Riches and Dreams

Posted by Hyder on February 21st, 2007

CNN Money did a little Top 10 list of the richest Americans and measured their total wealth as a fraction of U.S. GDP at their time of death. What you will see is that most of the people on the list were either industrialists or into manufacturing something. The past 200 years or so have been mostly powered by the economics of Oil and Power generation (electricity).

I found it interesting to think about because for the past 50 years the new millionaires and billionaires have been powered by the economies of a digital age that is fast becoming the new mainstream way to make money.

We are not like the industrialists that before literally worked harder than some of us did, sitting on our butts on ergonomic computer chairs for hours on end with blazing fast communications at our hand.

Probably in the next 50 - 75 years when a list like this is made again we could see a few bloggers and/or internet start up personalities that just changed the way the world functions. And I think at that time it would be wise to include the rest of the world on it as well…not just Americans.

BTW, Bill Gates is obviously on the list and he is the only one alive on it!

Here’s the link to the list.

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