The Best of Days, The Worst of Days
Do rich people become blasé about money?
I ask because I was reading this article about big-time CEOs and the profit or loss they make each day depending on the value of their company’s shares. For example, yesterday:
Jeffrey Bezos of Amazon.com Inc made around $25 million, with a percentage gain of 0.35% in share value, while Lawrence Ellison of Oracle lost $118 million as Oracle’s share value plummeted by a whopping, er, 0.44%.
I can’t even imagine the surge of adrenaline such gains/losses must elicit. I get excited when I find a $5 note behind the couch, so I think I’d fall into a coma with daily net worth fluctuations involving 8-9 figures.
Do you think they cope by just not really caring because, in the words of Scarlett O’Hara, tomorrow is another day [of market fickleness]?
But this is how it runs in my head, which is usually somewhat removed from true events:
Mr Bezos, bursting through the front door: “Honey guess what? I made $25 million today! Woohoo! [Throws suitcase and laptop in the air.] Screw work tomorrow, I’m taking you and the kids on a space trip!”
Meanwhile, Mr Ellison sits hunched over a rickety wooden table, his head illuminated by a single dusty lampshade swaying above. He swigs back the remaining drops from a bottle of Jim Beam. A black Labrador sits obediently beside him, his head on Mr Ellison’s lap. “Data, I’m ruined I tell you! How can I show my face in Boardroom 6 tomorrow?” Data blinks.
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Sunday, July 8th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
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The really rich only worry about relationships, lurv and amigos apparently. One rich guy had his credit card information stolen in Harrod’s in London and someone ran up 120,000 GB pounds worth of debt on it, he didn’t even notice until the police told him. lol !
July 8th, 2007 at 9:06 pmHi Vic,
Now that’s rich!
Actually I just read an article in Vanity Fair about the ex-wife of a Texan billionaire who was held hostage in her own home. The men wanted her to give them $8 million in cash, or wire it into their bank account. But she couldn’t, because she hadn’t done her own banking for over 20 years.
July 9th, 2007 at 10:18 amI guess since the money is invested, they don’t actually see it. To them, it’s just an asset. I think the salary they receive is the only thing that they consider. Also, if you have $100, if you lose a penny, you might not freak….
July 9th, 2007 at 11:15 am