Being a productive member of society is meaningful. I'm from Scandinavia and a lot of our identity is tied up with our careers. Being without a job or any structural social purpose is asking for depression.

GWF Hegel wrote about suffering from indeterminacy. In short, autonomy is inherently social, so ways of life that are merely abstract (i.e. that society does not recognize in terms of existing mores) are void of satisfaction. Satisfaction is only real and concrete through reciprocal recognition. So the "I can do anything" type of freedom is only mere freedom (Willkür), which drains the individual of intersubjectively verifiable self-determination. I.e. you're determining yourself, but no one can recognize it without coercion, and you're unable to recognize it in social reality only in your mind. (And conversely, over-determinacy is slavery.

So even if you don't need to work for money, you might need a job to be able to find meaning in your life. We are a social species that survive on collective efforts.

Personally, if I had won lots of money I would strive to live on as if I didn't.

Evergreen link: https://www.amazon.com/Bullshit-Jobs-Theory-David-Graeber/dp...

The hell with this. Society nows recognizes Early Retirment as a status to aspire to. People look up to joung retirees, and this provides a pretty big identity.

The FI movement now put a name and label on it, so the belonging part of meaning is covered.

    (!a -> !b) =/=> (a -> b)

I think for me personally a 4-6h workday on 4 days per week would be optimal. It's enjoyable to actually work together with a team on a product and provide a service which people want to use.

Such part time jobs can be very fulfilling if money is not an issue.

Open source might be the right avenue for this type of freedom. Work on something important like Matrix or something

not in my experience. there are often people around that only do 25-35hours per week... at least in the places I've worked at 'till now.

> Open source might be the right avenue for this type of freedom

with open source, you're always an outside contributor. That might be enough for some - but I doubt that my motivation could keep up long term in that setting.

So don't chill out too much. Divest out of Coinbase, continue life as before and get used to the money. Take your time before changing everything and increasing your spending levels. In a year or so, hopefully you'll have diversified and your head will have cooled from the new money, and you'll be more leveled and realistic about what this money enables you to do, and how to handle your life going forward.

As far as I can tell, it seems like a large (20-50) percentage of people who have a large windfall... end up losing it all because they don't take the time to learn how to handle it.

Good luck and happy birthday!

1. Bad budgeting or lack of diversification. "95% of my money was in Enron"

2. Confirmation Bias. "I build a successful company once, I can do it again, but this time with my own money"

3. Hedonic Treadmill. "Flying commercial is so annoying, I'm going to fly private, and figure out how to pay for it later"

The good stories are around the middle.

Now if they actually had this financing in place, this would all be fine - but nobody can find a proper accounting of who they're doing business with at the scale they claim to be doing business, beyond the observation that none of the big US players seem to have any business with them - so what assets are actually backing tether?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasgans/2021/05/13/tether-...

Note that the vast majority is "commercial paper": basically short term loans to companies with relatively risky backing. The problem is that's all we seem to know: no one knows from who they've been buying these. It might be large US companies with 50 year histories, or it might be Chinese property developers at risk of bankruptcy (at which point international debtors will be the first to lose their money).

Additionally, say you hold 50% tether and the rest in a mix of coins. Your portfolio would be cut in half. How does that result in other coins being purchased if people are uncertain of tethers true value and unwilling to trade for it.

Then there’s the whole using tether as margin for leverage or if your margin is based on tether, and that disappears, your position will be liquidated. Now add the layers of derivatives that are quoted and settled in tether. Additionally what exchanges can you trust that will let you cash out in an event like this? People will run to the doors and liquidity will disappear creating a larger sell off as people seek shelter in liquid assets.

There's also drugs and gambling! /s

For example, during the 2001 tech boom/bust a lot of tech companies went bankrupt in a very short period of time. As a result a lot of tech employees saw the value of their stock/options drop to zero (effectively). The speed in which the bust happened caught a lot of people off guard.

It is generally a good idea to move at least some of that money into a diversified portfolio as soon as possible. But folks often put this off because they don't want to pay the cap gains taxes and/or they think the stock will keep climbing.

There is no right way of doing it, you’ll never sell at the top. At least the right moment is when you can use the money for a project.

This is likely closer to reality, if one is cryptocurrency savvy.

I agree with all your advice, but I think that^'s impossible to tell. The vast majority of people successfully and sensibly handling such things are (partly as a result or even 'input' of it) not talking about it.

It reads like a version of "The Celestine Prophecy" [2] but aimed at a middle-aged tech bubble. Could you (or anyone else) compare the two, for a very slow reader to make a decision? :D

PS yes the comparison is probably too harsh but that was honestly my first gut reaction...

[1]: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36481028-4000-weeks-a-li...

[2]: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13103.The_Celestine_Prop...

I know I'd like to do that, but I've always liked teaching so maybe it's not fitting to everyone.

E.g. I volunteer at a local (Brazilian) nonprofit org as part of my employers' give-back programs and I love it. I try to get (underpriviledged) kids interested in computer science concepts by discussing how they are applied in games. It is all remote (which adds a level of challenge)

I'd believe many such orgs exist. In fact, writing this it occurs to me that putting together a curated list could be a worthwhile effort.

I also have my email on my profile, please contact me with a bit more info...

Obrigado e tudo de bom pra vc!

My friend, if I had never work again money, I'd just pile up Masters and PhDs.

I‘d probably feel empty myself just accumulating knowledge all my life and not applying it to any high impact problem worth solving.

It is also about advancing the state of all human knowledge. Like what the big tech companies promise that you'll be doing, but without the corrupting element of needed it to be immediately profitable. Much less evil.

A good Ph.D. program should be built on solving a high impact problem. I nailed a few of them, including a couple of medical breakthroughs around some pretty serious diseases. Didn't make any money off of it, but did make a big difference to the world.

And after the Masters, the emphasis is not on 'studying' as much as it is in 'teaching'-- you should be teaching others how to think and approach a problem. Again, potential for massive impact.

I would also feel empty just accumulating for myself. But that's not what Ph.D./post-doc is about. It actually sounds more like getting a job at a FAANG where you are paid megabucks to get 6-yr olds addicted or to destroy the internet or to totally co-op open source.

I chose the entrepreneurial path to societal impact for myself, but you reminded me about that a lot of the basic research we‘re all depending on was done by doctorands and researchers.

And just like entrepreneurs, you‘ve got two kinds of PhDs as well…

2. Find love but keep your wealth a secret until you're sure they are the One and financially responsible. Love comes undone fast over money, and you'll probably need a pre-nup to avoid getting cut in half if things go south. Easier if your partner is also a professional and has assets which goes back to them being financially responsible.

3. Establish a relationship with a law firm. You never know when you're going to need them.

4. Build those software projects you've always wanted to.

Because military, government etc. all deserve people who are in it for "the best" / purpose alone, especially if that's different from the motivation of the majority of people who join.

Or do you mean you think they are joining to be violent? There are plenty of nonviolent MOS. For example, they might want to be a cargo pilot or join the cyberwarfare program.

I think it might have been the best outcome. Actually on second thought, no, I'd love to not work. Congrats.

I'm a similar age as you (30) and like you I've built a decent amount of wealth to the point where I no longer need to work anymore. Over the last couple of years I've had to question what life means beyond money and all the hedonistic pleasures which money can buy.

I don't know how transferable my experience is, but I would warn against focusing on pursuits that are overly self-indulgent. At some point you're going to find there just isn't much more you can want, and you may even find yourself feeling depressed and confused about what your next pursuit should be -- especially if you've always been a highly driven individual like myself.

Instead I've found looking around myself and asking how I can help others has given my life a sense of purpose again. You may not be able to make yourself any happier with money, but you can improve the lives of others. And to be clear, I'm not talking strictly about spending money here (although that is an option), but if you don't need to work anymore simply volunteering your time in a way you believe will make a difference can give your life a huge amount of meaning.

Congrats... but be careful. Some young people underestimate the amount of money needed to "never work again". If you're not working then you don't have group health insurance. You're in the individual market, which often has crappy insurance providers. If you have a serious health issue, and get into a dispute with the insurance provider, your illness can cost millions. If you have > $10 mils you're probably safe though, assuming you invest wisely.

Thanks to Obamacare, individual plans have the same coverage as employer plans. Without Obamacare I couldn't have started my company which now employs 9 people in well paid tech jobs (without a penny of outside investment). I'd be stuck in an artificial set of handcuffs imposed by a stupid legacy system of tying health insurance to employment.

Yes, without Obamacare it wouldn't be possible for me to even imagine retiring early.

> Thanks to Obamacare, individual plans have the same coverage as employer plans.

Not quite. The network is usually smaller. Employer plans have a nationwide network. Which means that if you get a rare disease for which the best doctor is in UC San Diego, you can fly over there and get treatment. Most Obamacare plans have limited networks, for example in my area only in-state providers are on the network.

Health insurance is bullshit obviously. the costs are hidden and definitely suppress what our wages could be. A government solution would be hard pressed to be worse.

My point is, (speaking strictly from a consumer POV) whatever is the reason, the NYC doctors just didn't take Obamacare plans, period.

In other parts of the country I’ve had more success using insurance.

Oh come on, I am comparing apples to apples (my last insurance, and my BIL's current insurance). But that's fine, I see why the mental gymnastics are being played here.

How much did this cost? How did you find/arrange it? This is fascinating. When selecting my healthcare I remember wishing I had the time to make so many calls and then just gambled with an educated guess.

I think I paid around $200.

I suppose my fascination is that this seems like a 'platonic' example of globalism in action. But in my mental model of globalism, the ability to engage with its benefits are an exponential function of ability to spend public-company amounts of money.

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/1/8/18173678/tr...

Why is penalizing people you disagree with (or secretly agree with, but just hate) more important to you than saving lives?

If the net effect is saving lives, improving health, reducing poverty, battling pandemics, fighting quack medicine, and advancing science, then maybe the DO deserve to pat themselves on the back, huh?

Fk you money where you don't ever need to work again and* maintain a big lifestyle is a totally different story though. Doesn't mean OP can't take a break for a year or two though.

People who find meaning in being rich, enjoy being rich.

I kind of think riches are an illusion - you should just go directly to whatever you find meaningful in the first place. Which might include a lot of experiences to find out what that is. Essentially: living.

You can still do that - although having to do something is very motivating, even if we don't like it!

I've worked with a few people who can afford to retire, but find themselves happier showing up to work everyday.

Also, consider YC's founder matching network. Let someone else figure out what the product is, how to sell it, and you just do the bits that you enjoy.

Looking for external sources of happiness is likely a losing battle. Keep your eyes open and you will likely see somewhere to be useful/maybe even create something that both helps others and makes something for yourself to get to the yachts stage. In the mean time, try working on relationships around you and maybe volunteer/give back with something more valuable than money - yours skills and experience. Good luck!!!

When I had questions, I ended up changing from chemistry to philosophy in undergrad (before dropping out after realizing no one had the answers). Despite the aforementioned realization, the grounding in Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Nietzsche, Wittgenstein and a few others gave me fertile grounds to later plant seeds of wisdom from thinkers and artists from every walk of life.

I wish I could help you with the struggle, but unfortunately, like most learned things, it’s something that only you can do. If you ever want to, I’d be happy to chat seriously about what it means to be human, beyond making money, any time.

From one sick bed to another: best of luck, and happy birthday.

Also consider the wealth expatriation tax of your host country-they can really sting.

Re taxes in particular I would guess there's no risk of hopping on a plane today and figuring that out later. As much as everyone likes to think governments are sitting there waiting to shout "got ya" it seems unlikely that any single government starts putting you on a tax watch list as soon as your passport is scanned at the airport.

Depending on exactly how much I made, these are daydreams I've had before:

Start a "company" that focuses purely on open source contribution. Pay people tech salaries just to work on open source projects they care about. My main intent would be to focus on areas where no decent open source software exists or is dominated by a small number of complacent companies that consider it a license to print money.

Learn how to teach and mentor kids, then do it. My mom is a high school computer science and math teacher, and I always wonder how much more effective she could be if funding for equipment wasn't an issue. My students would have access to whatever I thought could benefit their education.

Be a stay-at-home father. My mom was a stay-at-home mom until I turned 16, and my dad worked from home when I was 8 through 12 (the years following the dotcom crash) I started learning to program and got into robotics at 8 years old and I don't think I would've been nearly as successful starting at that age if I didn't have access to both of my parents pretty much constantly. If I ever have children, I would want to give them the same or better. Try to guide them along whatever piques their interest and enable them to access the resources to do well.

My personal view on life is that there really isn't any higher meaning to it. I'm content to wander the Earth finding and doing interesting things until the day I die.

I was a fat kid who managed to lose the weight around ~16 and kept it off till my 30s. I'm 36 now and independently wealthy - much chubbier now than in my 20s. I can tell you that money and lack of worries doesn't make finding the motivation to see a large weight loss through any easier. I go through periods of working out/playing sports for 3-4 hours a day, but if you like eating, it's easy to super compensate and continue to put on weight. I always seem to manage eating one more croissant.

You don't have to do it all at once to become healthier either. any year where you trend downward, even by half a pound, is an improvement. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. Again, easier said than done, but you don't have to be comprehensive - just 1% better every day.

Happy to chat with you about weight loss and health if it would be helpful: zemvpferreira @ the old gmail.

Buying a farm, building a nice private park, building Rome style bath, japanese onsen and having space for family and friends so they would like to visit me because it's very nice.

But sure you need the interest in wanting to design and build your own house, park, pool etc.

[0]. http://livingvipassana.blogspot.com/2010/02/bipolar-chronicl...

Also very helpful to hear someone sincerely tout anti-depressants. All the people I personally know have had mediocre to bad experiences with them, so it's nice to hear the other side of it.

It made me a better entrepreneur, better father, better spouse.

Like the commenter above stated, there are people who have psychiatric breakdowns following or during such courses. I don't think the Vipassana organization is doing a good job making this information transparent. But, from my anecdotal experience of over 20 years of courses, these cases are very few and far between.

https://www.dhamma.org/en-US/courses/search

Maybe he'll buy a house for $50k?

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/142-Abiguchee-Ln-Richwood...

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/26-2nd-Ave-NE-Mayville-ND...

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/107-S-2nd-St-Greene-IA-50...

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/0-County-Road-19-Scottsbl...

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/421-N-11th-Ave-Fairview-O...

There are a lot of people in the world who make $18/hour. This would cover their expenses. On the other hand someone like Bill Gates or Jeffrey Bezos have much higher expenses to you.

To start, you can pick a Psychology 101 textbook (I like Psychology and Life [4]) and then read the people and bibliography mentioned in these Wikipedia articles.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_psychology

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanistic_psychology

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_and_psychology

[4] https://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Life-Richard-Gerrig/dp/020...

But understanding life has, in my experience, been similar to the hermeneutic circle: to understand a part, you must understand the whole, and to understand the whole, you must understand the parts…

That is: the entry point is here - learn about the world and about how humans think about and perceive it. Start anywhere, but start.

*edit: I forgot to add also history. It also helps to shed light on the different meanings people have discovered over time.

What # employee were you?

Was it options/RSUs?

What % of the company do you have?

How long did you work there?

I ask because I am at a series B, and I'm very optimistic for our future. But I am only employee #100 or so and don't see a big payout for me barring a multi billion dollar exit (a little too far fetched). I'm just curious how it all goes down for those lucky employees.

And keep in mind, at the early stage startups salaries are often lower and the startup is likely pre product market fit. So it is much more risky. Employee #100 feels like the sweet spot because it likely means the startup has found product market fit and is hitting the accelerator re growth, but you still get a taste of early employee equity.

Of course this is just in terms of maximizing "IPO lottery" potential. If you are trying to maximize probable net worth, FAANG probably wins due to higher compensation.

Happy birthday

I've been working at startups for decades but haven't been in the right place at the right time (no complaints, I've made a few hundred grand from options and I still may make more in the future) however I've worked with a number of people who have hit home runs.

Only a few of them have gone on to build their own startups from scratch though which is somewhat disappointing in my eyes. Of course, it's their choice but if I'm ever it that position, I'd definitely fork a new company as soon as the dust settled.

So. . . is it practical for you to start a new company and have you considered it?

New friends can be very costly, indeed! Good advise is priceless.

Advise given by other people? Think: What is their financial status? Do they work with these type of questions? Just ask: What would they do with 10k of 100k. Most will burn it, short term! = WRONG

Like I never give medical advise, because I only finished first aid class.

don't be sad.

Edit: and travel the world. Maybe travel the world and angel invest ... startups outside the US would appreciate it!

But first, you must shed al appearance of wealth, and don’t ever let anybody know about your money until your babies need it.

I also love Russian lit, so so checkout Oblomov and Tolstoy shorter novels like the Death of Ivan Ilyich. I think you’d really like the japanese book Musashi as well (or the incredible Vagabond manga adapted after it)

If you have money, it won't be fun. And it's hard to un-do.

Great one, I would recommend not taking too long to get back in the game of goals as they keep you moving forward, also maybe start looking for a life partner if you haven't done yet.

At 27 maybe you should look into spending more time with / starting a family?

Even if I didn't have to, I decided to get a job while having kids to maintain sanity and use the paid paternity leave. Now that the kids are older and I feel like I have a brain again, I'm back at doing what I like: building online businesses.

I highly recommend pursuing family, but you need to be careful in your situation. Getting in a relationship on a lavish lifestyle is a good recipe for a divorce later on. Once I started looking (~at 25), I was extremely blunt in what I was looking for and that helped screen things considerably.

I personally decided to start a family without marrying because marriage laws are pretty unfair towards men where I am and create an incentive towards a divorce and lies just to extract money from the other part. You don't know how your partner will turn out in 10 years, so better safe than sorry. We're still buying a house together and splitting 50/50 irrespective of income / savings. That should make sure there won't be a wife maintenance for me to pay in case we split up and that I won't lose 50% of the house. We also have wills to make sure we have guardianship of kids and access to money in case someone dies.

It seems like having children is something you may enjoy in 30-40 years - or rather will potentially prevent feeling miserable and alone in 30-40 years. But in the short term - at least 2-3 years, but likely much longer - it can be quite miserable.

Now, given that we don't know how long we get to live and what sort of health we will be in, time when you are younger seems more valuable than time when you are older. That would suggest that having children is often a bad idea, unless you strongly believe that you will enjoy the whole experience. But then, imagining what my own parents' and grandparents' life would be like today had they not had children, it seems like it would be far worse. But their circumstances were very different, too.

As for end results for child and parents, I am really unsure whether slow-and-planned beats random-pregnancy-and-shotgun-fatherhood. Both succeed and both fail.

You don't have to do it with your own cash.