Do you really want to become a billionaire: A look inside the inner theatre of the super-rich

Manfred Kets de Vries enjoyed reading your view of the personality of the super rich and how to become one. A nice read for anybody in leadership to have a closer look at him/herself. The traits you mention i also find in leadership who are not superrich. And the one trait that sticks out is a high tolerance for frustration. Well worth reading Patrick Driessen Understand your customer Paul Balk (nice to see you again this weekend) The part about the dark side intrigues me, even as the connection between super rich and luck. A great read in between two leadership trainings today, muchas gracias.

(continued) What I am missing is a discussion of the possible institutional ways to address the problem. I am thinking of: ● Legal reforms such as the introduction of US antitrust law from 1890 on. The concentration of economic power in the hands of a few tech giants can hardly be optimal for society at large. It may prove necessary to split them up in order to enable a healthy amount of competition. ● Regulation. Social media platforms are permeating our lives and public discourse to such an extent that it may become necessary to regulate them in the interest of democracy. ● Governance rules for corporations and international organizations (think of the unprecedented influence of Bill Gates’ foundation on WHO’s?goals and strategies, for better or worse).

An enjoyable read with the critical apparatus of an academic article, but written on a casual tone. There is plenty of good old common sense: ?There is something to be said about being lucky enough to be at the right place, at the right time.? ?Of course, money can be a force for the good. Conversely, having too much money can have a corrupting influence.? ?You better realize that the best you can do for your children is to give them a good education and instill the right values.? The article ends on a serious note, but without much of a conclusion: ?… how long will the general population tolerate a situation whereby just a few people possess most of the world’s wealth? It is an invitation to social unrest.? We know that some corrupt dictators ended up in a less than enviable way in the hands of insurgents, but the focus is here on super-rich businesspeople. Whether the latter will generate a similar rejection remains to be seen. (to be continued)

Thank you Manfred Kets de Vries, for the powerful punchline at the end of the Working Paper: "...how long will the general population tolerate a situation whereby just a few people possess most of the world’s wealth? (...) At what point will the population no longer tolerate these income differentials? At what point will they strike back?" This reminded me of this important book: "The?Spirit?Level: Why More Equal Societies?Almost Always Do Better",?2009, by Kate Pickett and Richard?Wilkinson, which highlights the "pernicious effects that inequality has on societies: eroding trust, increasing anxiety and illness, (and) encouraging excessive consumption".

A very enjoyable read. Thanks for sharing. As I was reading, I had the Bruno Mars song, “Billionaire” in my head.