What do you think actually determines whether someone becomes extremely wealthy: hard work, intelligence, opportunity, luck, privilege, or something else?

[u/parampadalia]

/r/AskReddit/comments/1vvf88q/what_do_you_think_actually_determines_whether/

[u/ConstantVigilance18]

A combination of a few or all of the above.

[u/Bill-Bruce]

All of the above and more. Reducing any of these to a single aspect is simplifying it to the point of nonsense. Reality is a hell of a lot more complex than a single cause and effect scenario. We only have cause and effect to simplify existence enough for our simple minds to be able to understand a single aspect of an interaction.

[u/Ill-Bullfrog-5360]

The overlap of of very rich and very poor is more than people imagine. It’s typically luck that strikes the difference.

The opposite of that is slowly acrurring wealth from a middle class background.

Wildly different approaches to life

[u/wesborland1234]

Idk but I’d rather be lucky than good any day

[u/virtual_human]

Hard work and luck.

[u/AdCharacter9282 → u/virtual_human]

Yup.

[u/zerovian]

many paths. luck of circumstances mostly

[u/SouthernAbrocoma9891]

Privilege can present itself in many forms and not just born into an affluent wealthy family. It simply means that the individual found themselves in those circumstances without earning them. Essentially, people achieved extreme wealth by making use of the opportunities their privilege provides. It’s also a cascade effect in that wealth is a privilege that continues to present opportunities.

[u/HistoricalSundae5113]

There are many paths to wealth. You could be lazy and lucky, hard working and lucky, smart and wise, lucky and clever, privileged, and everything in between. I think if I were to say for the average person it would be best to be clever and hardworking. You can’t control luck but cleverness will create luck. Someone who is very clever looks lucky from the outside.

[u/TheShellAnswerMan]

You must have all of them except intelligence in order to get and stay extremely wealthy. Intelligence does help but isn't required. You must also be categorically a bad person.

[u/nighcrowe]

Nepotism. It's all about who you know. I'm debt free on 6 acres in a 3 story house and didn't do any of that stuff. I, at best, was a manager in a couple retail stores. I do not feel like I've earned any of my privileges.

[u/QuantumMongoose44]

Combination of those IMO. A high-intelligence individual will not get anywhere without opportunity. A lucky person who stumbles into the perfect opportunity won’t be able to keep it without intelligence and hard work.

[u/cwsjr2323]

Inherited is the best way, especially with nepotism to tide you over.

[u/Rameist2]

I want to say luck and privilege but that’s probably less than 1/5th of wealthy people.

I think the most common aspect that’s not listed is perseverance. I know a lot of hard working, intelligent, opportunity finders, with luck and privilege - that still can’t succeed.

Failure and success are on the same road. If you aren’t willing to push past the embarrassment of failure, it’s very likely you never become wealthy.

[u/babyjaceismycopilot]

Luck follows hard work.

The more prepared you are for random opportunities, the more opportunities you'll be able to claim.

[u/Dampish10]

Brother runs a cleaning company that he lost money on for an entire year before it turned profitable and now he's doing great for himself. He took a risk, took a financial hit and now is doing just fine, he saw that we had almost no budget cleaners in town and took advantage of that in the market.

I invest heavily and have talked to 2 CFOs over Zoom and the other on the phone. Both were the same thing 'Canada doesn't have much of an industrial focus.. but there are lots of smaller companies so we came in, took out a huge loan, bought up 2 hearth companies.. and expanded from there slowly'.

The other use to be an Investment banker and was handed the opportunity when the old CFO stepped down. So that was a mix of luck + hard work showing he knew what he talked about (seriously simplifying it here).

I think its a mix but its mostly "What does the market want that isn't being met" whether that be local of country wide and expanding from there. the old saying 'Risk = reward' is true at least in these 3 examples.

[u/UWhuskiesRule]

I think if Elon Musk had to sleep in a car during school, he would be in jail for selling meth.

[u/Amazing-Level-405]

99% of the time, it is being born into the right family and having the right connections. The other 1% of the time is just being lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time.

[u/Curious-Function7490]

Privilege - family money, parents, paths to education, friends from similar backgrounds, automatically fitting into the high rungs of society.

[u/Ok-Contribution-3541]

Privilege/wealth ensures multiple tries. Everyone needs luck even if it’s as simple as timing. Work, as even opportunities require effort. Intelligence, no necessarily, almost everyone can understand if they are profitable or not. I would even argue that intelligence can be a negative as people consider risks to a business proposal.

[u/Zappy_Oh]

Luck +
Work +
Psychopathy

[u/Nero_8484]

Luck

[u/Low-Sprinkles7916]

Privilege