> Ok, so what's my point? Well, the mindset of those junior bankers is what permeates America. We're all temporarily embarrassed millionaires, right? It's a kind of shared madness.

I think you're missing the point. It's not really about not getting rich quick...the junior bankers probably spent months/years of 100+ hours weeks working on slide decks to get this done, only to have all their work thrown out. For the guys at the top its just one of many deals that fell threw, but for the junior bankers it's probably the most important if not only deal they've worked on in their short careers, and now it's thrown out. I think you'd be upset if a year+ of your work suddenly counted for nothing, regardless of the amount of money involved.

> People in life are what matters. Money matters too, of course, and it's tempting to dream about having FU riches. But when we live in this culture where we're all trying to gamble, and institutions are trying to gamble, and the losers get quietly swept under the rug and silenced, all that's left is the impression that everyone is winning except you.

FWIW most of the people working in the finance industry are not chasing money thinking of themselves as temporarily embarrassed millionaires, they are simply trying to provide stability and a good life for their families.

> My Bitcoin friend from 2010 wound up a millionaire, but he lost his love along the way, and as far as I know he still hasn't found anyone. Was that rich life worth it?

Isn't this a false dichotomy? Tons of people divorce because of lack of money too.