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Re:My Path to Financial Independence as a Software Engineer by fragmede on Sunday December 26, 2021 @03:41PM (#29696109)
GP poster is also incorrect. Prior to his passing, famous DJ Avicii is estimated to have an estate of 50 million USD; well-off enough to never work again if he didn't want to. There's also, y'know, the Royal Family. GPs post would lead you to believe that Swedish society is flat, but there are absolutely bank managers (or something, I never got a chance to ask) running around driving Porsches while the rich plebs own thirty year-old cars, or don't own cars and take public transit. There are people who can skip the line to getting housing in Stockholm by buying a flat instead of waiting in line for years for a rental property. 20-year olds in the technology field are still much better off, economically, than someone who's chosen to be circus performer or artist.

However, a world-class DJ and the fact that some people are richer than others doesn't really contradict the claim that Sweden is much more egalitarian, and my previous points need to be examined within the broader culture of Sweden and Scandinavia in general. (Many Swedes commute daily into Denmark.) Having a car is convenient, but thanks to a world-class public transportation network in Stockholm, rather unnecessary. Car ownership is thus less of a deal compared to much of the US. While the privileged in Silicon Valley are trying to get "fuck you" money (more eloquently expressed as Financial Indpendence / Retiring Early - FIRE), the older Swedes I met still work, and are most proud of the days or week off their job affords and middle-class people are able to travel more than I see Americans (though a lot of that is cultural, but time off work and plane tickets+hotel is expensive).

Re:My Path to Financial Independence as a Software Engineer by beaconstudios on Sunday December 26, 2021 @07:46PM (#29697839)
brb, becoming a member of the Swedish Royal family.