Who Wants to Become a Billionaire?

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Who wants to be a billionaire? You do. So does pretty much everyone else. Having more money than you could ever spend would make your life easier and more pleasant. You wouldn't have to work at a job you don’t like. You could pay someone else to rake your leaves and wash your clothes. You wouldn't live in a small house -- you'd buy a castle with a heated swimming pool. For a vacation, you'd invite your buddies to your own private island and have the butler bring you drinks on the beach. That would be great for a weekend. But over a lifetime, it would probably destroy you. I recently finished a work project that brought me in contact with some seriously wealthy people. The job was fascinating, and everyone treated me really well. But despite their good manners, a deeper look into these people's lives suggests that, for them, money is a little like junk food. It tastes great, but it hasn't made them happier or healthier. The people who made the money in the first place usually devoted every waking hour to accumulating wealth. They slept in their offices, spent every holiday at work and barely knew their families. The children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren who inherited that money were born into a world where, for them, nothing really matters. They're not doing well in school? No problem. They'll never need a job. They argued with a friend or a spouse? They can buy another one with gifts, trips and other perks. At first glance, it might sound great to never need a job or go to school. But human beings are fundamentally lazy. We don't do well because we're virtuous. We do well because we have to, and along the way some of us grow into people you'd let your sister date. We learn the real self-esteem of people who have skills. We set and achieve goals, learn to weather adversity, to fall down and get up again. We learn what matters and what doesn't. All

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