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3) win a mega lottery Skittles Dec 2013 #1
Lottery winners pay taxes. And spend a lot of it. Archaic Dec 2013 #4
Now we're talking about the ways people *stay* rich demwing Dec 2013 #66
very true. liberal_at_heart Dec 2013 #2
J.K. Rowling, Michael Jordan, and Bruce Springsteen would disagree. n/t bluedigger Dec 2013 #3
maybe they can lend me some money to start a business. liberal_at_heart Dec 2013 #5
They all fall under #2. El_Johns Dec 2013 #13
No they dont. nt stevenleser Dec 2013 #15
Why do you think so? El_Johns Dec 2013 #25
He doesn't - he thinks not. Why do you think so? demwing Dec 2013 #65
He thinks so: that it's not. I asked the poster the question. El_Johns Dec 2013 #69
let's assume he disagreed because demwing Dec 2013 #99
They do... canuckledragger Dec 2013 #29
Those aren't friends demwing Dec 2013 #64
They actually do jmowreader Dec 2013 #30
If you are setting the bar that low, I guess. bluedigger Dec 2013 #45
I don't think they necessarily had a rich friend treestar Dec 2013 #55
Bullshit. Rawling was on public assistance when she started writing as a way to relieve her bluestate10 Dec 2013 #75
Her being on assistance is immaterial. ditto springsteen's alleged "poverty". El_Johns Dec 2013 #76
Huh? seattledo Dec 2013 #115
What do you think they're respective opinions of Warner/NBA/Columbia Records are? n/t Egalitarian Thug Dec 2013 #49
OK way 3 treestar Dec 2013 #54
And each of them was made super-rich by selling their talent to huge corporations. Egalitarian Thug Dec 2013 #83
Statistical outliers. YoungDemCA Dec 2013 #90
According to the OP there are NO outliers. Dr. Strange Dec 2013 #100
And they will remain the ONLY TWO ways to get rich jmowreader Jan 2014 #141
Most huge corporations started by middle class people-Nike, Apple, Walmart, Microsoft etc. ErikJ Dec 2013 #6
Phil Knight was the son of a lawyer turned publisher. Knight's father sold out El_Johns Dec 2013 #12
What about the hundreds of others? Very few created by supposed "job creators" ErikJ Dec 2013 #17
"Middle class tinkerers" with intelligence & Ivy League backgrounds. El_Johns Dec 2013 #19
I'd bet for every corporation started by Ivy Leaguer ErikJ Dec 2013 #24
You mentioned specific corporations. El_Johns Dec 2013 #26
And all started by middle class ErikJ Dec 2013 #28
I addressed your first list of "middle class" people; Steve Jobs was the only one who could El_Johns Dec 2013 #33
Garage tinkerers rarely get rich. jmowreader Dec 2013 #31
I heard only one of 2000 patents makes a profit. ErikJ Dec 2013 #47
It's a fact? Where's the study showing that? El_Johns Dec 2013 #58
Middle class? enlightenment Dec 2013 #57
Rich kid, Lower Middle Class kids, Rich kid, Very, Very Rich Kids. Egalitarian Thug Dec 2013 #82
So you SUPPORT the idea that tax cuts for the rich (job creators) WILL be good for job creation? ErikJ Dec 2013 #84
I didn't say anything remotely like that. Did you reply to the wrong post? Egalitarian Thug Dec 2013 #86
My WHOLE POINT is that 99% of our corporations were conceived by independent people ErikJ Dec 2013 #88
We agree on the cause and solutions to the problem. Where we disagree is your assertion that huge Egalitarian Thug Dec 2013 #93
Most if not all corporate founders are INDEPENDENT INNOVATORS and entrepreneurs. ErikJ Dec 2013 #94
Where are you getting this "tax cuts for the rich" crap? You are the only one talking about this Egalitarian Thug Dec 2013 #97
RW propaganda is that we have to cut taxes for the super-rich BECAUSE they are the "JOB CREATORS"! ErikJ Dec 2013 #98
OK, Let's talk about Edison. El_Johns Dec 2013 #108
Thanks for proving my point. A strong middle class is what creates innovators and entrepreneurs. ErikJ Dec 2013 #110
With backing from big money. Without that, bupkis for the good ideas. And big money doesn't El_Johns Dec 2013 #111
Thanks for making my point again. ALL of them ultimately CAME from the middle class FIRST. ErikJ Dec 2013 #112
No, they didn't. Bill Gates was the great-grandson & grandson of bankers, a birth member of El_Johns Dec 2013 #113
Thats absurd. They ultimately all started out poor ErikJ Dec 2013 #114
What in the hell are you talking about? Now you're claiming that because maybe Gates' El_Johns Dec 2013 #116
I said Paul Allen was true founder of Microsoft anyway. ErikJ Dec 2013 #117
OK, now Paul Allen is the founder of MS because Gates doesn't fit your storyline. El_Johns Dec 2013 #118
Oh yeah as if university employees in the 1960's were multi-millionaires. ErikJ Dec 2013 #119
Do you always need to resort to straw men? It bespeaks the lack of a strong argument. El_Johns Dec 2013 #120
NO university job pays upper middle class except for football coach!! ErikJ Dec 2013 #121
Sorry, you have no idea what you're talking about. El_Johns Dec 2013 #123
Youre stuck on temporary income--theyre ALL from MIDDLE CLASS STOCK ErikJ Dec 2013 #126
"stock" = yeah, they're all ultimately descended from poor cavemen. El_Johns Dec 2013 #128
Youre absurd. Is that why Google's founders RENTED A GARAGE? ErikJ Dec 2013 #131
You mean the poor guys had money to RENT a garage???? El_Johns Dec 2013 #133
Right. It takes money to make money. There are TONS of talented, brilliant people valerief Dec 2013 #138
More high-tech companies started with funding from other corporations: El_Johns Jan 2014 #139
You keep asserting that but I haven't seen any evidence but your list of corporations which El_Johns Dec 2013 #101
Youre obviously incapable of understanding the point. ErikJ Dec 2013 #106
Please point me to where I (or the OP) claimed that corporations were founded by other El_Johns Dec 2013 #109
I did however point out that your premise of average Americans starting huge corporations was wrong. Egalitarian Thug Dec 2013 #89
I am FOR business and corporations. They DO create jobs and a strong economy. My problem ErikJ Dec 2013 #92
For the last time, your claim that 99% of these huge corporations were started by people from Egalitarian Thug Dec 2013 #95
I dont care if the founder is an upper middle class millionaire's son or not. ErikJ Dec 2013 #96
Edison Electric was founded from the beginning with backing from Western Union, controlled El_Johns Dec 2013 #122
Even Vanderbilt came from middle class parents ErikJ Dec 2013 #124
Oh for god's sake. You're ridiculous. El_Johns Dec 2013 #127
Again, NOTHING compared to billionaire income. ErikJ Dec 2013 #129
You don't know bupkis about "ferry operators then" & dont pretend you do. Yeah, the El_Johns Dec 2013 #130
You sound a bit bitter now-what happened? ErikJ Dec 2013 #132
Straw men & personal attacks, it's all you got. It's been fun, but I'd rather argue with someone El_Johns Dec 2013 #134
YEAH? WELL GO TELL IT TO YOUR SHRINK! ErikJ Dec 2013 #135
You have a problem. Your alleged class origin (1%) is probably why you think people of your El_Johns Dec 2013 #136
Couple more... Demo_Chris Dec 2013 #7
Exactly. WillowTree Dec 2013 #11
This message was self-deleted by its author Electric Monk Dec 2013 #23
Lovely Defense Of The Weathly HangOnKids Dec 2013 #107
Without capital how do you market, develop, manufacture your product? As you acknowledge in El_Johns Dec 2013 #14
Convince the SBA or a bank or group of investors to fund it. They dont have to be friends. nt stevenleser Dec 2013 #16
"Friends" used loosely, & if they're "friends" it sure helps to get in the door. Point 2) still El_Johns Dec 2013 #18
No, point two doesn't stand. None of the SBA or Bank or group of investors is your friend. stevenleser Dec 2013 #20
Bill Gates was rich at birth, due to his $1 million dollar trust fund from grandpa. El_Johns Dec 2013 #21
That is not a defense of OPs point number two. It has thoroughly been debunked. nt stevenleser Dec 2013 #22
What has been thoroughly debunked? El_Johns Dec 2013 #27
Your number 4 is another way to phrase my number 2 jmowreader Dec 2013 #32
Statistically speaking... Orrex Dec 2013 #41
Perhaps I am overstating the case in terms of becoming RICH... Demo_Chris Dec 2013 #42
Have you seen the statistics for the number of small businesses that succeed? Orrex Dec 2013 #44
Answers (your questions in bold) Demo_Chris Dec 2013 #52
Most small businesses fail because of lack of capital & expertise. El_Johns Dec 2013 #59
"Business plan." Igel Dec 2013 #60
A business plan isn't expertise. Expertise includes, for example, $ to hire good lawyers. El_Johns Dec 2013 #61
Good post. nt Demo_Chris Dec 2013 #72
This message was self-deleted by its author Demo_Chris Dec 2013 #71
It's a sign of lack of capital. El_Johns Dec 2013 #73
You see - that is not the REAL issue/problem, this is: The Straight Story Dec 2013 #8
Jesus Cosmocat Dec 2013 #78
You can have both ways like Al Gore! n/t indie9197 Dec 2013 #9
Or George W Bush and his dad! n/t indie9197 Dec 2013 #10
It would seem like entertainers and athletes may not fall into either category. hughee99 Dec 2013 #34
Is rich the only objective? People in Spain started the Mondragon Cooperative by borrowing jtuck004 Dec 2013 #35
There's always cheating & stealing. baldguy Dec 2013 #36
Like the famous "middle-class tinkerer" Mark Zuckerberg. First he stole some people's ideas, then El_Johns Dec 2013 #37
Do you mean that pulling myself up by my bootstraps won't work? ... Little Star Dec 2013 #38
Untrue FBaggins Dec 2013 #39
The incomparable Kurt Vonnegut addressed this quite handily: Orrex Dec 2013 #40
"'Go where the rich and the powerful are,' I'd tell him, 'and learn their ways." = so true. El_Johns Dec 2013 #70
If you are good enough pipoman Dec 2013 #43
2a) Cozy government contracts JHB Dec 2013 #46
Way Number 3: Steal it. Egalitarian Thug Dec 2013 #48
bull - sounds like sour grapes DrDan Dec 2013 #50
"In a moment of inspiration, Blakely cut the feet off panty house, and Spanx was born". Nye Bevan Dec 2013 #51
This just isn't true. DanTex Dec 2013 #53
BS Boom Sound 416 Dec 2013 #56
When I saw the thread title... BlueCheese Dec 2013 #62
Complete and utter horseshit. nt woolldog Dec 2013 #63
There is only one way.... Luck n/t Taitertots Dec 2013 #67
Option 3: bank robber? L0oniX Dec 2013 #68
You are dead wrong. Some of the largest companies in the world were started up simply, bluestate10 Dec 2013 #74
Can you name some of these companies started in garages, funded solely out of earnings from El_Johns Dec 2013 #77
So the take away is marybourg Dec 2013 #79
Depends on what you mean by rich Major Nikon Dec 2013 #80
Why the American obsession with "getting rich"? moondust Dec 2013 #81
How about getting a good education then a good job taught_me_patience Dec 2013 #85
For 1%ers, you are probably mostly right. Incitatus Dec 2013 #87
"founders of Google, Facebook and Ebay" El_Johns Dec 2013 #105
Most rich people are born rich or at least upper-middle class... YoungDemCA Dec 2013 #91
Not true, a friend of mine started with a bucket of doc03 Dec 2013 #102
You couldnt be more wrong. nt darkangel218 Dec 2013 #103
I don't want you on my team. Throd Dec 2013 #104
Have a good idea, whose time has come. 1000words Dec 2013 #125
What about the stock market, or flipping houses? leeroysphitz Dec 2013 #137
That's how you get rich then poor then rich then poor then rich then poor... jmowreader Jan 2014 #142
That's cute Fla_Democrat Jan 2014 #140
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