and not everyone's passion can make them money
i agree that if you have nothing better to do, and you want to be one of those famous CEO's, then selling out early doesn't sound right. but some people do, in their definitions, have something better to do
my point is not everyone wants to accomplish the same things in life, but everyone needs money to be able to accomplish them (at minimum to pay the bills)
why would someone want to just get some money and be done with all the company stuff? because they have something better to do. maybe they want to visit every city in the world. maybe they want to raise their children full time and homeschool them. having money, they have those options
if you don't have something better to do (in your definition of 'something better',) then you are already doing what you think is best, and more power levels to you. may your hair glow yellow or gold at some point
For hackers, do IT consulting. For math guys, do trading. For everyone else, do finance. You get the idea.
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=122341
Of course you might say the cost of living won't always stay so low, but if it goes up, then that means the underdeveloped countries are becoming more productive, and the world economy is becoming better. If your interest comes from investments in the world economy, then that means you should be earning more from your investments.
I don't want to spend my life managing a business. I want to make some money and do something else. I have no doubt that I would make a fitting CEO. But the hours are long and the work is unappealing. There aren't any CEOs I want to be like. Apple's CEO, maybe, but what price does he pay to do what he does?
I really get the feeling that anyone ('anyone') could be a CEO these days. I feel like the CEO is a reward that keeps everyone else on the corporate pyramid. Maybe I'm wrong. I could be. But I haven't seen the argument that debunks that idea. (And I have seen a lot of instances of CEOs who didn't deserve what they received.)
The money is a silly motivation. What am I going to do with $6 billion that I couldn't do with $6 million? Spend conspicuously? Raise a family of layabouts?
I would much rather become financially independent and begin doing the work I want to, when and where I want to. I like to make things, and I like to talk to creative people. I like to do small things really, really well. And I don't like to spend my time dealing with red tape. I feel like I have an obligation to society, but that I don't have to fulfill it by spending my time managing a large corporation. There a lots of other less flashy positions desperate for someone to do a really great job. I want to do something small perfectly, not something huge good enough. Does that make sense?