Hey Pal, Are you a Wannabe Working Stiff, or are You a PLAYER? 
Been on this chat board for a few weeks and I see what crap people post, ranking banks, talking about prestige of banks, bashing perfectly good banks because you got fired or rejected from one. Well, I think it is pathetic as hell. Are there any true "players" or even potential "players" on this site, or what. When Gordon Gekko was the shit, he was talking trash on what everyone on this board is striving to be, which is $400,000 a year working stiff on Wall Street. The man, once aptly said, and I quote:
"Wake up, will ya, pal? ... And I'm not talking a $400,000 a year working Wall Street stiff flying first class and being comfortable, I'm talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time. Fifty, a hundred million dollars, buddy. A player, or nothing".
-- Gordon Gekko
"Gekko's" character is an icon personified and he's right in so many ways. Everyone can strive to be an analyst at Goldman, Morgan Stanley or some elite boutique, but in the end those are just plain old working stiffs and most will always be just that. Sure, you're making more than your buddies from high school that are pumping gas, sure you are buying the occasional bottle cause you can't get in a club otherwise and sure it looks good on your resume. Or you are striving to be all that. But, are you a player, or are you nothing. Right now, you are all nothing. Let me know when you become a player.
Thumbs up The trouble is not
Thumbs up
The trouble is not that people thrive to become analysts at top banks, the trouble is that once they get there, they lose their vision and get caught up. You gotta go through your share of grunt work where ever it might be, but you gotta be always aware of the opportunities that will make you leap over the rest.
Do what you want not what you can!
Solid post. Just wish others
Solid post. Just wish others on here thought the same way man! Silver bananas for you.
Good Post. But also remember,
Good Post. But also remember, Gordon Gecko went to prison for insider trading. There is the right and wrong way to approach career success and money. A great book about this is by Anthony Scaramucchi called coincidently "Goodbye Gordon Gecko: How to achieve success without blah blah" I forgot the rest and am too lazy to look it up. A highly recommended read
nice bananannaa for you
nice
bananannaa for you
$400K in 87 is like $800K
$400K in 87 is like $800K today. Just sayin
I'm talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time. Fifty, a hundred million dollars, buddy. A player. Or nothing.
bulge4lyf wrote: $400K in 87
$400K in 87 is like $800K today. Just sayin
Yes. And who really needs more than that?
wanderer wrote: bulge4lyf
$400K in 87 is like $800K today. Just sayin
Yes. And who really needs more than that?
A true player does.
Few points: 1. $400k is in
Few points:
1. $400k is in fact closer to $800k
2. $800k less 50% in income taxes, less 9% on everything you buy, less rent / mortgage on a place in NYC is really NOT that much to live in NYC on; no you won't starve, of course
3. Of course, Gekko went to jail for insider trading, but that's not the point, the point is several things mixed together:
-- On the one hand $800k is a lot to make, and you can make $800k a year working at ANY of these banks talked about on WSO
-- On the other hand, $800k or whatever is childs play in terms of people that own their own businesses or who are really successful in finance / buyouts
So, either way, no one on WSO should be making fun of banks that are all pretty much the same and decent options for any of you / us. And those that do, need to realize that in the end, an analyst / associate / vp at Goldman Sachs is just a chump making a few hundred K a year.
That's right, a chump.
You have to be a stiff in
You have to be a stiff in order to become a player.
True true my little friend.
True true my little friend. Getting to player status young is good and critical, and what path you take dies not matter. So long as it is legal, etc. of course.
I think a lot of the problem
I think a lot of the problem is people that think the only way to really be a player, in general, is that you have to go on the traditional path (Ivy or "Target", I-Banker, move up from there). Sometimes being denied by this system motivates us non-targets and corporate finance scum to work even harder and have higher goals. Sometimes staring at an excel spreadsheet all day can really drain these young analysts for the long-run.
Johnny seed, you are 100%
Johnny seed, you are 100% correct. Some of the best most successful out there have gone very non traditional routes. Those that go the traditional route are in a narrow band and rarely if ever break out. Hence, the golden handcuffs people talk about.
Johnny seed, you are 100%
Johnny seed, you are 100% correct. Some of the best most successful out there have gone very non traditional routes. Those that go the traditional route are in a narrow band and rarely if ever break out. Hence, the golden handcuffs people talk about.
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DoubleTrouble, don't discount
DoubleTrouble, don't discount a phenomenon called "luck." I'd say at least 90% of Forbes 400 Wealthiest Americans were at the right place and at the right time.
I am not a big fan of Outliers, but the first half of the book does have some good points and insights.
Luck? Luck is a part of
Luck? Luck is a part of everything. Was Bill Gates lucky? Warren Buffet?
Luck is where preparation
Luck is where preparation meets opportunity. Don't discount it.
Exactly ... Dumb asses could
Exactly ... Dumb asses could even fuck up good luck!
who've got to be a stiff for
who've got to be a stiff for a while to become a player. you meet the right people at the right schools and the right doors and opportunities are opened.
MeNeverSleeps wrote: Was Bill
Was Bill Gates lucky? Warren Buffet?
Yes. Yes.
Anyone who uses the word
Anyone who uses the word player = not a player.
Or is a character created by a clueless, leftist, director whose best days are far behind him.
"It's all ball bearings nowadays." Irwin Fletcher
Carty, your comments mean
Carty, your comments mean nothing. You are clearly jealous of players.
Gordon Gekko is a God and we
Gordon Gekko is a God and we worship him at the alter of all you can be "the world and everything in it"
Seems like someone hit me
Seems like someone hit me with 3 monkeyshits (obviously not a player), but I got a ton of silver bananas on this post too.
Solid post from OP. Way to
Solid post from OP. Way to go Player!!!
Playyaaasss. I agree it is
Playyaaasss. I agree it is really hard to be a playa if you don't know the right people. So do your share of shit work first.
Nice.
Nice.
DoubleTrouble wrote: Been on
Been on this chat board for a few weeks and I see what crap people post, ranking banks, talking about prestige of banks, bashing perfectly good banks because you got fired or rejected from one. Well, I think it is pathetic as hell. Are there any true "players" or even potential "players" on this site, or what. When Gordon Gekko was the shit, he was talking trash on what everyone on this board is striving to be, which is $400,000 a year working stiff on Wall Street.
That's the key to becoming a real player: Convincing others that if they work for you they are players.
I think a lot of you guys are
I think a lot of you guys are missing what I consider to be the most important part of the quote - "Rich enough not to waste time."
You guys are all fixated on the number, whether it's $400k or $800k or $10 million. The number isn't what matters, it's the lifestyle that matters. It's units of happiness. I know so many Wall Street guys that are bringing in extraordinary incomes, but their happiness is in the toilet. They're slaves to their jobs, they don't ever have a minute "off" when they can put down the Blackberry, put work out of their head, and relax with their families. Time is the most precious commodity, and they're not making any more of it.
Being a player is more than a dollar figure. Being a player means you have LIFE figured out. It means that cashflow is no longer something you have to wake up in the morning and consider - it is automated and an afterthought. Your daily annoyances are taken care of by people you pay to worry about such things. Your energies can be spent chasing excitement, fulfillment, and philanthropy (if that's your thing).
And that's why thousands of Wall Street guys rise every day and complete their Bateman-esque morning routines, fancying themselves masters of the universe, while guys like Tim Ferriss wake up on the beach smiling and happy.
As Thoreau said - "A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone."
- Capt K -
"Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy. If you want to make ambitious people waste their time on errands, bait the hook with prestige." - Paul Graham
100 million is too little for
100 million is too little for a true Player.
CaptK wrote: I think a lot of
I think a lot of you guys are missing what I consider to be the most important part of the quote - "Rich enough not to waste time."
You guys are all fixated on the number, whether it's $400k or $800k or $10 million. The number isn't what matters, it's the lifestyle that matters. It's units of happiness. I know so many Wall Street guys that are bringing in extraordinary incomes, but their happiness is in the toilet. They're slaves to their jobs, they don't ever have a minute "off" when they can put down the Blackberry, put work out of their head, and relax with their families. Time is the most precious commodity, and they're not making any more of it.
Being a player is more than a dollar figure. Being a player means you have LIFE figured out. It means that cashflow is no longer something you have to wake up in the morning and consider - it is automated and an afterthought. Your daily annoyances are taken care of by people you pay to worry about such things. Your energies can be spent chasing excitement, fulfillment, and philanthropy (if that's your thing).
And that's why thousands of Wall Street guys rise every day and complete their Bateman-esque morning routines, fancying themselves masters of the universe, while guys like Tim Ferriss wake up on the beach smiling and happy.
As Thoreau said - "A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone."
You got it more so than anyone else here..
That post was golden.
That post was golden. Although, I'd much rather be baller than a player.
I win here, I win there...
No reason to monkeyshit me
No reason to monkeyshit me boys. This was a good thread.
Captn Krunch, your point was a good one. But you stole that from Gekko in Money Never Sleeps, so not such a major revelation. But worth repeating, I guess.
DoubleTrouble wrote: No
No reason to monkeyshit me boys. This was a good thread.
Captn Krunch, your point was a good one. But you stole that from Gekko in Money Never Sleeps, so not such a major revelation. But worth repeating, I guess.
DT - I'm a little insulted that you believe I "stole" one of my core beliefs from a character in a second rate sequel that came out only a few weeks ago. I suggest you head over to Amazon and pick up a copy of Tim Ferriss' Four Hour Work Week and give it a read. The book as been widely praised by most on this board, and I consider it one of the most important books I've ever read.
You can read some more about the general thesis of "lifestyle design" at http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/overview/, and more about Tim at http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/about/
- Capt K -
"Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy. If you want to make ambitious people waste their time on errands, bait the hook with prestige." - Paul Graham
To me having a lot of money
To me having a lot of money is necessary, but not sufficient for happiness. One needs a number of things to be truly happy - family, friends, children, health, etc... money is one of those things and a crucial one. Unlike friends and other loved ones, however, one can actually have "enough" money. That said, for me, having "enough" is way, way, way, way more than 800k / year.... but that just depends on what kind of things you're interested in and so on.
I'd like to buy my Chicago Bulls - then I'll have "enough". Then I'll be a player.
Good post -thumbs up.
CaptK, I'm in touch with
CaptK,
I'm in touch with Ferriss's people right now trying to get him to do an interview for WSO. I'm hoping to make it a video interview. If you could ask him any one thing (or any three things, etc), what would it be?
By the way, his new book is out in about 8 weeks. I'm really looking forward to it.
The only thing we need in
The only thing we need in life is a little artificial stimulants. Case in point: adderall. A miracle drug. It will cure your illness, make you lose weight, stimulate your central nervous system, make you smarter, aound smarter, eat less, workout more, last longer in the bed, stop your impulse decision making, make you more productive, and make you exercise alot more. Any contrarians?
eyelikecheese adderrall is an
eyelikecheese
adderrall is an insanely effective drug, yes... but after time it will begin to take it's toll on you. use when absolutely necessary but be extremely weary of overuse and dependency. it can happen.
Edmundo Braverman
CaptK,
I'm in touch with Ferriss's people right now trying to get him to do an interview for WSO. I'm hoping to make it a video interview. If you could ask him any one thing (or any three things, etc), what would it be?
By the way, his new book is out in about 8 weeks. I'm really looking forward to it.
You'd better believe I've already ordered 2 of the autographed copies in advance (one for my dad - hopefully it can help him get in shape). I actually lost about 30 lbs using a hybrid of his "Gain 34 lbs of muscle in 4 weeks" and "Lose 20 lbs of fat in 4 weeks" - worked like a charm more than any "diet" plan I'd ever tried, and I wasn't miserable or hungry. I've gone almost fully paleo diet-wise now, and I feel 100x better all day every day (energy level, clear skin, etc).
To avoid highjacking the thread further - I'll take my questions for Ferriss to PM. Would be awesome if you could score that interview.
- Capt K -
"Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy. If you want to make ambitious people waste their time on errands, bait the hook with prestige." - Paul Graham
CaptK wrote: Edmundo
CaptK,
I'm in touch with Ferriss's people right now trying to get him to do an interview for WSO. I'm hoping to make it a video interview. If you could ask him any one thing (or any three things, etc), what would it be?
By the way, his new book is out in about 8 weeks. I'm really looking forward to it.
You'd better believe I've already ordered 2 of the autographed copies in advance (one for my dad - hopefully it can help him get in shape). I actually lost about 30 lbs using a hybrid of his "Gain 34 lbs of muscle in 4 weeks" and "Lose 20 lbs of fat in 4 weeks" - worked like a charm more than any "diet" plan I'd ever tried, and I wasn't miserable or hungry. I've gone almost pull paleo diet-wise now, and I feel 100x better all day every day (energy level, clear skin, etc).
To avoid highjacking the thread further - I'll take my questions for Ferriss to PM. Would be awesome if you could score that interview.
Capt. K , looked for both books on Amazon but miraclously did not find them ....care to share who is the author ?
Maybe I do not have quotes under my name on google, but I KEEP IT REAL
International Pymp
eyelikecheese
adderrall is an insanely effective drug, yes... but after time it will begin to take it's toll on you. use when absolutely necessary but be extremely weary of overuse and dependency. it can happen.
Agreed. And I speak from experience. I should have listened, but my doctor initially suggested that I just take up coffee. It has the same benefits, and he used it throughout med school due to the same inability to control concentration (could be hyper-focused one moment, and unable to absorb new information the next).
Whatever you do, just don't take Adderall daily.
Mo wrote: CaptK wrote: You'd
You'd better believe I've already ordered 2 of the autographed copies in advance (one for my dad - hopefully it can help him get in shape). I actually lost about 30 lbs using a hybrid of his "Gain 34 lbs of muscle in 4 weeks" and "Lose 20 lbs of fat in 4 weeks" - worked like a charm more than any "diet" plan I'd ever tried, and I wasn't miserable or hungry. I've gone almost pull paleo diet-wise now, and I feel 100x better all day every day (energy level, clear skin, etc).
To avoid highjacking the thread further - I'll take my questions for Ferriss to PM. Would be awesome if you could score that interview.
Capt. K , looked for both books on Amazon but miraclously did not find them ....care to share who is the author ?
Mo - the first book is "The Four Hour Work Week", and the new one is "The Four Hour Body" by Tim Ferriss. You can find the blog posts I referenced here and here.
- Capt K -
"Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy. If you want to make ambitious people waste their time on errands, bait the hook with prestige." - Paul Graham
Vyvanse is the new adderall.
Vyvanse is the new adderall. Not any psychological addiction episodes and lost about 14 or so hours. It's all the rage with the kids at MIT nowadays
Of course we're not Players,
Of course we're not Players, neither are you, but that's what we're striving to be. The truth is if you're a player you wouldn't spend time on this board b/c you're "rich enough not to waste time." And that's exactly what you'd be doing a forum. Weak post, a lame attempt at sounding regal.
TerenYoung, you are so stupid
TerenYoung, you are so stupid my little peon of a friend. You have no clue. I can call you and all these people out if I choose. Like Machiavelli who wrote "The Prince" I am more honored than most ballers, players and certinly ibanking wannabes. I'm not going to reveal exactly what I'm getting at, but be that as it may. If you had ANY perspective, you'd see the post for the glory that it is. King DoubleTrouble rules over you mofo.
Gate_Crasher wrote: Gordon
Gordon Gekko is a God and we worship him at the alter of all you can be "the world and everything in it"
That is so right!
We should create a group, or a secret society to smoke fat cigars, enjoy good wine and scotch and discuss strategies for that matter.
Obviously with all the "player's toys" that we can afford...who's in?
theluckyseven
Gordon Gekko is a God and we worship him at the alter of all you can be "the world and everything in it"
That is so right!
We should create a group, or a secret society to smoke fat cigars, enjoy good wine and scotch and discuss strategies for that matter.
Obviously with all the "player's toys" that we can afford...who's in?
The secret society already exists..........its called Wall Street.
"Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, for knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA."
Exactly
Exactly
DoubleTrouble
TerenYoung, you are so stupid my little peon of a friend. You have no clue. I can call you and all these people out if I choose. Like Machiavelli who wrote "The Prince" I am more honored than most ballers, players and certinly ibanking wannabes. I'm not going to reveal exactly what I'm getting at, but be that as it may. If you had ANY perspective, you'd see the post for the glory that it is. King DoubleTrouble rules over you mofo.
Uh oh! Internet drama from a so-called BSD, b/c that's what Players do right? Hop on forums and talk crap to people they'll never meet in between jet hopping and working on closing that next big deal. All of the guys I know making $400k+ don't have the time or the desire to fool around on forums. You wish your boss let you fly first class or sit in the box with him @ Rangers games- f*ck off prick...you're just like every other schmo, delusional, with your two tone shirt hanging in your closet, beating your meat as you fall asleep alone every night, with grandiose "Pinky & The Brain" dreams that you'll never attain.
TerenYoung
TerenYoung, you are so stupid my little peon of a friend. You have no clue. I can call you and all these people out if I choose. Like Machiavelli who wrote "The Prince" I am more honored than most ballers, players and certinly ibanking wannabes. I'm not going to reveal exactly what I'm getting at, but be that as it may. If you had ANY perspective, you'd see the post for the glory that it is. King DoubleTrouble rules over you mofo.
Uh oh! Internet drama from a so-called BSD, b/c that's what Players do right? Hop on forums and talk crap to people they'll never meet in between jet hopping and working on closing that next big deal. All of the guys I know making $400k+ don't have the time or the desire to fool around on forums. You wish your boss let you fly first class or sit in the box with him @ Rangers games- f*ck off prick...you're just like every other schmo, delusional, with your two tone shirt hanging in your closet, beating your meat as you fall asleep alone every night, with grandiose "Pinky & The Brain" dreams that you'll never attain.
Teren Young, it is not about if you are a player or not, but if you will ever be one. From the idiocy of your post, it seems you will definiteiy NEVER, EVER be a player. You will also never even make $400k per year, in your best year.
Jesus, you guys are a bunch
Jesus, you guys are a bunch of children. Go back to getting high in your dorm rooms and spending your parents money on Natty Light.
- Capt K -
"Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy. If you want to make ambitious people waste their time on errands, bait the hook with prestige." - Paul Graham