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The corollary to saying that CEO's (and many others) make too much money Is to say that you can say no to more money. You can look around at your situation and say, "No, that's ok, I have plenty, and I don't need more." If you grow up with a lot, as I did, you are taught...1/
From a very young age that your primary purpose it to use it to make more. It's practically gospel among people who inherit that you NEVER TOUCH THE CAPITAL... I followed that gospel too, for a long time. But then one day I looked around and asked myself why. 2/
I mean, it's a colossally useless thing to simply use your money to make more money. So much money in the investment world these days is just imaginary money being moved around by investment professionals, without it ever doing anything constructive. So if that's all I do, 3/
How is that not a parasitic life? My net worth is large and that is inarguable. But I used this interview to name it publicly for the first time to clear up confusion and second of all to stop feeling too ashamed to talk about. A lot of folks talk about their net worth 4/
Because they are proud of how much they've got. That's no different than comparing you-know-what sizes, and whenever men do that, either in real life or (more often) in the abstract, I honestly feel blessed not to have one. It's so dumb to confuse your worth with your value 5/
But beyond clarification I want to be able to look people in the eye and say "this is what I've got, this is how much I've given so far, and I have a plan for every single penny I've got left." I want to stand tall and be proud of what I am doing instead of apologizing 6/
a) to the people who want to shame me for what I have, b) to the people who want to shame me for what I don't have and c) to the people who think I don't do enough. The trouble with being public with your net worth is that the world tends to take it as an invitation 7/
To tell you what you should be doing with it. When I first got it, I followed orders and invested for more. When I got older I felt strongly that I should use as much of it as I could, without spending capital, to make a difference. But finally, finally, I realized 8/
That all of the philanthropy in the world won't change the structures that not only gave me such wealth but also have left so many people no more or less deserving than i with so little. I started to spend capital on philanthropy, but more importantly I started 8/
investing it in businesses that won't necessarily make much money or even any money but that will, in just the doing of their business, make the world a better place. But I never really tapped into the fullness of my own power until the day I realized I could say I had enough 10/
Isn't that radical?? ENOUGH. I have enough. There is such a thing. And when you realize that, it is so liberating. If I wanted to, I could have made so much more money. I'd be close to the 500million many web sites say I have. And I want to be very much on the record 11/
saying that I do not have more than I have because I have not sought more. I choose not to have more. Let me say that one more time to be perfectly clear: I CHOOSE NOT TO HAVE MORE. 11/
Why is that so hard to imagine?? But have you ever heard anyone say that? It's an idea as obvious as the nose on your face and yet I've never met anyone who entertains it. We have to radically rethink money in this country. What's more, the people who HAVE money 12/
Need to radically rethink money. It is not necessary to have so much. There are people all around you who need you to rethink the way you invest yours. What if you gave up some upside in exchange for creating more jobs, more good and services that people actually need 13
What if every single business in the country gave up some upside to do the right thing instead? What kind of world would we live in? Because if you change something in the US, you do change the whole world
I've given away 70. And I am a long way from done. Anyone who wants to write and say, as conservatives all do "If you hate is so much why don't you give it away?" What gives them the idea that that's not exactly what I am doing? Anyway, done venting. Peace and love END/
