davidpeppers551 $35 compared to 7.25.... That's still a HUGE pay increase. Would you be upset if that was the regular pay rate?

[@andreylebedenko1260]

A few have billions because billions have nothing.

[@andreylebedenko1260]

​@h@te US Depends. For example, did East India Company break and/or violate?

[@samdavies2573]

@Oily capitalist because the laws are created by those with money and power, so the laws they create will allow them to justify exploitation

[@anubhav111196]

@@samdavies2573 so true

[@erigor11]

@@IMPERIALISM397 Extremely naive to believe they didn't. Almost as naive as believing that breaking laws is the only way to be a despicable piece of shit.

[@TheRandomshite123]

@@andreylebedenko1260 no, if India had a functioning society a tea company would've been unable to take the whole subcontinent over

[@Teixas666]

"Self-Made Billionare" is just code for "i havent been found out on the specifics of how i got rich"

[@icyx9268]

and they dont even know all of conclusive dynamics themselves every organ of evolution being backround degenerated

[@amadeusb4]

"Risking it all" is a privilege that only rich people have. They in fact never actually risk it ALL like normal Americans would if they followed in their footsteps.

[@upchuckles243]

Even if they were really risking it all, what exactly are they risking? They're risking the horrible fate of becoming working class. Say it ain't so!

[@dakattack8900]

I risked it all when my girlfriend and I were barely making ends meet. I now have a business with 7 employees. It's very possible

[@warrenarnold]

@@dakattack8900 😅 got me in the first half ngl

[@jasonturner6459]

@@dakattack8900 I doubt you are a billionaire though and not everyone can do that and most people that try, fail

[@dakattack8900]

@@jasonturner6459 You are correct, I'm not a billionaire. No not everyone can do it, it's a stupid amount of work. But just because not everyone can doesn't mean it should be disincentived, taxed away, looked down upon, etc. The real goal would be what system creates the most opportunities for the most amount of people, especially for those in the lower echelons. What is clear in it's ability increase standard of living, purchasing power, and income mobility, not just including but especially for those near the bottom are free markets. They've been tested and proven to create wealth across all parts of society. It's why Rome was wealthy, why Egypt was wealthy, why China was wealthy until they centralized economic decision making, and lastly why America became the wealthiest country on earth. To this day, if you look at the wealthiest countries on earth and the countries that are moving up quickly, they all have 1 thing in common. Economic freedom. The pandemic has changed a lot but at least up until 2019 the trend is very clear.

[@Insanity-vv9nn]

Even in cases where the person didn’t born rich, they had huge luck by meeting the right person at the right time and took the opportunity when it came. It’s not about hard work, but opportunity/luck together

[@beanbandit6936]

Luck is when preparation meets opportunity

[@deniananya826]

Of course there was no work to do at all. They just had to do their regular with and the 'right person they meet at the right time' will do all the work for them and later they will be rich people when the 'right person' that did all their work will be just a common man. 😑

[@louisg7147]

hard work, luck and talent for billionaires, but seriously for millionaires that luck decreases a lot

[@mariasophia383]

Being at the right place at the right time

[@apoloz-p6x]

dude, you must work hard to be able to use the opportunity when it arises

[@brandonalloway7128]

I love that last line "We make enough for everyone let's stop pretending so much of it should go to so few."

[@bram6567]

Yes a great line indeed! Just sad that it isn't accurate This should help to explain: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJrbk3uYlrx1q80

[@Whoswhos12]

@@reecesanderson6696 nobody is talking about communism smartass

[@divine-machina]

We need more socialism

[@투루-l3e]

@@reecesanderson6696 you realize they “failed” because capitalist countries directly interfered with their democratic processes to further their own growth

[@Alicegab300]

@@reecesanderson6696 crazy how you bring up communism in reponse to someone saying money isnt well distributed enough in capitalism and then say "it's easy to blame someone else for the mistake or fault of oneself"

[@TheLeah2344]

Thank you for making this video because I’m tired of billionaires being praised and called “ self made “. Hustle culture is very toxic and a lot of billionaires benefit off of exploiting their workers.

[@armada70]

They are self made since most weren't born into wealth.

[@GHOSTTIEF]

@@aabc yes

[@william_SMMA]

@Lex Bright Raven jack ma? did he have any of the 3 in the video? not to mention how the video is literally just a sad attempt at debunking the narrative without real facts, just wild generalizations from across the board lol

[@william_SMMA]

Cristiano Ronaldo is self-made and he hasn't committed any of the "offences" in this video Michael Jordan and Messi are 2 and 3

[@WajChok]

@@william_SMMA And like what about the running costs of the company that allows the employees to have a job and feed their families? This is a shallow assessment I reckon. People can be greedy true, but they still create jobs and help the economy.

[@10THPROPHET]

"Just pull yourself up by your bootstraps" I don't even have the boots

[@Megaghost_]

Those "rags to riches" stories are always so nauseating and insulting to people's intellect.

[@civilizedhuman7875]

Not people ,kids were brain washed to think the rich good.

[@TheLethalDomain]

Though it's typically a main hook in the music most people enjoy, especially with pop and rap.

[@andrewjenery1783]

Their parents weren't exactly poor, they went to the best schools and universities and they never experienced hardship in their lives - and many of the tech billionaires networked with each other, realising that cooperation and not competition was the key to mutual success. Apple and Microsoft for instance. They were never self-made.

[@PaulMielcarz]

It depends on what you mean by "self-made". Maybe you will accuse their mothers of giving birth? "He isn't self-made! He has a mother!" XD

[@scifirealism5943]

You're correct

[@Whoswhos12]

@@PaulMielcarz you make non sense

[@patchwurk6652]

@@PaulMielcarz I know exactly what "Self-Made" means. It means whatever's gonna save my ass in this exact second of the conversation. When these people brag about being "Self-Made", they Never correct the record and mention "Well okay, I wasn't Technically a self-made billionaire, I just profited off the efforts of a massive workforce I could afford to hire to do it for me" when they need to look Good. They just say "I'm Self-Made" and let people come to their own conclusions. This technicality bullshit only comes up when they're caught red-handed lying about how much of their "Self-Made" success actually had anything to do with them specifically. They Want you to think it means they came up under their own skill and talent, and only begrudgingly allow the truth to be stated when the evidence of their lying is undeniable. Suddenly "I'm Self-Made, bitches!" turns into "Well, it depends on what your definition of 'self-made' is." And if you have to dilute the definition of "Self-Made" down to splitting hairs over whether "literally being born" counts as an assist on the "Self-Made" contradiction, then you're not fucking self-made anything. You're a bullshitter who was carried to success and trying to maintain credit to preserve your own ego.

[@davidb.r5834]

yeah, its true they're not self-made but given the same opportunity, most people don't have the same vision.

[@lindwurm5976]

It´s almost funny how everyone laughed about Trump´s "small loan of one million dollars". Not realizing that it´s just the way it is with every "self made rich man".

[@garethbaus5471]

At least most of them.

[@LifeisBeautiful-pr8yk]

@Lindwurn, That times 1 million...how much today?

[@Sunaki1000]

Question is do there belife that nonsense themselfe?

[@weetzybat]

It's just that others in the same or better circumstances did not do as well comparative to that as he did. That was all he was trying to say and some misconstrue it as if he thinks it was small relative to everyone when what he meant was, relative to others in a similar class and sphere of opportunity. Trump is not a stupid person and he knows he did have a good start in life but people try to say about him that's the *only* reason he was successful and it's not

[@garethbaus5471]

@@weetzybat The guy was outperformed by the S&P 500, he isn't necessarily stupid, but his performance isn't that remarkable given how much more than a "small loan if a million dollars" he received. Very few people start out with the tens of millions of late 20th century dollars worth of support he was actually given by his father.

[@Pixelflame5826]

I'm in highschool and I'm basically required to take an economics class. Some of it seems pretty legit, on paper at least, but the first week I was there, my teacher told me one of the tenements of capitalism is "Selfishness", always assume people are going to work in their own self interest. They don't even try and hide it anymore.

[@josemigueljaimesprada3723]

That's also key, bootlickers of those in power, through education and media try to pass as "natural laws" things that, most of the time, are BS and built only for the elites benefit. And sadly, most often than not, they get their way.

[@salocin9695]

And its true. Selfishness is a key human motivator, not just in capitalism. Very naive to think otherwise. The great thing about capitalism: it uses the selfishness to (partly) benefit everyone in a somewhat fair manner. Its not perfect, but in this regard EVERY other system failed horribly.

[@SweatySockGaming]

@@salocin9695 yup, every other system fails to take this into account effectively

[@Teilnehmer]

@@SweatySockGaming Not at all..

[@SweatySockGaming]

@@Teilnehmer pls explain

[@tortellinifettuccine]

What's sad is workers praising these billionaires while being exploited by them, all because they were brainwashed into belive that one day, they too, will be like them.

[@Whoswhos12]

Exactly lol

[@captainstabbin5374]

i dont work for anyone, and i also dont excuse any bad things people do, its just you, the person who made this video, and everyone else are mad that they arent rich and other people are, it doesnt matter if they got money to help start their business, they made the right choices, got in with the right people and got lucky, how is this any different from anyone else, ANYONE CAN BE RICH but that doesnt mean that everyone will! some get lucky right away while others, many rich people have failed again and again in trying to make it . how is it any different from when you go and you get a loan from the bank to start your business or you try to get investers

[@tillycomedy2194]

@@captainstabbin5374 did the miss the part where billionaires get rich off the backs of exploited workers? and how the nation of exploited workers are worshiping the billionaires, hoping to be like them? the whole system is fucked up. It’s possible to run an ethical and sustainable business. Go see second thought’s video on co-ops.

[@divine-machina]

Captain Stabbin I feel bad for you comrade

[@animeslayergp9333]

for real

[@ItsOgre]

I want to make Elon Musk personally build his own self destructing cars and Bezos deliver packages for a month in the same conditions their workers have to, not in the Mike Rowe, 30-60 minutes of doing a dirty job kind of way, but really live in one of their workers shoes for a month.

[@bccsivxx-xxivvii]

A year

[@ItsOgre]

@@bccsivxx-xxivvii actually that would be better

[@pixelpotato4874]

@@bccsivxx-xxivvii A year...and living in their workers accommodation to🤔

[@bccsivxx-xxivvii]

@@pixelpotato4874 and no weekends off. Gotta go to the 2nd and 3rd jobs sacking groceries or delivering pizzas, driving Uber, whatever, on the days off. Oh, and they can only live on what they make from the new regular jobs.

[@ARandomSpace]

@The Lonely Proto Yeah. That's why they need to do that.

[@HopeVoyage-z4q]

This story is really fascinating! It not only touched me deeply but also made me reflect on life and its deeper values. The unexpected twists and the characters left a strong impression, making me reconsider many things around me.

[@joyn6654]

"No billionaire has ever gotten there by ethical means". And that's why, "it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter through the gates of Heaven". Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

[@nunyabeeswax7111]

funny, how this is part of the bible is almost never brought up

[@HandoftheLord94]

This is what I think about, when I wish Good would rip the rich apart

[@hariofficial9602]

buble is dumb ahit made by a hippie

[@lm_b5080]

what this highlights is that America being a 'christian' nation is a total farce

[@trooln7130]

Jk Rowling hurt you?

[@Farhankhan_the1]

I loved jeff stories so much, i stopped using amazon. And thats called self made dignity.

[@First_last988]

Sigma grindset

[@pdzombie1906]

Billionaires in the collective mind: "Superheroes" Billionaires in reality: "The Boys"

[@tanrosartscience8346]

Way too underrated comment 😂

[@PotionsMaster666]

🤣

[@thecoffindancegang4170]

*Underrated comment*

[@shivpuri5769]

It's kind of a whiplash for me cause my friends and I and the internet communities I partake in constantly shit on billionaires and the idea that they came up through their own work but I'm also aware that billionaires are seen in an extremely positive light by the general public.

[@PotionsMaster666]

@@shivpuri5769 How's what whiplash ? I don't understand

[@andresd6193]

I mostly agree with everything in this video. People think that the feudal system disappeared decades ago but it really is alive and well in the modern world where less than 10% of the people in the world own over 70% of the wealth. I don't even go to billionaires, or millionaires, every wealthy person that I know personally didn't get there without being unethical and exploiting others in some way shape or form. I had 3 uncles that became fairly wealthy and all 3 of them got there by being unethical and exploiting others, and that is the case for a lot of wealthy people.

[@jasonmoukala8909]

Bad take

[@reef363]

I read somewhere, a real honest, caring person would never make it to the level of billionaire, they would let the extra profit go the workers and community instead of hoarding it all to themselves. You don't need to be a billionaire to be set for life.

[@kkknotcool]

You do realize most billionaires don't have lots of money, like cash money. They own a company which is worth a lot of money. And the only way to turn the company into money is to sell it and abandon everything they have worked usually their entire life to get. They aren't hording money they are just not selling their ever more valuable company which they are growing.

[@TS-bj8my]

@@kkknotcool ROFLMAO!

[@reef363]

@@kkknotcool sure bud, keep telling yourself that.

[@kkknotcool]

@@reef363 It's true for almost any business owner. The only way to make your net worth out in cash is to sell everything or wait 20 or 30 years for the profits to pile up to your theoretical net worth. (or like 150 years for Tesla)

[@Niemand80]

@@reef363 do you know anything about stocks?

[@Ilovecatsiiii]

It’s impossible to become a billionaire with no “help” ( exploiting millions of people )

[@Ilovecatsiiii]

@@saagisharon8595 exactly ! even if you win the lottery you are still technically exploiting the people who bought the losing lottery tickets . Under capitalism unfortunately there is no way to gain immense wealth without exploiting others . That’s why capitalism sucks , and is why we need a better, more fair system that insures that no one is exploited #taxtherich #socialism

[@a.16.g]

I have said it elsewhere, but here’s the deal: 1. US Billionaire wealth amounts to around $4.6 trillion dollars, which even if you take all of it, won’t run the US government for even a year, with all the new post-covid spending measures. 2. This is assuming that wealth is liquidable, which it’s not. Much of that is in stocks, which are already super pumped at the moment and you might know you can’t possibly just sell them all and expect full value if you know basic economics. 3. And doing so will destroy the few industries in which the US is still leader in, and that will cause way more damage. The Chinese who work twice as hard as y'all for a fifth the pay will eat y'all. 4. Much more in restoring the middle class can be achieved by stopping globalization and illegal immigration. Because honestly, if you remember the times of the 50s and 60s, the US middle class prospered UNDER CAPITALISM just because of no external economic pressures and a condition in which all the labour for goods and services consumed in the USA was IN THE USA. ie. not unlimited labour in the third world situation as it exists now. Hopefully, you see my point.

[@Ilovecatsiiii]

@@a.16.g that’s because in the 50s and 60s the world wasn’t run by corporations getting free tax cuts and hoarding all the money . We are in a late stage capitalist world . In which capitalism exploits the working class to the point where they can barely even afford food and water …. Capitalism plays a huge part in climate change too! . I’m no politician but I am a human , and I see things through he eyes of the thousands of people that are mistreated under capitalism. And hope to see them be treated fairly and given fair wages . Its basic human empathy Considering your youtube name is Elon musk I assume your a Elon supporter, right ? If so , do some research on how Elon got his wealth . Look how his ancestors exploited thousands of people (the people who worked in the emerald mines ) therefore giving him unfair advantages to allow him to create a company with the inherited money that allowed him exploit even more people in the modern day ! He’s not self made he just happened to be born into a rich family It’s pretty simple . The minimum wage NEEDS to be increased so the working class doesn’t end up homeless and hungry . Millions of people work extremely hard jobs every day , yet they are still struggling to pay rent . Don’t you think that’s a bit unfair?

[@tylersizelove7521]

Princeton recruiter: What did you do to come here? Bezos: Worked really hard at McDonalds

[@RudolfJvVuuren]

hahahahaha

[@RutherfordTim78]

Lmao

[@professor_n]

That pizzeria made 7,500 in a whole day and everyone ran off with 78 an hour that day. The restaurant I work at made almost 10,000 in a mere 3 hours the other night. I still only made 18.50 an hour, even though I almost passed out from heat stroke. Edit: if all of us employees divided up the profits from our dinner shifts, we would’ve each made around $445.45 an hour.

[@GhostRangerr]

Conservatives would get heart attacks if they ever heard about you making $445.45 an hour, and the media would start gaslighting you about "How your selfishness is driving up inflation"

[@thekulaura]

@@GhostRangerr liberals when they hear the noise of money- "must be the conservatives"

[@SheyBowater]

Thats all cool but if your employer did that there would be no money left to put back into the business wich means no growth no more Jobs offerd to people who have mounths to feed no more money into the economy and Absolutely no reason for anyone ever to want to start their own company because why when you can get paid 78$ to flip pizzas or hundreds to wait tables its ridiculous there needs to be profit at the top of each business otherwise the business wouldn't be worth having and you would be put of a job

[@SheyBowater]

@@DaimonTrilogy That would be ideal but how would a person that wanted more for their family and more for their people get that? when there is no financial gain? what would they be able to do to better themselves and their family? They would get the same as some slum who just wants to get High All day and do nothing. I think financial gain is a great way to drive Sociaty just at the extremes it gets bad

[@SheyBowater]

@@DaimonTrilogy I fully understand that and I think life is about both giving and receiving, Im choseing to forgo those luxurys like your art and programming just its more outdoorsy stuff for me in my younger years to work and work hard so that when im older I do have the financial freedom you are wanting I think this video is for people who want freedom and financial freedom without working for it, life is hard thats just how it is I genuinely belive those who have the will power and work hard should and do get futher in life faster, it truly is a shame that you have to give up some of your hobbies but personally i would think your family definitely matters more and if you work hard and give alot now there is a good chnace that you can get that freedom later in life when your hard work has payed off

[@RaskalinoH4tesHoomans4425]

Spot on! People don't realize it even when they read these "self billionaires"biographies.

[@jumpkickman1993]

They usually don't write those books either. Just hire a good writer and tell them what they want in the book.

[@a.16.g]

I have said it elsewhere, but here’s the deal: 1. US Billionaire wealth amounts to around $4.6 trillion dollars, which even if you take all of it, won’t run the US government for even a year, with all the new post-covid spending measures. 2. This is assuming that wealth is liquidable, which it’s not. Much of that is in stocks, which are already super pumped at the moment and you might know you can’t possibly just sell them all and expect full value if you know basic economics. 3. And doing so will destroy the few industries in which the US is still leader in, and that will cause way more damage. The Chinese who work twice as hard as y'all for a fifth the pay will eat y'all. 4. Much more in restoring the middle class can be achieved by stopping globalization and illegal immigration. Because honestly, if you remember the times of the 50s and 60s, the US middle class prospered UNDER CAPITALISM just because of no external economic pressures and a condition in which all the labour for goods and services consumed in the USA was IN THE USA. ie. not unlimited labour in the third world situation as it exists now. Hopefully, you see my point.

[@RaskalinoH4tesHoomans4425]

@@a.16.g I only hoped you were the real Elon making this statement. You're completely right to be fair, but you think that Bezos and Musk don't have huge amount of cash in their off shore banks? You really sure? The problem is that even if we work 20 times more that the Chinese, the system will stay the same, no matter what. The system is sick, poor in values and principles. Capitalism is on the brink of becoming a laughing stock and governments have less power towards filthy billionaires. I love Elon Musk's Spacex and Neuralink progress and I'm a huge fan of AI and space industry, and I also love the fact that science is in his side. I bloody hate Bezos idea of being the best in the world, when he barely reached space last time and his last launch costed more than 5 SpaceX launches combined. Kindly, A poor and Italian student lol

[@xanbell7723]

The one thing that truly upsets me is why? What do you need that much money for, honestly? So flagrantly selfish and stupid, but people get so easily duped and drawn into the illusion that the rich deserve it because they just "work hard". No one deserves to horde OUR resources, but throughout history we always fall into the same trap.

[@FreeStyleProjector]

Sorry for the late response, but i was curious what do you think would happen if our Hunter-Gatherer Ancestors caught someone stealing and hoarding resourses for himself from the tribe ? Would he be praised as the smartest and wisest ... or would he be "stoned" :D

[@yannickgeudens5192]

What make you think you have the right to someone else resources?

[@solomonsanabria7092]

@@yannickgeudens5192 the real question

[@summero-my5in]

@@yannickgeudens5192 it’s not about that, it’s just clearly wrong when you see how much suffering is happening in the world and the huge gap between poor and rich people. It’s unnecessary and wrong. It’s just greed

[@uncorr6982]

They need this much money for fame, privileges and luxury. Oh, and to just have much money.

[@chowbox87]

My thought when you hear the garage stories is “so you got to own a house with a garage?”

[@PinkStalin]

The Ohio pizza statistic shows how much people could still be payed, and yet the company STILL profits from it.

[@geoengr3]

The notes said the owner paid out all of the daily revenue, not just the profit, so that model would not actually be sustainable.

[@Panasiux2]

@@geoengr3 but still its 78$/hour damm, even if he gave 40$/hour, he still profit 38$/hour per 1 employee.

[@EAdano77]

@@Panasiux2 I think it was revenue before operating and ingredient costs.

[@manlykilt]

​@@Panasiux2 Not quite. Operating expenses for that kind of business are quite high - building costs, electricity, ingredients. It's true that employees are generally not getting close to their fair share, but their fair share would not be the $78/hr they got on that day. This puts aside all the other employees who cured the pepperoni and made the cheese and serviced the power lines and etc. etc. etc. I think it would serve the channel's arguments better to address these things but I imagine it would be difficult to make shorter videos while doing so.

[@i1a2159]

@@Panasiux2 Revenue does not take operating costs (such as supplies, energy, rent) into account. I'm sure the employees could definitely be paid more, and I'm not sure how big of a profit margin a pizza restaurant has, but most restaurants only have a profit margin in the mid single digits, so I'm sure that the actual sustainable hourly wage (even if the owner were to take nothing for themselves) would be quite a bit lower

[@roniquepennie6504]

I knew the "self made" title was bs but this video genuinely opened my mind to the full truth

[@ekanemekemini7433]

What of Oprah Winfrey who had poor parents.. and even companies that make losses but the founders are billionaires… because there there is no surplus value

[@Querens]

they confuse you into delusion

[@DeusTex-Mex]

​@@ekanemekemini7433 You're kind of touching on a point that they left out - this rule generally doesn't apply to celebrities. They're really just focusing on the world of business here. Achieving celebrity status might be the most obvious way to move from poverty to wealth, but it has a lot of drawbacks. For one, it's highly reliant upon some combination of performative talent, personal connections (which improve greatly with proximity to wealth), and of course sheer luck. Oprah was talented and lucky enough to first become a media celebrity, before building that into a business. The fact is though, according to Forbes there are a grand total of EIGHT Hollywood celebrities who are billionaires. Most are millionaires or less - and as glamorous as the life seems, they are generally still working class people because they are selling their labor to someone else.

[@No-cg9kj]

@@ekanemekemini7433 posting a loss and actually operating at a loss aren't the same thing. Companies write up all kinds of bullshit "expenses" to make it look like they made less profit and reduce their taxable income.

[@andresleon2293]

NOOOO, It didn't, it is fooling you, you can be a millionaire without abusing people, and use that money to help either family or whatever, but do whatever you want you can believe it and stay broke and never even try, but that would be too sad

[@164procar4]

After I graduated from Harvard I decided to sell the Ferrari my parents bought for me to start my own carrier as "self made person" So I don't have to thank my parents and my wealth is the result of my hard work

[@marjorjorietillman856]

This video should be required viewing for every billionaire in America! It sums up why America in the shape it’s in. Sadly, we elect politicians to make sure the billionaires pay their fair share in taxes, but instead, the billionaire sells them the idea that if they have to pay taxes, they won’t be able to keep their poorly paid thousands of workers. Then they pay the politician money through their campaign to sell the idea to the public, hence the Republican party. The party of the white males and their billionaire’s club.

[@peace7482]

LoL

[@secrets.295]

People are so jealous of other people's success

[@loular08]

Lmao! This is hilarious! I love this kind of humor.

[@realvivifromloona]

@@secrets.295 what does the boot leather taste like?

[@juanyeizi2895]

FINALLY spmeone who isn't afraid of citing Marx, thank you! Instant new subscriber.

[@youngnut122]

A self made billionaire is like a self made human It doesn’t exist

[@thewatcheronthewalls4809]

@KFC Man you aren’t wrong

[@seafoam6119]

always knew elon was a homonculus.

[@a.16.g]

I have said it elsewhere, but here’s the deal: 1. US Billionaire wealth amounts to around $4.6 trillion dollars, which even if you take all of it, won’t run the US government for even a year, with all the new post-covid spending measures. 2. This is assuming that wealth is liquidable, which it’s not. Much of that is in stocks, which are already super pumped at the moment and you might know you can’t possibly just sell them all and expect full value if you know basic economics. 3. And doing so will destroy the few industries in which the US is still leader in, and that will cause way more damage. The Chinese who work twice as hard as y'all for a fifth the pay will eat y'all. 4. Much more in restoring the middle class can be achieved by stopping globalization and illegal immigration. Because honestly, if you remember the times of the 50s and 60s, the US middle class prospered UNDER CAPITALISM just because of no external economic pressures and a condition in which all the labour for goods and services consumed in the USA was IN THE USA. ie. not unlimited labour in the third world situation as it exists now. Hopefully, you see my point.

[@william_SMMA]

Cristiano Ronaldo is self-made and he hasn't committed any of the "offences" in this video Michael Jordan and Messi are 2 and 3

[@youngnut122]

@@a.16.g I’m not proposing that Why not have workers take the means of production instead of those neoliberal “solutions” also I never supported any of those ideas so why bring them up that’s called a straw man

[@snoozy04]

A report from Oxfam in 2014 states that the wealth 85 of the richest people on Earth is equal to more than 3.5 billion poorest people. Out of the 85 richest people, 6 of them are Walmart heirs, meaning they inherited their wealth from the founder of Walmart, becoming ultra rich without even working. I guess being a "self-made" mega billionaire means winning the genetic lottery.

[@SomeGuyWhoPlaysGames333]

It’s absolutely insane how conservatives are utterly convinced that billionaires worked hard to earn their money… but also think helping average people meet their basic needs will make them not want to work…

[@chiefsosaya7869]

Exactly, do you seriously believe that billionaires worked a million times harder than your average carpenter or why does he have a million times more money?

[@classicist17]

It's absolutely insane for u to think democrats are not owned and funded by billionaires aswell , u guys are so dumb and no wonder ur all broke. My father is a gynecologist who come from a very poor fam outside the us , he went to a public college for very cheap , 200$ and have pics of him 4th year college wearing pjs with his colleagues wearing suits bcz he can't afford buying one and saving money. Now he's a multimillionaire with 4 kids , he bought a percentage of a hospital and medical center when he made a good amount of capital , he bought multiple properties and rent some of them , now me and my siblings , 2 sis 2 brothers are studying a lot and educating ourselves so we can multiply that wealth. So rich ppl have someone who worked hard at 1st.

[@GhostRangerr]

And you've people praising Reagan & Thatcher who fucked the working class real bad

[@SheyBowater]

I have absolutely no doubt that these billionaires work hundreds of times harder then you, put up with hundreds more stressful situations then you. Now im definitely not saying they did it ethically or have any moral Highroad or did itball by themselves but there is a grantee that they worked hard asf to get the power and money they have and to keep it dosen't make it right and hard work is definitely not the only reason but its a contributing factor

[@ignatz2]

@@SheyBowater You must be joking. Tell that "hundreds of times harder" to the people working in unprotected cobalt mines 14 hours a day from 9yo until they die just so Elon can have cheap batteries for his Teslas. You would be stoned to death before being thrown down one of the shafts. As you should.

[@sofiadri2638]

My communist grandpa always said 'no one ever got rich by working hard'. I didn't agree with him on some fronts, but that always made sense to me. At some point, your success comes at the cost of exploiting others

[@andyisdead]

Better to exploit others than to be exploited.

[@shayan_idk]

@@andyisdead ??

[@129das]

Thats really insightful. But of Communist problem are in fact the exact same it just where the money and power is. Weather you have a 1% or the government holds all, or a mix of both, It the same issue "Few" people way above and even exploiting everyone else. They are two sides of the same coin.

[@shayan_idk]

@@129das thats true. but this is where u can decide between the government or the 1% holding all the wealth. while neoliberal capitalists love to say government is bad, i fail to see how the 1%'s pockets getting deeper helps me in any possible way. government spending on the other hand can most definitely have an impact on my life

[@Altinget]

No way around hard work if you want to be rich...... Good news is: it don't have to be YOUR hard work. 😁

[@IchigoShinagami]

I remember my granda saying something along the lines of: "You're only a thief up to the first million", which I find very applicable when reffering to how billionaires make money.

[@ignaciosavi7739]

Its not

[@tunes_nirvana]

I didn't understand you. Can you explain me?

[@vector.z4065]

@@tunes_nirvana well basically once you "earned" a million, you're not a thief anymore, you're a respectable entrepreneur surrounded by success

[@HuanLeVuong]

it's correct

[@gpaulatheist]

You're thief until you make a million , then you become a burglar .

[@parthmane8947]

what is it about society that disappoints you so much?" Elliot thinks, "Oh I don't know, is it that we collectively thought Steve Jobs was a great man even when we knew he made billions off the backs of children? .

[@ritiktyagi1926]

We need Elliot more than ever 😂😂

[@lucasgrey9794]

Is that quote from Mr. Robot?

[@miserum8206]

I wish this show was talked about more.

[@ritiktyagi1926]

@@lucasgrey9794 yes

[@seekingabsolution1907]

He did?

[@michaelasamples1]

Well done, great work!

[@b201aman6]

99% of the peoples dream is to reach to a level from where the 1% had started.

[@mikloscsuvar6097]

@@donHooligan Breaking Bad Heisenberg?

[@Sa5mmieArtist]

Exactly. I just want to be able to pay rent and eat at the same time .-.

[@Emilia-gw8so]

Yeh that’s my dad, it’s kinda sad sometimes

[@captainstabbin5374]

@@Sa5mmieArtist literally just live with your parents while working, save every penny and buy a house, doesnt have to be a great house, 40-50k home, and bam you are set, now every paycheck is food and other stuff lol

[@SH0907]

@@captainstabbin5374 40-50k home? You can't get a home for that, if you're lucky you can get a parking garage or a shack, in which you always have to expect to be shot

[@geovanniali6060]

The two most abundent things in the universe are Hydrogen and Stupidity. Harlan Ellison.

[@tangomango5080]

i had a similar thought when i was younger: "if stupidity was ever a sin, hell would probably overflow". now i know it definitely would

[@robertgaines-tulsa]

The sheer greed of the billionaires made me feel like throwing up. Minimum wage really is slavery, and that's not even getting to children working for mere pocket change in other countries. This behavior is criminal!

[@bram6567]

This should help to explain the reality a bit better: kzbin.info/www/bejne/apu4hHedpNGtbck And I agree minimum wage is stupid! More countries should be like Sweden 🇸🇪 and not have a minimum wage :)

[@madonemt]

Minimum wage is just that. It's the minimum ie starting wage. If you are still on that by your mid 20s you need a good hard look in the mirror.

[@rse3560]

@@madonemt blame the exploited mass, not the billionaire ceo

[@WraithReaper09]

@@madonemt "Minimum LIVING wage" The minimum wage a single worker needs to earn in a 40 hour work week to provide for a small family. Wanna try that "it's just a starting wage for teens in low skill jobs" Capitalist bullshit excuse again?

[@xilencered7788]

Make your own job. Its hard to start something and even harder to keep it afloat. Dont like making minimum? sacrifice all your extra money , time, and effort. Create your own wealth, easier said than done. Been at it for 10 months, with my own skills and risks, I am still walking a thin line between profitability and complete loss. Maybe in two years I will generate enough revenue to pay myself whatever I want. When that time comes should new employees demand higher than minimum wage for entry level jobs? Why should I pay them what I pay the people who stuck with me thru the tough times of development? Ive been a minimum wage worker, it sucks not having enough for what I WANT. As a business owner, I pay myself last, I have had 6 months were I could not afford to pay myself. I still worked at a nursing home for $15 an hour so I can pay for things needed at my business. I am a high school drop out, if I can make it in a few more years, you can too.

[@MagyarGaben]

My favourite post that I ever saw: "NO MORE BILLIONARES! Everyone's net worth should be locked at $999,999.99, and every red cent you make above this will go to heathcare and education. You get a trophy labelled 'I won Capitalism!' and we name a dog park after you."

[@crystalross7943]

Rather have a library named after me. But you realize that most Millennial and younger generation neen 2-3 million to retire. A million isn't enough.

[@m0nke13]

If hardwork really created success then the kids in poor countries who made my clothes would be billionaires.

[@Jesus_Offical]

Ah yeahs someone Thinks of the Slaves

[@b201aman6]

Hardwork in the right direction, you would not be a billionaire but live a decent life

[@m0nke13]

@@b201aman6 the poor kids who made my clothes are not living a decent life.

[@rickeybernard8156]

Prisoners here do that too lol.

[@Runningmaster2025]

Deep!!!

[@dawoodahmad2966]

When billionaires say they started from "nothing", they mean nothing more than the collective wealth of a whole neighborhood.

[@LionElAton]

You mean like Tyler Perry, Oprah, Michael Jordan, Paul Mitchell, Rihanna, Jay-Z? What collective wealth of a whole neighborhood?

[@nikolakaravida9670]

@@LionElAton So the only way to succeed from the gutter is by being an actor or sportsman. And even then you're "only" a millionare. Cool story bro.

[@LionElAton]

@@nikolakaravida9670 All the people I named are billionaires and they come from a variety of different fields but clearly you want to believe whatever you want to believe over what’s true.

[@HuanLeVuong]

@@LionElAton What about "luck"? Luck isn't "nothing".

[@LionElAton]

@@HuanLeVuong Nothing is “nothing”. But just because something isn’t nothing, doesn’t make it everything. What a disempowering mindset it is to believe everything that happens to you is out of your control or influence. I suggest you listen to Naval Ravikant’s How to Get Rich Without Getting Lucky.

[@typeviic1]

"It’s no secret that Americans love to hear about billionaires." Funny, you never hear a historian say "It’s no secret that serfs/peasants love to hear about the Kings/Feudal Lords wealth".

[@epbrown01]

The historians don't need to state the obvious...

[@thevisitor135]

Amen to that, Comrade.

[@BiharyGabor]

What do you mean by "never"? I mean, are you claiming it from a historian's perspective or a history student's one? Or it simply means you've never heard anything like this - or maybe did but ignored because you were not interested in that too much or did not get the point that time? I think historians who research and analyse everyday life of people of the past do work with such aproach indeed.

[@lucasgrey9794]

At least the Kings and Feudal Lords actually had an argument for their wealth (leading troops from frontline).

[@BiharyGabor]

@@lucasgrey9794 You mean they claimed their grandgrandfather did.

[@angeloalonzo5500]

"He who restraints his desires is always rich." (Voltaire)

[@photoshoptech3189]

My heart just breaks when reading the comment section. I'm glad that many people watched this so they know that success is not an equation. Hard work+time=success If it's true my dear dad would be a millionaire

[@Richyrichasf]

@@Twtgod at the wrong thing👌🏽

[@icyx9268]

@@Richyrichasf keep moving goal posts / inserting deflectatory / delfectionary measures

[@hainleysimpson1507]

@@Twtgod So instead of talibg care of his family he should only use his money to inprove himself?

[@Skovgaard1975]

Hard work+time+work smart+luck=success

[@TamaraLindsay]

Exactly. If this were true, both of my patients would be millionaires

[@ataaamic6321]

I love that this channel went from the common "what if" channel to "hey guys... guys capitalism is really bad here's 16 million reasons why"

[@rafidrahman8654]

True. The point he makes about having a privileged background is plain unfair. Yeah they had support, but that doesn't mean you discredit their craft, I mean there are millions who have a privileged background and still not make it big.

[@jerich0hdeer]

@@rafidrahman8654 their "craft" is knowing economics and manipulating public opinion. also, you totally CAN discredit the craft of people who exploit their employees and hoard their money lmao

[@Arcaryon]

@@rafidrahman8654 Thing is, what if only a fraction of people are crazy enough to want this kind of money? What if most people are like „I got my house, my kids can study if they want to and I can go on vacation occasionally, this is enough“ vs. „Man I really wanna get really, really rich someday“ - aka most people don’t want to make it big and this minority is breaking the system with its behavior?

[@AaronBiswas]

Capitalism is failing lol just because a country is developing that doesn't means that the system is perfect. The social fabric of society is being destroyed these days.

[@Shilpa_Kujur]

@@Arcaryon Your arguement can simply be answered by, talk to people. Nobody is like that. Even if they might be satisfied with their current life, nobody who's not rich will ever not want to have that kind of money. I have heard many times what could be the problem of having so much money, I understand it could be stressful maybe, I might have struggle controlling my ego and many more problems. But, I would still never refuse the offer. Think about it, so many problems of life that you face due to finance will be fixed. It's not just about materialism, your next generation lives are fixed now. Healthcare, education, food and pretty much every basic need is not a fucking problem to you anymore. Add a cherry on top as well because you can also fulfill any dream you want if you struggled to fulfill them before due to finance. My brother wanted to be a pilot but we didn't have any finance to send him to the course. Even after his health condition restricted him (personal information I won't reveal), he tried going after fully recovering but we just didn't have the proper finance. Plus, we were facing financial issues in other ways as well. Now, my family isn't the best at managing finance but imagine if they were billionaires (implying family wealth, exploitation and better understanding of economics), my brother could do whatever shit he wanted. Who doesn't want that? It isn't just about greed, everyone wants their basic need fulfilled at the least to have stability in their lives and being rich is going even beyond that.

[@doubllechief6926]

While some are more self-made than others, no one is truly self-made, we're all socially made. We all benefit from each other and the people who came before us...

[@adamadiallo6773]

True. We learn and strive from people's teachings and experiences, around us!

[@DoomFinger511]

Not only that, everyone has some advantage no one else does. Either they know someone, have a particular skill, or were in the right place at the right time. Often people contribute this to luck and say it's unfair. However, if I knew someone who had the opportunity to get free money to start a business I would think they were foolish to not take it. Even if I was secretly jealous that I didn't have that opportunity, I know I would have taken that gift myself.

[@icyx9268]

oh no no no dont deflect and missrepresent it isn't from learning it is from stealing corruption and randominty

[@sathalel4084]

you missed the point of the video man its not just about privilege its about exploitation.

[@gwenllianoberon8862]

I do think it's worth pointing out that in the pizza shop example, the employees divided the total revenue for the store for the day, so their profits included overhead such as real estate, taxes, maintenance, and supplies. It's still a good point, but the money here was not surplus value, but rather total revenue.

[@80stavros]

overhead taxes maintenance supplies thats not how real business works

[@el_kuks]

Being enterprenuer who runs automotive workshop I felt offended with this example. Fist two years working without salary. Always investments needed because of instrument`s wear or inaccurate usage by mechanics. Paying for guarantee repairs. Paying rent. Having sleepless nights because of risks taken by getting loans and need to get money for taxes. And most expensive - thinking about job all time. Sometimes I envy pepole who have nine-to-five job and completely forget about it when working hours are ended while heaving same (and sometimes even better) wealth than me :)

[@suntzuandrew]

Call them Queens and Kings, Robber Barons or Philanthropists, Self-Made or Tech Geniuses... they are exploiting their workers and society as a whole.

[@informacionimportantedeyo7838]

As the owner of this channel

[@suntzuandrew]

@@informacionimportantedeyo7838 What?

[@informacionimportantedeyo7838]

@@suntzuandrew do you think he do this alone? He must have a team this is so well produced, but who earn most of what this channel earns?

[@Chrome-uc3fw]

@@informacionimportantedeyo7838 As with every other channel Your argument is invalid

[@informacionimportantedeyo7838]

@@Chrome-uc3fw the only invalid thing here is your interpretation, because what I wanted to spotlight I the hypocrisy of this dude talking of wealth redistribution being himself the prime example that that doesn't happen

[@comradefreedom8275]

This is why my friend once told me, "You don't become rich by being nice."

[@comradefreedom8275]

@@darcyroyce I mean, sure, there are probably kind people who have lots of money, but in the context of the bourgeois, they did not become rich by being nice. Being nice is paying workers more of the value of their labor, which the bourgeois won't do.

[@giulia1603]

@@darcyroyce only the government can build a sustainable environment. Only public founding can lead to democratic research and development. Any other way it’s just an egomaniac entrepreneur greenwashing his profit objective

[@giulia1603]

@@darcyroyce where I live littering is a public service and a citizen’s duty, you can get fined if you don’t. But it has nothing to do with your job

[@comradefreedom8275]

@@darcyroyce I'm mostly talking specifically about bourgeois people.

[@badge5575]

I dont know ronaldo seems like a pretty decent person to me also other millionaires

[@herzberd]

algorithm "self made billionaire" is an oxymoron

[@Uwrath]

This was made obvious when they had the so-called “labor shortage”. Why are business owners struggling as soon as they can’t access cheap labor anymore? It’s almost like their rich lifestyle relies on other people’s hard work… 🧐

[@catcatcatcatcatcatcatcatcatca]

Look, stealing wallets is a lot of work. How can you say I don’t justly deserve the money in those wallets I stole? I used to get mugged too, till my dad gave me this knife to threaten people with.

[@Uwrath]

“But muh wRiSk, muh WRiSk” 🤣

[@diegoarmando5489]

ROFL there's no such thing as a self-made person. We should be talking about community-made women and men.

[@qwertyuiop-tk9rr]

Everyone is born by virtue of the labour of a thousand generations that existed before them. We owe the simple fact of our existence to the contributions of society.

[@professorgrimm4602]

Exactly. All is made by all. No person could do anything if it weren't for all the people existing before them who developed society and for all their fellow people each working to keep society going.

[@gorgoroth-hh1pb]

But that would be collectivism Which in America is considered s0cialist

[@darkpixel1128]

Exactly, no one will ever be able to pay back the debt we owe to generations of philosophers, architects, botanists, mathematicians, etc who discovered the science the modern world is built on, let alone the workers who made the tools and fed them. To say any one is "self made" is an insult to thousands of years of human toil and ingenuity.

[@Marxism_Today]

Being a self-made billionaire is cool and all, but have you considered being a socially-produced revolutionary socialist?

[@TurtleChad1]

Self-made billionaire 🤢👎 Socially-produced revolutionary socialist 😎👍

[@natg4613]

Hello comrade Paul, looking forward for your vid today!!!

[@Marxism_Today]

@@natg4613 Thanks comrade - hopefully you'll enjoy it

[@ispgravy4233]

Just don’t go to communism

[@natg4613]

@@ispgravy4233 why not? Communism is based.

[@lumpenlodge]

You're my new favorite youtube channel bro

[@Int3x0r]

I live nearby a fancy neighborhood and I know some people who claim to be self made. Yes, they are the CEO of their company, but their parents injected substantial amounts of money, they used all the knowledge their parents had to offer, used their financial advisors, marketing teams etc. They also connected with numerous clients via their parents, making sure they had a good income from day one. Very self made, I'd say...

[@noneofurbiznez863]

Then they pass their knowledge on to their children.

[@asherujudo7383]

What about Lebron James and Rihanna? Where were their trust funds?

[@AustinMCraigDoesNeatStuff]

“They used all the knowledge their parents had to offer” - Yeah heaven forbid good attentive involved parents offer any hard-won wisdom to their OWN children. THE INJUSTICE!

[@DerickMasai]

@@AustinMCraigDoesNeatStuff Typical strawman strategy, reread the original comment until you realize the what the main point was.

[@Cubby9999]

@@asherujudo7383 Lol maybe you too can become a billionaire if you have great talent in singing and basketball.

[@Aer0dynam1cc]

"The owners of this country know the truth: it's called the American dream. Because you have to asleep to believe it." - George Carlin

[@-Ice_Cold-]

George Carlin was really genius of his time

[@DilbeardAlbeard]

I love Carlin. He's blunt and straight forward.

[@한남자다니엘]

I will asleep then

[@righthandwolf306]

Saint George of the Seven Sacred Words.

[@antiquefuturistic]

Its called dream for a reason, because its not true. Its a dream and it stays a dream. Only thing true is American reality.