Whoa, whoa. 90% of the kids on this site will be like Henry Kravis or Bill Gross. These kids were born to drive out operational efficiencies and beat(*cough* front-run*cough*) the markets.

If making over $1mil a year is "hardly inspiring," then you need a reality check. And yeah, the average is thrown off but higher numbers, but there aren't 10,000 Warren Buffetts covering up for poor people in the top 1%. While there are people making $400k in that sample, for many of them, 400k isn't the most that they're going to earn in their careers. Even Henry Kravis made 400k at some point on his way to billions.

If you define the "rich" cutoff as making $20 million a year, you're almost definitely going to be disappointed. Even if the last person in that top 1% doesn't make an astonishing number, he's still out-earning 99% of the American population. If that seems pathetic to anyone, that person needs to wake the fuck up. Being one of 10,000 entry-level analysts each year doesn't mean that your definition of financial success should suddenly be Henry Kravis. I get the desire to not be skimming by at the 50th percentile, but the kind of mindset that deems the 99th percentile too low is just setting you up for disappointment. There's always someone richer.

Had the real estate prices increased/progressed proportionally with non-wall street pay increase, the folks making 31k would have better life styles.

Do you mean top 10% make 1.1 mil? That would be 30 million people, but you keep saying the top 1% and 30,000,000 people. 10 would be easier to believe than 1, I imagine the top 3,000,000 in america make well above 1.1 mil on average.

^ This is the logic driving the reaction that manifests itself in what we call the progressive tax.

This is sort of a side topic I guess but

Who else here has siblings?
Do they have your earning potential?
If not, will you look out for them in the future? Be their superman?

I ask bc I have a sister in (sigh) art school and a brother who is likely to be earn an 'average' income

I don't think your average Wall St stiff makes 400K, most associates break that. I'd put the number more around 800K which let's face it, is still very respectable.

I'd also say that most of the kids headed to the street know full well about this gap. Most don't go to Wall St to become billionaires, they go to make the aforementioned 800K, buy a 7 bedroom house in CT, buy the BMW 760li and the Ferrari for the weekend and send the kids to Phillips Exeter. Basically, most go in just wanting to join the very top of the upper middle class.

You think the average guy on wall street makes 800k? Seriously? I doubt its anywhere near that number.

In before ANT finds this thread and tells us that everyone should be able to feed a family, provide for a college education and healthcare, and destroy communism (SOCIALISM AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!) on 30k a year.

This shit makes me want to find a rich person and eat them.

Sorry for your loss bro.

I feel the same way. It's the burden of being the smartest and most logical. I know that at 15 years into my career my annual compensation will nearly equal what they each has made over the 15 years... Sad but true. This is why my dad is still grinding really hard at 56.

If this pisses you off, don't dare click on THIS:

http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/income-inequality-in-america-cha...

Why is that so much of a burden for you? I've got 2 younger sisters, they're both smart and extremely talented but still it's most likely that I'll make more then both of them and I can't wait to be in a position to be able to help them out or support them or just buy them something really nice that maybe they can't afford alone. I want to be the head of my family and take care of my family. Family is everything we've got in this world and it's above all. Your friends can betray you, your wife might be leaving you but blood connection remains. For me money is just a means to an end, surely not the destination.

I really like this post!!!

If I was making over a million a year I would sign over 500k. As it is, I'm unemployed and fast becoming unemployable. I doubt I'll have anything looking like a middle class career, much less be able to afford to have children. How long ago were your parents making that kind of money? Things have gotten much worse as time has gone on as is shown by some of these statistics.

They made that 25 years ago. My dad currently makes ~$60K/year and my mom makes ~$70k a year.

If you have no skill or education and can only make 30k per year, what business do you have bringing a child into this world?

Honestly, fuck them. I didn't realize my hard work was so someone else can slack and be taken care of.

How is it a rich persona fault. Most wealth comes those who giro school. Not just ivy league schools. You get a state school education, work two jobs, save and plan and build wealthy.

Why is it that immigrants, who don't speak English, can come here with nothing and follow that simple plan and do well, but Amerxans, with all the advantage in the world look for help and someone to blame.

So tired of this topic. Be free and accept responsibility. I'm not your parent and I am not your friend. Goof off, shot out kids, spend too much and suffer the consequences.

We keep helping out the weakest links.

Oh well. I guess I should be punished for working hard my whole life. I must have done something wrong. And we wonder why this country is going down the tubes.

^ I've been down that road and there's nothing there, trust me. If you don't get the job you want, take any job, but just stay in the game. Not everyone can be billionaires, but in this country, it's highly likely that with enough effort, thought, and time that you can do very well for yourself.

Hit the gym for an hour and then get networking again, you'll thank yourself this time next year when you're in a better place.....

With that kind of logic, the demographics of our country could get pretty ugly, pretty quick.

No one will listen, but that is why I no longer care. Condoms are cheap and easy. Bringing a life into this world is a big responsibility. People who cannot afford to raise a kid, yet have them anyway an then cry to me for money get no sympathy.

Once again, in America, those who plan and save have to finance the losers of society. Not my problem.

Left meet Right. have fun....

This country is full of entitled whiny lazy pieces of shit. Anyone in this country with a work ethic and half a brain could easily become a millionaire. The problem is that people do not know how to budget their money, forego instant gratification through purchases of meaningless crap and make the appropriate sacrifices to grow their wealth (i.e. stop popping out kids you fckng idiot, study harder, work longer, etc.)

I am sick and tired of the excuses and paying for other people's entitlement programs.

Monkeysama, you dont have to be "special" to build wealth and lead a satisfying life. You're just a negativity spreader who at the moment is down on his luck.

AWM, do you have to sweat my nuts on every post. Let monkeysama argue the liberal side, at least he is intelligent about it. Your sycophant behavior is lame.

This isn't a left or right issue. What he advocated is off the political spectrum and into crazy town territory. You can't argue with someone who just advocates giving a big fuck you to 90% of his countryman.