Back-Door Mark: The Oracle of P.B.
My buddy Pat lived in a condo on the beach, and it was a righteous location. When I say on the beach I mean when you opened his front door, you stepped out onto a large fenced-in deck, and when you went through the gate your toes were in the sand. I lived a little nearer to the harbor, where I kept my boats. (That's right, bitches. Boats. Plural.) The thing that Pat and I had in common (aside from our love of strong drink) was that we were both commodities traders for the same firm in our late 20's. Needless to say, I spent a lot of my free time at Pat's place. His deck was a mecca for beach revelers and bikini babes.
It was there that I met Back-Door Mark. Mark lived in a 350 sq ft studio apartment behind Pat's place. That's how he got the nickname "Back-Door" Mark, though he used the moniker's obvious sexual connotation to his advantage with the ladies. His apartment was so small that he actually had a Murphy bed that folded down from a cubby in the wall. He was an average guy: average height and build, average looking, a college degree from nowhere special. But Back-Door Mark was remarkable in two ways: he almost never worked, and he got more ass than a toilet seat.
I used to light up when Mark came around, because I knew the day was about to take a turn for the absurd. Mark slept with so many different women that he couldn't keep them straight. One day, this really hot chick came rollerblading up to the deck where we were all drinking and called out, "Hey, Mark!" with a smile. He looked at her and acted like they were old friends when he said, "Hey...uh...you!". I found out later this was a chick he'd slept with on two different occasions and he didn't even remember her name. That's not the worst part.
She came in, grabbed a beer, and started hanging out with us. Pat and I were laughing to each other because we knew Mark didn't remember her name, but we weren't prepared for what happened when she finally realized it. She looked kinda hurt and then said, "Mark, my name is ______" and it was the first and last name of a world-famous actress (think Julia Roberts, Scarlett Johanssen, etc...). Pat and I were floored. It was odd enough to forget the name of a hot chick you'd slept with twice, but to forget one that shared a name with a famous actress? Unbelievable.
Even more unbelievable, Back-Door Mark convinced her to take him out that night and, yes, he bedded her again.
Back-Door Mark was a renaissance man in the late 90's without even knowing it. His rent was $400 a month, his car was paid off (and was a respectable compact), and his monthly nut came to less than a grand. He had some job that I want to say was real estate-related (mortgages, I seem to remember) that didn't require him to be in the office very often, and I think he pulled down about $40,000 a year.
Pat and I would knock off early from time to time because the majority of the commodities markets closed no later than 1 o'clock in California. We'd head back to Pat's place to drink, and we'd find Back-Door Mark at least two or three ahead of us on the deck. He actually caused a problem for us once when a stripper flew in from Atlanta to hang out with him and she was tanning on the deck topless in a thong while our wives and girlfriends went berserk.
The fact is, Back-Door Mark had it all figured out. While Pat and I were killing ourselves to make the big money, Mark was working about 25 hours a week (if at all), living on the beach, and pulling more wool than a New Zealand rancher. When it came to blowing off steam, all three of us were right beside each other at the bar and Pat and I envied his lifestyle. Mark literally had to give Yahoo! Personals a break every couple months because he'd slept with every chick on there and was in danger of recycling.
There were many times back then that I looked at Mark and thought to myself, "Why am I doing what I'm doing? This guy has everything I have minus all the bullshit I have to put up with. Sure, he doesn't have a big house or a couple of boats or a fancy car, but he's got everything he needs to be happy and he doesn't stress out about jack shit."
I think you younger monkeys would do well to give this some thought. Racking up a shitload of student debt, busting your ass for four years to achieve a GPA worthy of more than a cursory glance by an IB recruiter, going through the frustration of the interview process and getting rejected time after time is all just par for the course. God forbid you actually get hired. Then you're really screwed.
What do we have for our big winner, Bob? We've got two years of 100+ hour weeks of mind numbing clerical work, a shitty apartment he'll almost never see, and an asshole boss who makes him jump through hoops for his own entertainment!
It is possible today more than ever before in history to make $2-3,000 a month without ever leaving home. I'm here to tell you, if that opportunity existed when I was in my early 20's, I would've given Back-Door Mark a run for his money. It's all in how you manage your lifestyle. Mark paid $400 a month for a place 50 feet from the beach instead of $3,000 a month for a place right on the beach. He could tell you which bars were serving what free food during Happy Hour based on the day of the week. He knew how to live the minimalist lifestyle without giving up anything important.
Before this post gets any longer, I just want to encourage you younger guys to consider the alternatives to the rat race. Most of us older guys remember some guy from college who bailed and became a bartender in Ibiza and just enjoyed his life instead of chasing a buck. On some level, we're all envious of that guy.
I actually re-connected with Back-Door Mark recently on Facebook. He's exactly the same. His photos are all of him with beautiful women hanging out at beach bars. He's got the same smile on his face in every one of them. He's into his 40's now, but the girls he's with have stayed the same age as back then. Incredible.
Why we put so much stock in what a guy like Warren Buffett has to say instead of listening to guys like Back-Door Mark is beyond me. I'm probably going to get a lot of hate for promoting the "slacker" lifestyle, but I know some of you are going to see the wisdom in it.
Am I wrong?
Comments
As Chris Rock said, if men
As Chris Rock said, if men could fuck in a cardboard box, they wouldn't buy houses.
Hey man, I really like where
Hey man, I really like where this post went but how about this...
I actually like to play with excel spreadsheets, and I enjoy a good long day in the office... theres a special place in hell for people like me but I think I'll own some shiney ass things this side of the styx beforehand.
Still not sure if I want to spend the next 30+ years grinding away in corporate finance and the WSO dream chase or look to have enough passive income to live simply and work minimally.
ive thought bout this
ive thought bout this lifestyle, but the issue with it I am fairly sure someday with 40 id wake up and think, so what have I achieved in my life? jack shit
MissingNo. wrote: Hey man, I
Hey man, I really like where this post went but how about this...
I actually like to play with excel spreadsheets, and I enjoy a good long day in the office... theres a special place in hell for people like me but I think I'll own some shiney ass things this side of the styx beforehand.
And I'm sure you go home with beautiful women every weekend with that interesting little line
In recruitment season
In recruitment season currently (well, full time search pretty much over but will be looking for internships soon) and sometimes posts like these make me step back and say 'hold on, how about a regular 40hr job?'
Great post.
I'd chalk this one up to
I'd chalk this one up to living in PB, the place where local college girls love to get their freak on
ed - great post, This post
ed - great post,
This post just re-affirms a sad thought I had the other day. The truth is, as bad ass as those in banking and finance like to think they are it is not a job for the risk loving. Banking, much like being a dentist, is a risk averse way to become a low level millionaire with a decent degree of certainty. The vast majority wont ever achieve BSD status, but once in the door you could quite easily sit around in the middle collecting a few 100k a year. This is not to say that the finance crowd doesn't have ambition, that is far from the truth. But what most of them don't have is balls - the balls to take real risk (not with client money), risk with their life/career choices and aggressively chasing what might really make them happy.
How many out there think they could actually achieve the quality of life this guy Pat manages on 40ish K? Whats really sad is that too many people(myself included) associate our ideas of "happiness" to the prospect of a fat and regular paycheck. In my own mind that is happiness derived from a feeling of security...knowing I can buy a round for my friends if I want, blow a few grand in Vegas on the occasional weekend, and provide for a family one day when I manage to find a girl who can stand my ass. That mindset is inherently risk adverse...the opposite of type A badassness many of us likely associate ourselves with in the finance world. How about trading your bloomberg for a surfboard and 8hrs of sleep a night? That shit takes guts. I envy guys like Pat for their ability to take risks for the sake of quality-of-life that I personally wouldn't be able to stomach...
In the end of the day its all down to personal preference, but I think its a fair point eddie brings up regarding priorities and unnecessary stress. There are definitely times when I think that I am burning through my 20's in the glow of two duel Dell monitors while I could (with some serious luck and maybe a personality upgrade) be more like Pat.
Its like the old poker adage: "poker is a tough way to make an easy living". Banking is the same...most people would quit if they had enough money or the guts to chase their ideal lifestyle. Guys like Pat are inspirational because they seemed to have come to this conclusion innately, without a care in the world as to what anyone else thinks.
Current sick thought running through my head: Maybe if I suffer enough now I'll make enough to the point where I might extract Pat's level of utility from life when I'm 35? 45? 55?...
that was dave chappelle..
that was dave chappelle..
ambition is a state of permanent dissatisfaction with the present.
I have said it on here once,
I have said it on here once, and I will say it again.
I was happiest in life when I was 25, living with roommates (3 girls my age actually), drinking $2 bud lights, and generally had no responsibilities other than paying rent. I was on the prop side, my job paid decent though nothing special, but I was out at 6 most nights, and home by 6:15 to play video games, go out, or just watch TV w/ my roommates.
It is not where you are at (and the few times I have ever had a good time specifically because where I was at, it was usually because it was a don't give a fuck dirty dive that just let you have a good time), it is who you are with. I do enjoy a good meal, but I can't say I have ever had a better time at some obnoxious club in the meatpacking district than any bar in the village.
And I can tell you this as well- when you are truly happy, people want to be around you. When you are really relaxed and content with your life, that confidence shows through. It's not the douche baggy angry confidence exuded by balding frat boys, but when you are talking to a woman or even other dudes and you are in that zen-like state where everything is just awesome, it seems to me like people put their guard down. You can't fake this though.
I make 2-3x what I did a few years ago, and have a net worth that goes along with that, but also a lot more responsibility. And I will tell you this- material things just end up owning you. You are much better off with a solid table from Walmart or Ikea than one you can't put your feet or a beer on because it cost thousands of dollars. Friends will grow old with you and get better with age, crap just depreciates.
Great post Eddie. Thanks a
Great post Eddie. Thanks a lot for writing it, because I think about similar things all the time. Many academic psychologists (and maybe even economists) believe they've proven that happiness is mainly just a function of 2 things, your satisfaction with your job and your social relationships. Regardless of the quality/details of that research, I buy it (purely based on introspection). So, as I look to begin my career, I'm constantly trying to figure out how to obtain a nice balance in my life. Asking myself, which jobs will give me satisfaction during working hours? Which jobs will earn me a decent (but not necessarily great) living, while also leaving me enough leisure time to pursue other goals (exercising, learning, socializing, dating, etc)? I still don't have the answers, but hopefully one day I'll stumble on happiness.
For my aspiring Entrepreneurial Nomads, check out my blog.
good thing ive slayed 100+ so
good thing ive slayed 100+ so far. hurrhurr. but no its definitely an item of talk.. and may be good since im a prop trader for a few years now before i go back to b school and have to sell my soul although t a not so high 80-100 rate ;)
meatpacking is whack btw. all the girls there=life fails. hot but life fails. lookin for suga daddiesssssss
I need a crib, a big estate, I need a boat and that need a lake, I need some salmon that need a plate, that need a chef so I feed my safe
From trading equities to slanging wine in Latin America
A ship is safe in harbor, but that is not what a ship i
Back Door Mark will grow old
Back Door Mark will grow old and die alone.
We find our truest, best selves through commitment, not pleasure.
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“The American father is never seen in London. He passes his life entirely in Wall Street and communicates with his family once a month by means of a telegram in cipher.” - Oscar Wilde
Hate to break it to you, Ace,
Hate to break it to you, Ace, but we all grow old and die alone.
Living like Back Door Mark is
Living like Back Door Mark is a committment that you just dont understand Veritas. It takes a certain level of pride to stand back and live without certain things and be happy being yourself.
Granted im talking about his way of life, not his slaying of women on a daily basis. I know quite a few people in PB who chose to lead the simpler life, and the commit themselves to it, not cause theyre lazy.
They live with bikes everyday and have a $5,000 dollar car for when its needed, though it typically sits on the street for days at a clip.
As nice as being able to afford models and bottles and blowing 5k a weekend in vegas is, give me Pacific Beach, my gf and her DR salary and a small condo w/ 2 surf boards. Ill be poorer, but happier.
"Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish"
someotherguy wrote: living
living with roommates (3 girls my age actually)
I assume you did all of them, correct? If not then that would be an uncomfortable case of blue balls (unless they were ugly, in which case never mind).
Regarding this story, I sort of agree with Eddie but can't one have it both ways? If one is lucky enough to get very wealthy early on, then said monkey could retire and have a 40000 sq ft house right on the fucking beach. Believe me that guy would get much more pussy than Mr Mark here. Just look at Chanos (aka "Uncle Jim"), and he isn't even retired yet. And once someone is successful they don't have to worry about anything, being rich and all.
back door mark's lifestyle is
Would be a very good life
Maybe I do not have quotes under my name on google, but I KEEP IT REAL
down on the upside
Funny thing is I know a kid
northeast1
northeast1
Another solid post, thank
Solid Post EB. Oh to the
surferdude867 wrote: Eddie,
Awesome post and really puts
Sometimes I wish I could live
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man made the money, money never made the man
This thread reminds me of a
dmcd wrote: Living like Back
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“The American father is never seen in London. He passes his life entirely in Wall Street and communicates with his family once a month by means of a telegram in cipher.” - Oscar Wilde
veritas14 wrote: Back Door
If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses - Henry Ford
To each his own obviously but
Ben Shalom Bernanke wrote: To
Freaking amazing post! Now, I
veritas14 wrote: I advocated
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man made the money, money never made the man
mr1234 wrote: veritas14
For my aspiring Entrepreneurial Nomads, check out my blog.
I think there is something to
Edmundo Braverman wrote: It
happypantsmcgee
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“The American father is never seen in London. He passes his life entirely in Wall Street and communicates with his family once a month by means of a telegram in cipher.” - Oscar Wilde
evilbyaccident
That's EXACTLY what I am
---
man made the money, money never made the man
Edmundo Braverman
For my aspiring Entrepreneurial Nomads, check out my blog.
northeast1
Nothing new in this thread.
Financial Modeling Training
Guide to Finance Interviews
Banking Resume
someotherguy wrote: I have
I wish I had boats and lived
I guess what I'm trying to
omni wrote: Truer words have
LOL at those of you trying to
I need a crib, a big estate, I need a boat and that need a lake, I need some salmon that need a plate, that need a chef so I feed my safe
From trading equities to slanging wine in Latin America
A ship is safe in harbor, but that is not what a ship i
It sounds good but I don't
I like the idea behind the
I think you need to separate