George Lucas made something like $280 million the year Episode 3 came out.
Tiger Woods is expected to become the first billionaire athlete sometime in the next 8 years.
There's a Mass Tort Lawyer from Texas who's worth an estimated $1.2 billion
The guys from Google went from nearly nothing to net worths exceeding 4 billion, each, in less than 10 years.
These people, and hundreds of others like them, put your CEOs to shame, and, unlike the CEOs, reach these heights much faster ( in proportion to the money they make). Why no *****ing and moaning about them???
The market economy doesn't play Santa to these billionaires, it merely rewards them for the wealth they generate and put back into the very same economy. That which isn't justified generally works itself out of the loop naturally(dot-com bubble, anyone?). Most of the CEOs out there spend decades rising to the top. They head up changes that make companies more profitable, which, in turn, helps everyone. The few guys that spoiled it for everyone, and are famous for doing so, taint the concept of upper management, and that is regretable.
And, when all's said and done, just remember one thing. In every government, in every economy, there's a bottom and there's a top. Communism, socialism, free market, large round rocks with holes in the middle, wherever you are, whatever you call it, there's always somebody getting and somebody giving. The big difference is that here, the top is occupied by thousands of ultra-rich, predominantly honest, highly-intellgent visionaries. The alternative is a top occupied a few dozen crooked maniacs that would just as soon have your home burned to the ground as see one less dollar added to their net worth.
Personally, I think it's pathetic that personal wealth, in this nation, is seen as a symbol of corruption, dishonesty and indulgence. It should be a motivator, and if you shun the good life, then make your big bucks and give them away to whoever you think deserves it more. Whatever you do, stop inflicting your contempt on the people that earn their success and live long enough to reap the rewards.
BTW, in THIS neck of the woods, 93 octane was $2.90/Gal today. Supposed to go down by Thanksgiving.
