This story tells me that if you do something that you enjoy and you're good at it, then good things will come. I see no point in not continuing doing what you enjoy. You shouldn't stop doing it just because others would enjoy doing something else. When you're doing things just for making money it is much more difficult to make and keep them. It is the same thing as with weight loss. Live healthily and your weight will normalize too. If you're just trying to lose weight it will be much harder, and you may not even get there.
I agree that money has nothing to do with happiness but his life style doesn't show a reason why he needs to work hard to earn more money since he doesn't use that money. Maybe to earn something else...
Many stories (not all of them) about billionaires have a common them, as Ted Turner said in an interview: "If you want to have money, keep it!"
That's very true. The people are doing something not because for one reason of making so much money and then spending it lavishly but because they enjoy doing it. The surgeons are making relatively good money but I never want to be a doctor because I don't like it. Money is just a byproduct of the work people are doing. At least for people who earned it and those are the majority. How people feel about their work comes first how they feel about spending their earned money comes second.
Man, a lot of you guys would not score well on the SAT exams on the reading comprehension part. First of all, this guy is not working hard to earn more money. In fact, he never said he was working hard. Here was his quote: "I'm not afraid of turning 80 and I have lots of things to do. I don't have time for dying," Kamprad said. Second, the guy has built this company with his own bare hands from his own garage some 60 years ago in Sweden. Like many people who create things in life (no one on this board), he doesn't wish to see his lifelong work destroyed by some opportunist waiting in the wings. Kudos to him. I think the problem many of you have here on ET is you assume everything people do in life is for money. Some people, I know this will come as a shock to a lot of you, actually do things because they enjoy it. They take pride in themselves. Or perhaps because it challenges them. Not everyone wants to be a soulless yuppie living in an overpriced condo on the coast. I know, kind of hard to believe isn't it?
Oh... wise Maverick74. It is obvious that you didn't fully digest what I wrote before commenting. My comments below: You know some things are not received well by others not because they are "retarded" or because the guy who wrote them is "smoking a joint." As time goes by, you will realize that there are many levels of experience and consciousness among people. If these things that I wrote (fully sober, I might add) do not make any sense to you, then that doesn't invalidate them and doesn't make them "retarded". If you open up your mind to various perspectives, you might find one that actually might shape your perception and on which you can build your legacy. Good luck with that. I didn't say he was living in a cave. Have you seen his home on Lac Léman? If not, then you might not know that it is a "great home". That is besides the point though. I have actually lived in Switzerland. I went to College du Leman in Versoix, Geneva. I have known and still now quite a few wealthy people who oftentimes would do better without all that wealth. Again, that's besides the point. My comments were in regards to being excessively cheap. Whether Mr. Ikea is or not, well, he proudly eludes to the fact that he is. "Careful with money"... wow! How careful do you have to be if you are worth 10's of billions? The key fact here would be to find out what his money is doing while he is chopping for cheap airfare. Is it helping sick kids in Africa? Is it contributing to the progress of humanity? In either case, my comments were in regards to my philosophy on money in general and not this guy in particular. I don't know enough about him specifically. As far as my futures account, you don't have to worry about that. I don't have credit card debt. I don't have any debt at all, in fact. My account is not with IB, sorry. Read, comprehend, formulate a thought and then respond if you think it is worthwhile. Is that really what you think a trader's happiness would consist of? That's not my idea of fun. I am with you on the importance of sound risk and money management. It is good to be wise with your expenses and investments. Strange that you should come to this conclusion. What did you perceive what my definition of happiness to be? What is yours? In the end, money is only a tool to help us fulfill our desires. If he is happy knowing that he is sitting a cramped seat while he can fly his own jet, then so be it. Different strokes.... I won't comment further but look forward to your reply.
If you have that kind of money, it should be put to work to improve lives of others , hey, there are still people dying because they don't have food. All politicians,wealthy people should be put without food for 1 week, I am pretty sure that would realize that it's a crime not to share when you have too much money....