re: #168 Political Atheist

That may or may not be the way to look at it from a comparison of inherited vs made money. Why would a guy that starts a business with his inheritance not count that companies profits as money he made with his efforts rather than ascribing every cent to inheritance?

Why deny a capable person the credit for the financial gain? We sure do blame a fool for wasting it or losing it. Inheritance of course is far more common than the 1%ers. Lots of us inherit humble dwellings or small estates. If I get a loan on that little inherited house and start a great franchise that makes millions is 100% of my wealth inherited? I would say not.

This goes back to why the “borrow $20k from your folks” line was so dumb. Maybe 100% isn’t inherited, but that guy started much higher up the ladder, and shouldn’t be ranting about how he’s a self-made man. Because he isn’t. Daddy made the money for the initial investment, and that made the later success much easier to achieve.

This is not to say he didn’t work to make that business; just that he had an extra advantage and opportunity that I didn’t. And that’s what we’re really trying to measure. How much had Daddy’s money to work with and how many are really there because of only their own efforts (because a lot of former make noises that they are the latter, and that’s the bit that galls).