These home listings- What kind of job do these people have to be this rich?

[brianmanahan]

the worst thing about a big mansion is that you have to have somebody come in and clean it.

somebody, who you're not related to, just hanging out in your house going through your stuff and cleaning up your messes.

that would make me super uncomfortable.

 

[Gryz]

You sound bitter that your that your in a country with less opportunity than America.

Long time ago, american companies gave me a boatload of money and a H1B visum to come work in the US. After 6 months, I ran home screaming. After a very long sabbatical, I am now working for a European tech company. But upper management of our division is in Silicon Valley again. Our boss wants everybody to come work in the US. Some people do. The company will arrange the visa and double your salary. They asked me too (more than once). I told them there is zero chance I'll ever move to the US.

My point about wealth having nothing to do with how hard you work is not just true in the US. In Europe it is true just as well.

 

[brianmanahan]

Long time ago, american companies gave me a boatload of money and a H1B visum to come work in the US. After 6 months, I ran home screaming.

how much did they have you working? i did a stint of 70+ hour weeks for over 6 months one time, it had me going almost crazy by the end of it.

 

[Gryz]

how much did they have you working? i did a stint of 70+ hour weeks for over 6 months one time, it had me going almost crazy by the end of it.

No, we didn't work crazy hours. Nobody did. (Even though it was a startup). I just didn't enjoy living in Silicon Valley. At all. Other places in the US will probably be different, but I don't think I'd enjoy living there much more. I just brought it up because skull suggested I am jealous because I'm not living in the US. It's actually exactly the opposite.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

I don't think politicians are This rich.

Aside from Clintons and select few, the entire congress can't afford this.

"select few."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_members_of_the_United_States_Congress_by_wealth

 

[dave_the_nerd]

the worst thing about a big mansion is that you have to have somebody come in and clean it.

somebody, who you're not related to, just hanging out in your house going through your stuff and cleaning up your messes.

that would make me super uncomfortable.

This is not untrue.

Hell, between the two of us working full time, we've started hiring a cleaning service every couple months, and our place is "only" 1700 sqft.

 

[sdifox]

There is always money in the Banana Stand!

 

[skull]

To obtain wealth OP is talking about, you need massive luck and connections. And to have the connections that might provide you with the opportunities to earn silly crazy money , you need to be rich. Or be lucky and know people who can bring you in to their circle. The rest of you have no chance no matter how hard you work. And if you're employee and not business owner, forget about it.

Thats an attitude for the poor.

Long time ago, american companies gave me a boatload of money and a H1B visum to come work in the US. After 6 months, I ran home screaming. After a very long sabbatical, I am now working for a European tech company. But upper management of our division is in Silicon Valley again. Our boss wants everybody to come work in the US. Some people do. The company will arrange the visa and double your salary. They asked me too (more than once). I told them there is zero chance I'll ever move to the US.

My point about wealth having nothing to do with how hard you work is not just true in the US. In Europe it is true just as well.

If you've been to America you should know its about the American spirit. Not all of us have it but those that do you can tell us the roads too hard until your blue in the face, doesn't matter were here to ride it.

I started a business with nothing but a rusty 22 year old truck, a knife and a tape measure, grew it to the point, I now have 2 car garage stuffed with tools, a house, toys, multiple vehicles including a nice truck stuffed with more tools and only minor debt on the house. I might not be rich but you can't tell me the American Dream is dead I'm living it.

 

[madoka]

"select few."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_members_of_the_United_States_Congress_by_wealth

AND that list UNDERESTIMATES their actual wealth. For example, Diane Feinstein's wealth is listed at $53 million, but her Gulfstream costs $55 million! Funny how a public servant with a $200K annual salary can afford a $55 million private jet.

 

[brianmanahan]

No, we didn't work crazy hours. Nobody did. (Even though it was a startup). I just didn't enjoy living in Silicon Valley. At all. Other places in the US will probably be different, but I don't think I'd enjoy living there much more. I just brought it up because skull suggested I am jealous because I'm not living in the US. It's actually exactly the opposite.

oh i see. i also hated san francisco when i was there for a couple weeks, though it could have just been where i was staying.

still, i think for enough money i would definitely put up with a city i hated for a few years. it would probably have to be 300-400$k annual salary though.

also some cities are much better - boston is probably my favorite.

 

[ponyo]

Thats an attitude for the poor.

No, the poor foolishly think hard work will pay off. Hard work might provide you with decent living but it won't make you rich.

You think you're living the American Dream and in many respect, you are. But while you might be happy and content with your success, it's relatively peanuts and you're still stuck in less than middle class. Unless you grow your business where you have people working hard for you and making you money, you're just small time blue collar guy abusing your body to make a living.

 

[ponyo]

AND that list UNDERESTIMATES their actual wealth. For example, Diane Feinstein's wealth is listed at $53 million, but her Gulfstream costs $55 million! Funny how a public servant with a $200K annual salary can afford a $55 million private jet.

People in high positions have so much power and opportunities to steal by giving insider infos and favorable contracts to their friends. Pretty much all govt officials steal. It's a given. They all want kickbacks. The government is the biggest source of wealth not only in this country but everywhere in the world. The corrupt money in Washinton DC is ridiculous. And it's like that at every level down to the local neighborhood HOA.

 

[Slew Foot]

People in high positions have so much power and opportunities to steal by giving insider infos and favorable contracts to their friends. Pretty much all govt officials steal. It's a given. They all want kickbacks. The government is the biggest source of wealth not only in this country but everywhere in the world. The corrupt money in Washinton DC is ridiculous. And it's like that at every level down to the local neighborhood HOA.

This guy gets it. Bribing politicians for favorable contracts (or having friends in goverment) will get you farther than working your ass off.

 

[tcG]

You Americans all believe your own crock. The American Dream. If you work hard, you too can become rich. Don't be jealous, don't be envious. If you want what others have, go work for it. They all have worked hard for it, and so should you. If you don't succeed then it is your own fault. Only you are too blame.

What job do these people have ? What makes you think a job has anything to do with wealth ?

Reality is, the biggest factor in your life, by far, whether you will be successful and rich is: are your parents rich ?

I would imagine that most of those expensive houses are owned by rich people from rich families. Whose parents were rich. Whose grandparents were rich. With wealth you can accumulate more wealth. Your current economic model is completely targeted towards rich people accumulating more wealth. There is no way in your system where wealth spreads out again. It only gets clustered. It might not have been obvious in the previous century. But the last decade people have started to notice. Money flows up. Never trickles down. In the end you will be back to the same situation as we had a few centuries ago in Europe: a feudal system, with a rich aristocracy, and very poor masses. In theory a poor person can be elevated into aristocracy, but that'll be an exception. Only the children of the aristocrats will enter aristocracy.

You now even elected a President who is a shining example of this new system of aristocracy. Rich because his daddy was rich. He's a major screw-up, has no morals. Probably not very smart. But even then, he ended up richer than he started.

There is no American Dream.

This isn't supported by the facts. Social mobility in America is remarkably high, and people are constantly moving in and out of the top levels.

 

[Gryz]

This isn't supported by the facts. Social mobility in America is remarkably high, and people are constantly moving in and out of the top levels.

Link please. I wasn't talking in absolutes. I wasn't stating that there is no social mobility. I'm just saying there is less social mobility than you might expect. If we discard parents as a factor (because that's a factor that causes immobility, not mobility), then the second largest factor in success is pure luck. You can work your ass off, but if you are not luckier than others (who also work their asses off), you will not make a lot of money. Working hard has very little to do with making a lot of money. Despite what rich people want you to believe.

It's mostly about parents and about luck.

 

[Gryz]

This guy gets it. Bribing politicians for favorable contracts (or having friends in goverment) will get you farther than working your ass off.

You make it sound as if this is a problem with government only. It isn't. These practices are 10x worse in commercial companies. People hiring their friends. Management protecting incompetent employees that they like (or the opposite). Dumb executives hiring more dumb people in well-paying jobs. Lucrative orders given to companies of their golf buddies. Etc, etc. Read Dilbert if you don't know what I'm talking about. It's a human problem. Nothing to do with government.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

AND that list UNDERESTIMATES their actual wealth. For example, Diane Feinstein's wealth is listed at $53 million, but her Gulfstream costs $55 million! Funny how a public servant with a $200K annual salary can afford a $55 million private jet.

She doesn't own, she rents.

If it flies, floats, or fucks...

 

[urvile]

You make it sound as if this is a problem with government only. It isn't. These practices are 10x worse in commercial companies. People hiring their friends. Management protecting incompetent employees that they like (or the opposite). Dumb executives hiring more dumb people in well-paying jobs. Lucrative orders given to companies of their golf buddies. Etc, etc. Read Dilbert if you don't know what I'm talking about. It's a human problem. Nothing to do with government.

Oh yeah. The company I used to work for (multi national defence contractor) was notorious for bribing people to win contracts. They were even banned by the world bank at one point due to "fraudulent practices". Did it make any difference to the company's share price(s)? No. Why would it? Because if they are doing it so is everyone else. The world just keeps on turning.....good times.

Bribing people to win contracts is really just an extension of the culture of those types of companies. It's all about profit and winning bids is how they make their money. There is a lot of pressure to perform and deliver (profits) by whatever means necessary. Even as a lowly software engineer.

 

[skull]

No, the poor foolishly think hard work will pay off. Hard work might provide you with decent living but it won't make you rich.

You think you're living the American Dream and in many respect, you are. But while you might be happy and content with your success, it's relatively peanuts and you're still stuck in less than middle class. Unless you grow your business where you have people working hard for you and making you money, you're just small time blue collar guy abusing your body to make a living.

You have it all wrong, the American Dream isn't about screwing people over to buy a yacht. Its about doing a good job and providing for your family. I don't need to be rich, I have clean water, food, housing, electricity, internet and a car that will take me 2000 miles from here with all the same. At the same time I won't stop striving for more. Thats the American Dream.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

and meanwhile, warren buffett lives in the same house he bought in 1958 for 31$k. adjusted for inflation, that's 263$k. of course he's probably done some nice upgrades.

i don't care how much money i make or save, my house is going to cost around 100$k-150$k.

If I could find a nice neighborhood for that much Id be all over a 150k house. Truth is buying a more expensive house usually gets you better neighbors. Also the police seem to patrol the area better and the city makes sure the roads are maintained. I've been in enough low end neighborhoods. I'm perfectly fine with spending whatever it takes to have a nice quiet place to call home after dealing with work.

 

[Sonikku]

He kinda has a point.

Socio-economic mobility has declined for decades in the US, and the wealth gap has been increasing.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socioeconomic_mobility_in_the_United_States

If Americans want to live the American dream, they should go to Denmark.

Ouch.

 

[Sonikku]

Truth is buying a more expensive house usually gets you better neighbors.

It's easy to be a saint in paradise.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Capitalism basically is what creates a wealth gap. With capitalism, the main goal is to reduce all costs, and that usually starts at employees. That means the execs make tons of money and the employees make as little as possible. Then companies buy each other out, so it means there is less companies to work for, that then creates an abundance of employees but not enough jobs, so now they can get away with paying even less. it's a vicious cycle.

It's not QUITE there yet in the states, but that is basically what things are headed to. Add automation and increased incentives for outsourcing to the mix and things are going to get ugly. It's an issue here in Canada too, in fact here the other issue is brain drain. All the smarter people and successful businesses get sucked up by America. Even TIM HORTON'S is American now. The wheels of capitalism are in full force there. Crap pay for staff and constantly increasing prices and reduction of quality.

 

[skull]

You guys want to know whats awesome about America. One of my dreams has always been to buy an airplane. I can buy a cheap used airplane on ebay with the money in my bank account right now. An airplane guys, I can buy a goddamn airplane. I can't afford to hanger it and all that jazz without racking up debt yet but I'll get there. Some tree lined acreage with a creek and a garage bigger than the house is coming first. The fact that I can go from poor to potentially buying an airplane along with everything else in 7 years is pretty fucking awesome. Those houses in miami that started all this what ever kind of people own em they can have em. If I end up with enough money to buy an affordable spot on the beach its going to be in the carolinas away from all the schmucks.

 

[madoka]

She doesn't own, she rents.

If it flies, floats, or fucks...

1. There's no indication I've ever seen that she rents. This author says that she owns it:

http://www.foundsf.org/index.php?ti...nne_Feinstein:_The_Power_Couple_of_California

In the case of Blum-Feinstein, we can see what being in the top 1% means. They currently own a private jet, a Gulfstream G650, worth $55 million in 2008. Blum-Feinstein also own an entire 161 room San Francisco hotel (The Carlton) and at least six other homes. At a low estimate, including their hotel, their personal real estate holdings, together with their private jet, are likely worth well over $100 million today.

2. Even if she's renting it through some shell corporation, you're missing the entire point that she's a corrupt politician by focusing on some irrelevant technicality.

Here is one way she got so rich:

In 2007 investigative reporter Peter Byrne published a series of reports that showed that her actions in the early 1990s was only the beginning of Feinstein’s aiding her husband’s firms. As chairperson of the Senate’s Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee from 2001-2007, Feinstein supervised and supported the appropriation of over $1.5 billion for two military contractors, URS Corporation and Perini Corporation, both companies that Blum had a controlling interest in. Blum later sold URS for a reported personal profit of $57 million. When Feinstein’s actions were exposed in early 2007, she abruptly quit her post on this subcommittee.

Blum returns the favor, raising more money for his politician wife than any other individual. He arranges contributions and loans to her campaigns in the millions.