High Earners: What’s the Real Motivation After $1M+?

Hi all, I’m about to start a finance gig in NYC, and I’m genuinely curious. I’ve always been amazed by people earning $1-$2MM+ who still have the drive to keep grinding.

For those of you in that bracket (or beyond):
What keeps you going? Why do you continue to work?
And what do you actually do with all that money?

Genuinely curious.

3 Comments
 
[Comment removed by mod team]
 

A job is a job. They are all the same at some point. It’s not like at this point in my career a job paying 500k at a corporate is any less stressful than mine. I’d argue as a group head making say 5mm my job is less stressful than an MD who works for me making 2mm, in fact far less so, because I call more of the shots. His job is less stressful than the director making 800k because he in turn has more control. Similarly, I’d rather have my boss who heads IB and makes 15mm more than mine simply because he has even more control than I do.

 

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