[manuelabeledo]

> ... without acknowledging the amount of work it takes to become rich

Being rich has more to do with background, than work.

> The same people that minimize what people like Musk have accomplished.

The son of a property developer and part owner of an emerald mine, and a top model, no less.

What I'm trying to say is that getting a jumpstart, while not guaranteeing a path to success, does provide a massive advantage over those from poorer backgrounds.

[wonderwonder]

Lets say I agree with you and Musk was given a large amount of startup capital (he wasn't). If I gave you say 10 million, could you turn it into 300 billion? 10 billion? 1 billion?

[manuelabeledo]

> Lets say I agree with you and Musk was given a large amount of startup capital (he wasn't).

That's relative and debatable.

Musk was born to a wealthy family, and had the opportunity early in life to move to California.

He founded his first venture the same year he arrived, in 1995. It was initially backed by angel investors, and then received a $3M investment just one year after. That's $6M adjusted for inflation.

Only an unfathomable small minority of the world's population, with both the money and the connections, are able to afford this.

> If I gave you say 10 million, could you turn it into 300 billion? 10 billion? 1 billion?

Maybe. We will never know, because I wasn't given the opportunities Musk had since childhood.

I have yet to encounter a rich guy whose parents weren't, at the very least, well off enough so he could go to good schools and live a relatively comfortable life. Most rich people I have spoken to are, in fact, quite disconnected from the struggles of being poor. Many would claim that they are either self made, or come from a lower middle class background, yet haven't gone hungry for a single day in their lives.