Well they sort of do, in that they usually stop working for other people and stop working on anything they don't enjoy. If you're rich enough that you can design your own "job" and delegate anything you don't want to do, it's not really the same concept that most people associate with "work".
Why Don't Rich People Just Stop Working?
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Re: Why Don't Rich People Just Stop Working?
#22We have a real societal disconnect and it's clear that we don't communicate enough with our elder generations. While some people are content to retire and stay home in bed, not having something meaningful to do every day makes quite a lot of people absolutely miserable.
But that's not the option open to the uber-rich. Look at Tom from MySpace. He took a ton of money and is on a permanent vacation. He certainly seems to have a more enjoyable life than Zuckerberg. Although I guess he cannot afford the biggest yachts in the world.
Re: Why Don't Rich People Just Stop Working?
#23They do. For a year and then after doing nothing or maybe a roubd trip around the world they want to redo somehhing. The feeling of succes is better than.. nothing. Plus they dont feel like they are forced too anyway
Re: Why Don't Rich People Just Stop Working?
#24rich people get rich from other people's work. so if the rich "work" it's to pretend that that isn't the arrangement; to maintain the illusion that they work for their money rather that owning the surplus value created by their workers.
Sounds like a rather cynical and false take.
There are probably many reasons for why rich people work.
Re: Why Don't Rich People Just Stop Working?
#25I'm the type people might think is ambitious, I own a business with a high valuation, I've worked hard for a long time, I'm very skilled in my field.
But I only work hard for the reward. Once I cash out and have FU money, I am done working forever. Life is so short, I just want to focus on family, health and pleasure.
I understand that most other ambitious people aren't like that but personally I don't get it.
Re: Why Don't Rich People Just Stop Working?
#26Because it's not working that sucks. It's having to work that sucks.
You can have a lot more fun when you have FU money: at that point it’s about creation, competition or whatever floats your boat.
Re: Why Don't Rich People Just Stop Working?
#27Some people enjoy work.
Some people want impact, not money. They may be driven by their worldview and being able to further it.
Some people worry about getting stale if they dont do anything.
Free time can get boring, one values free time more when they have less of it.
Re: Why Don't Rich People Just Stop Working?
#28Another suggestion not mentioned in the article...maybe the fact that they can afford to use their own free time for anything they want leads them to doing exactly that?
Bill Gates leaving Microsoft to focus on the foundation? - AKA, he wants to focus on making the world a better place
Elon used all that Paypal money and started SpaceX and Tesla? - Also, wants to focus on making the world a better place
If I were Zuckerberg, personally I wouldn't trust all of the power that Facebook has in somebody else's hands...ever.
The kids still have to go to school. Even if you took a year off to say, travel the world or something along those lines...you're going to get bored eventually. Either you'll pick up a hobby (Jimmy Carter and his furniture building) or you will focus on working on something that you care about.
The difference is that you're doing it because you want to, not because you have to. At that point...it's not really work anymore.
Re: Why Don't Rich People Just Stop Working?
#29Because it's not working that sucks. It's having to work that sucks.
Or just even having to work for someone specific as jobs are hard to get.
Re: Why Don't Rich People Just Stop Working?
#30Because being somewhat of a workaholic or craving power / money / achievement is how they got to be wealthy in the first place. This is roughly akin to asking "why don't strong and fit people stop going to the gym?"
> "why don't strong and fit people stop going to the gym?"
You know, in the beforetimes, I went to the gym and asked myself that question a lot. (Just usually more in the context of grumbling "why didn't this incredibly buff dude unload all these plates from this machine")