Remix.run Logo
positron26 4 hours ago

Not just relative to other billionaires, relative to the average American, he never went after get rich quick schemes, has a reputation less dirty, values life-long relationships more, and fell to not one of so many traps and dynamics that see many successful people trash their own legacy.

The internet citizen is so often convinced that everyone with a high net worth is crooked, cheated to get where they are at, and would be even more morally corrupt if only they weren't so undeserving as to be incompetent of the ways to do so.

So often the ambitious can believe that to succeed one must perform ultra sexy acts of innovation multiplied by inhuman hours of naive young team members. This pressure can drive us to be impatient, reckless, and unscrupulous.

When we look at most startup CEOs who make it big, we say "don't try to emulate them" because we know they took huge risks and rolled at least a few good numbers. A person can emulate Warren Buffet. It's just patient and prudent, avoiding self-deception for decades. Yet it is excruciating. If not for Warren Buffet, so many would say, "It's not worth it" or "It will never work because you'll slip up."

Being at least an anecdote that being honest and right can work out in the long run is a herculean counterweight against the vast traps of cynicism that can lead many to defeat themselves before they even try. It's tough to keep going or commit to that path, especially as your options keep going up. Few else tried because it takes an entire lifetime. Making it work saved a lot of people from a lot of imprudent choices and will continue to save more. That is heroic.

coolewurst 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

In his youth he was heavily inspired heavily by the book "1000 ways to make 1000 dollars", quite literally a get rich quick book.

Also his bets on GEICO were probably a little impatient, reckless, and unscrupulous, but that's fine.

He is one of the finest businessmen to study and certainly one of the more moral billionaires.

positron26 4 hours ago | parent [-]

Here comes the internet doing internet things. Happy 2026.

JKCalhoun 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Not seen in a photograph with Jefferey Epstein.

(yet)