I think that is naive. I've met quite a few people with large trust funds, and in every case I thought "Man, I am so glad I'm not them." Human joy and self-worth does NOT come about from being "comfortable".
Besides the billion dollars or the fame, there is another question I've asked myself a few times when I've been in a speculative mood.
Steve was famous for his "bozo bit". You could be his greatest hero one day, and the next day he would flip the bozo bit on you and you were the scum of the earth.
When he told me "you couldn't possibly program these microcomputers, they are completely different from the mainframes you've worked on," what if I had pushed back and shown him they weren't so different and I could do a great job with them?
There's a possibility he would have learned from that experience, realized he was mistaken in his snap judgment, and improved his relations with other people he worked with.
Of course that may be wishful thinking. And being Steve, he probably still would have had a bozo bit. But maybe he wouldn't have flipped it so often! :-)
It is not.
The same way as winning big in lottery usually leads to misery, the same way huge inheritances do not really make people happy.
It is better for your descendants to earn their wealth themselves (whatever that wealth would be).
It only really takes about $50mm for that. (I guess it does depend a bit on the number of progeny you choose to have)
> ersonally, given the choice, I'd gladly choose half a decade (or whatever) of absolute misery working for an asshole boss
Some people quite literally kill themselves under such circumstances, so it really is a ymmv situation. (and I probably lean towards your side of the specrum)
Many of us would. But that's hindsight.
The reality is, of those who try, most wind up working for the asshole boss with nothing to show for it at the end.
Besides, Ferrari dealership owners, exotic dancers and cocaine dealers have kids too! They could use some of your money for their support!
It's just that you still don't want to hand over the money on a silver platter, it's better for people's character and pride to do some work to get it (e.g. build and sell a Ferrari to you)...
Is it, though? I mean, don't get me wrong, happiness is very important, but we're talking about literally a billion dollars. You can use that type of money to do a shit ton of things, and virtually guarantee that your children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren etc. live very, very comfortable lives. Personally, given the choice, I'd gladly choose half a decade (or whatever) of absolute misery working for an asshole boss if it will net me a billion dollars in the end. Because for me, my own happiness is not more important than the happiness and comfort of those around me and those who come after me.