herennow88

You’re ignoring the boring but more important human aspect for abstraction: he was capable of getting such a job once and was well connected to a couple dozen people that could toss $50k/each at him on a pipe dream.

If it failed, he would have had plenty of options relative to the average worker.

An already affluent guy convinced affluent investors to fund a technology company which the social meme was going on and on about being the next big thing.

I find it hard to believe there was any sort of real “risk” to Bezos future ability to earn a more than average wage.

It’s an information and networking game. You can say there’s some sort of numerical or quantifiable risk. But I suspect Bezos status pre-Amazon, in an early 90’s economy, with a very different wealth equality and cost of living scenario for the masses, he was well buffered from any long term ruin.

Just consider how much it’s changed: 22 people invested $50k according to Google. What’s that get you in 1994? My after tax take home is $110ish/year depending on bonus. My purchase power is a fraction of what it was a generation ago. I should be taking home $500k/yr to enjoy the same purchase power as someone making $110k in the 80s. And this is “normal”, we’re told.

Most people don’t even get anywhere near the network access and education he had.

The notion that we exist in a meritocracy is mind bogglingly engrained in the masses. Bezos earned every cent, it seems. They pay economists a lot to measure very carefully and confirm as much.

Bezos is not that good and that special, and took very little real risk. Society is rewarding him so much because that’s what society is told is correct.