SforSingularity comments on The Twin Webs of Knowledge - Less Wrong

5 Post author: Kaj_Sotala 28 August 2009 09:45AM

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Comment author: PhilGoetz 29 August 2009 06:43:22PM *  0 points [-]

I can think of 6 of my friends who became multi-millionaires at a young age. 4 of them got wild lucky breaks with stock options; 1 of them inherited it; 1 of them worked for 10 years to build a large company starting from nothing, which I think he still owns 50% of (the other 50% being owned by his initial angel investor).

So, 5 out of these 6 millionaires got there almost completely by luck. Ironically, at least 2 of these 5 are absolutely convinced that anyone in the US who is smart and works hard will become a millionaire.

Comment author: SforSingularity 29 August 2009 07:32:07PM 2 points [-]

So, 5 out of these 6 millionaires got there almost completely by luck

that 5 of your friends all got very lucky seems very unlikely to me. Perhaps you have a biased sample of intelligent, motivated friends (i.e. more intelligent and motivated than average).

Comment author: saturn 30 August 2009 10:35:45AM *  1 point [-]

that 5 of your friends all got very lucky seems very unlikely to me.

Perhaps Phil prefers making friends with people who are already millionaires.

Comment author: PhilGoetz 31 August 2009 11:18:09PM *  -1 points [-]

It was not just luck in the stock-options cases. They wouldn't have gotten lucky if they weren't capable, motivated people. So, biased sample, yes. But, still, lucky.

saturn - No, I didn't initially know that they were millionaires.

Comment author: SforSingularity 31 August 2009 11:22:40PM 1 point [-]

So, biased sample, yes. But, still, lucky.

how do you know? Do you have 5 other capable, motivated friends who shot for millionairedom and failed over and over again?

Comment author: pjeby 29 August 2009 10:22:20PM 1 point [-]

Ironically, at least 2 of these 5 are absolutely convinced that anyone in the US who is smart and works hard will become a millionaire.

Which two?