You’re Probably Already Rich

This was originally published in my free weekly newsletter, How It Actually Works.

Whenever I feel like I have something to lose I think about this chart, showing net worth in the US, by age.

Two highlights:

• If you're 29 and worth $10k, you have more than 50% of people your age
• If you're 34 and worth $250k, you have more than 90% of people your age

And this is in the US! To say nothing of other countries where you’re wealthier than 99.9% of the population.

Some might shout “income equality!”, or try to make you feel guilty.

Instead look at your newly discovered wealth as an opportunity.

A chance to try whatever the hell you want. To take more risks because you’ve already succeeded.

Be grateful, yes. Help others, of course.

But make sure you understand the opportunity you’ve been given.

- Trevor

The Links

Dell’s First Financial Statement, from 1984 (tweet)

Back when his phone bill was 4x more than legal fees.

“What kind of [writing] produces the most comments?” (post)

“So much of debate, including political and economic debate, is about which groups and individuals deserve higher or lower status. It’s pretty easy — too easy in fact — to dissect most Paul Krugman blog posts along these lines. “

Congresspeople have a history of physically attacking each other (post)

“There was violence between congressmen in the House and Senate chambers for decades before the Civil War, usually consisting of pushing and shoving, wielded knives and guns, fistfights, canings and the occasional mass brawl. “

Asking permission is for rookies (tweets)

“You don’t need anyone’s permission to try … running a business. Build something. Sell it…

“The education system treats getting an idea clawed out of the ether into a written form and submitted to a person in a position of authority as Significant Praiseworthy Work.”

This was originally published in my weekly newsletter, How It Actually Works.