Rich people aren't necessarily smart.
Which is what I tell my wealthy friends--"If you're so rich, why aren't you smart?" But even this is not necessarily correct.
Self-made wealthy folks are indeed smart, but not necessarily intellectually. Some have uncanny investment insights, others are hard workers, some are simply greedy and ruthless while others have amazing sales and people skills.
Intellectuals? Not the ones I know.
One common characteristic I find in wealthy self-made people is energy, tons and tons of energy, plus enthusiasm, a real passion for what they do, even if its making widgets for .001 less than the competition. And optimism, a never say die attitude towards the future.
A great example is my uncle, who made a big pot of money in California real estate when he was very young, in his 30s, if I recall correctly. Went looking for perfect place to live, ended up in a tropical paradise. Went broke speculating on real estate, drove taxis, got into the game again, just made his second (or third) fortune. |
